LIGHTYEAR LabS and Lightning labs

 

Our Lightyear Labs and Lightning Labs are fully funded workshops for small groups of disabled and neurodivergent 11 - 16 year olds which promote experimentation and discovery while developing critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills. In each session participants become researchers and are guided through the experiments with support from their lab technicians (teachers and support staff) in the classroom. At the end of the Lab we celebrate their successes, perseverance and learning with a certificate. 

Lightyear Labs and Lightning Labs are completely free of charge for participating schools. For virtual labs, participating schools will be sent a box of kit for their session(s), and will be met on Zoom by their Lab Lead. For in-person labs, the Lab Lead will attend the school with all necessary equipment and materials for the sessions. Lab Leads will adapt session content to the needs of the participating young people, with the support of school staff. All sessions are developed with a learning objective, mindset and skills and have supporting vocabulary sheets with key vocabulary and widgit symbols.

I was just amazed that the sessions captured our students’ attention for that long through online learning. The resources were very well combined with the pace and delivery of the session. Very hard to do!” 

Lead Science Teacher, Heaton School

Lightyear Labs

Lightyear Labs are four sessions, which take place once a week over a month, providing the participating young scientists to build rapport with the Lab Lead and develop their confidence in experimentation. Click on each available Lightyear Lab subject area below to view examples of included experiments:

    • Sun, earth, and moon: creating and recreating the movement of the sun, earth, and moon with plasticine/modelling clay

    • Moon craters: learning more about asteroids, meteoroids, and moon craters using a flour and cocoa powder moon surface.

    • Constellations: exploring the stars by creating constellations using different formats including star beads and LED torches

    • Astronaut challenge: building dexterity and communication skills through the glove box challenge.

    • Build a house: we learn that some engineers solve problems to make strong buildings, including houses. We work like engineers to build our own houses using wooden sticks and playdough, starting with the foundations, then the walls, and then the roof. We also test how strong our houses are.

    • Make a circuit: we learn that some engineers solve problems to make things work using electricity, including the lights in our homes. We work like engineers to make our own circuit using electrical components, to light up our houses from Session 1.

    • Balloon cars: we learn that some engineers solve problems to make things move, including cars and trains. We work like engineers to make our own cars using a cardboard body and wooden wheels, and test how we can power them with different balloons.

    • Friction and water resistance: we learn that some engineers solve problems to make things move faster, by thinking about shapes and friction. We work like engineers to make different shapes out of soft modelling dough, and test them to see how they move in water - and which ones experience the most water resistance.

    • Dissolving: experimenting with different solvents and solutes, and observing salt crystals form.

    • Bubbles: hypothesising and predicting using bubbles and different shaped wands.

    • Human circuit: exploring electrical flow by becoming a human circuit.

    • Make a torch: building circuits to create a paper flashlight.

    • Lollipop puzzle: learning more about sequencing by creating designs on lolly sticks, before working out how to put them back in the correct order.

    • Button sorting: sorting buttons into categories to learn more about patterns and their importance in coding.

    • Lava maze: writing programs to save dinosaur eggs from a lava maze.

Lightning Labs

Lightning Labs are one-off hour long sessions suitable for schools which are unable to commit to the full four-week Lightyear Labs. Content from the Lightyear Labs is condensed into an accessible single session, suitable for a slightly larger group of up to ten students.

Click on each available Lightning Lab subject area below to view examples of included experiments:

    • Moon craters: learning more about asteroids, meteoroids, and moon craters using a flour and cocoa powder moon surface, OR

    • Constellations: exploring the stars by creating constellations using different formats including star beads and LED torches

  • Make your own rainbow: exploring the concept of density by creating a measuring cylinder rainbow.

  • Sound and soundproofing: We learn that some engineers solve problems with sound. We work like engineers to make our own musical instruments, using rubber bands stretched around a paper cup to make a paper guitar. In the second experiment we work like engineers to make our own musical instruments, using beads of different materials inside of a cup to make a paper shaker. We also experiment with using different materials on the inside and outside of the cups to soundproof our shakers, and make them quieter.

    • Dissolving: experimenting with different solvents and solutes, and observing salt crystals form, OR

    • Bubbles: hypothesising and predicting using bubbles and different shaped wands, OR

    • Make a torch: building circuits to create a paper flashlight.

    • Astronaut obstacle course: writing programmes to guide an astronaut through space, OR

    • Code bracelets: developing an understanding of functions in coding by creating colourful bracelets, OR

    • Lava maze: writing programs to save dinosaur eggs from a lava maze.

How to book

If you are interested in Lightyear Labs or Lightning Labs for your school please complete this enquiry form. Please note that available opportunities depend on our current funding.

Enquiry Form

If you would like more information about the labs, please contact us.

Reach and outcomes

In 2025 we delivered 13 Lightning Labs and six Lightyear Labs to 146 young people. Students explored engineering, physics, chemistry and technology through a variety of experiments delivered by our expert Lab Leads.

  • 81% of children felt they had learnt something new

  • 80% of children showed higher engagement compared to in-school science lessons (based on Leiven Scale)

  • 83% of children want to learn more STEM

  • 87% of children found the STEM activities fun

“I enjoyed learning something new!”
Student

“The impact of having a deaf scientist, who was also a signer and clearly very knowledgeable, was very powerful.”
Teacher

“I’ve learned all I can today - it was fun!”
Student