UL Research Institutes’ Xplorlabs Receives Tech & Learning Award of Excellence
No-cost safety science education platform named ‘Best of 2024’ in Secondary Education Category
EVANSTON, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2025) — Today, UL Research Institutes’ online safety science education platform, Xplorlabs, was recognized with Tech & Learning’s Award of Excellence: Best of 2024 in the Secondary Education category.
Judged by a panel of education experts, Tech & Learning’s Best of 2024 Awards celebrate educational technology from the last 12 months that has excelled and shone in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals — showcasing which products are truly going above and beyond to contribute to the education sector by positively impacting teaching and learning throughout 2024.
Started in 2015, Xplorlabs is an open-access, online platform that features four educational pathways based on the latest safety research from the world-class research institutes that make up ULRI. This research on fire safety systems, fire forensics, thermal runaway, and battery supply chains is translated into Next Generation Science Standards-based education resources for middle and high schools by education experts and former teachers in ULRI’s Office of Research Experiences & Education. Now used in more than 4,000 cities globally, Xplorlabs’ pathways feature footage from ULRI’s research labs, online interactives, as well as hands-on investigations and engineering challenges to engage students both on and off the computer.
“Xplorlabs is much more than an online education platform. For us, it has become a philosophy committed to empowering both students and educators,” said Kelly Keena, Ph.D., senior director of ULRI’s Office of Research Experiences & Education. “On the student side, we are bringing real-world safety situations into the classroom so they can better understand both science and safety — and make safer decisions every day. On the teaching side, we are creating flexible resources that can be leveraged based on each teacher’s need. We are also providing professional development opportunities ranging from in-depth workshops to educator fellowships that further the connection between safety science and science education.”
The last two years have marked a significant milestone in Xplorlabs’ mission to transform STEM education and teacher professional development through the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship. Started in 2023, the inaugural fellowship included 18 educators across five states and impacted 4,860 students. Building on this success, the 2024-25 cohort has expanded to 30 fellows across eight states, reaching 8,100 students. In 2024, the Xplorlabs team also hosted 22 in-depth professional development workshops with more than 250 educators across the country and in turn, impacted more than 68,000 students.
In 2025, Xplorlabs will mark another milestone — welcoming its first permanent physical space at the Cobb County Safety Village in metro Atlanta. As one of 23 safety villages in the United States, this facility teaches children how to react when faced with dangerous situations. Set to open this fall, the UL Research Institutes Interactive Classroom will host Xplorlabs workshops for educators and students in the area to learn about the science of safety behind real-world topics like lithium-ion batteries and fire safety systems.
To learn more about these safety science education resources, visit Xplorlabs.org.
About UL Research Institutes
UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing public safety through scientific discovery. Since 1894, our research has advanced our mission toward a safer, more secure, and sustainable future. Focused on global risks from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, we conduct rigorous independent research, analyze safety data, and partner with experts to uncover and act on existing and emerging risks to human safety. Discover more at UL.org.
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