Mind Lab’s perspectives on successful enrichment programs, is that they can be inspired by captivating board games, that keep participants coming back for the next round of competition and pack friends and family in for the final Olympics sessions. Playing these multicultural, team and partner, board games builds academic skills such as: mathematics problem solving, use of spatial constructs, diagrams, documents, test sophistication skills, short response, extended response, literacy informational texts, cultural diversity awareness and beyond.

The Mind Lab Method is a system for the development and nurturing of a battery of social-emotional skills (community life, teaming, setting goals, empathy, mirroring one’s actions, and resiliency), as well as critical thinking mind sets applicable for life and multi-content achievement (detective method, migrating birds formation, mirrors approach, stoplight, and thinking tree). At the crux of the Mind Lab Method, is the idea that the most effective way to learn is through unique, learner centered, inquiry driven, and authentic experience that leaves the participant (K-12) wanting more. Game playing is the perfect example of such an experience – it is entertaining, engaging, and exciting. Therefore it engages and enthralls the participant. No less important is the fact that the game-playing experience provides the training field ground application and development of lifelong literacy, mathematics problem solving, and 21st Century success skills.

In the first stage, the students learn one of the many (age, grade and skill need appropriate) thinking games in the program. They play in small groups. Using an instructor mediated game kit, they explore the game strategies and underlying thinking concepts, which help them to hone their game-playing skills.

In the second stage, the instructor and the students summarize the game-playing session with the help of a thinking model. This model connects the actual moves of the games to the “mind lab” processes triggered by game playing (for example-identifying a problem, or making a difficult decision), or to emotional or social processes (for example- taking responsibility for a mistake).

In the third stage, the instructor and students examine the game patterns to initiate a discussion, which relates to relevant real-life situations. In so doing, the students succeed in applying the knowledge derived from the game experience to other aspects of life – from their studies (and later on, their occupation), the news, and their personal/community lives.

Each age group program offer up to 2 modules of 15 sessions each for 45 Min/Session (K-3 Grades) up to 12 Students/Instructor/Kit and 90 Min/Session (4-12 Grades) up to 20 Students/Instructor per Kit. Each culminates in an outreach family and friends demonstration of game play with the Grades 4-12 levels ending in a very real Olympics at your school site.