M-DCPS Unveils Cutting-Edge Tech Lab at Hialeah Middle: VR, Robots, and 3D Printing Transform Learning

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) unveiled a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab at Hialeah Middle School equipped with virtual reality headsets, programmable robots, and 3D printers. The partnership is an effort to give middle school students access to cutting-edge technology that not only makes learning interactive but also provides them with skills that are becoming increasingly important in today’s competitive job market.

“The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab is a game changer for our students at Hialeah Middle,” said Hialeah Middle School Principal Dr. Elvira D. Ruiz-Carillo. “It gives them the chance to explore technology, create, and dream big. They’re not just learning about the future they’re learning how to shape it.”

The new lab at Hialeah Middle School is equipped with:
•    Virtual reality (VR) headsets
•    VR charging cart
•    PICO Neo4VR headsets
•    Apple iPad minis
•    Sphero RVR programmable robots
•    Laptops, including two gaming laptops
•    Smart TV monitor
•    Numerous coding tools

Eighth-grader Lia Perez, sixth-grader Lillian Clara and Aerospace and Robotics teacher Mellanie Malik exploring coding kits from the school’s new Verizon Innovations Lab.

Later in the school year, John F. Kennedy Middle School will also be among the Verizon Innovative Learning schools at M-DCPS with Verizon Innovative Learning Labs. In the 2026-27 school year, Citrus Grove K-8 Center and Cutler Bay Middle School will be added to that list, bringing the total at M-DCPS to 12.

“I think it’s important to have this space because it can teach students about the basics of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and many things about science,” said sixth-grader Oliver Alvarez. “I’m into the 3D printers because you can build anything you want with them in about a day. They are very versatile.”

The VIL Lab program is a multi-year initiative that combines immersive cutting-edge technology with an innovative project-based curriculum and real-world problem solving in a custom-designed, state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, all within the school building. The program was created through a partnership with Verizon, Heart of America, and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University. 

“The partnership between Verizon Innovative Learning and Miami-Dade County Public Schools has opened the doors for so many of our educators, families, and students,” said Olema Herrera, district supervisor for instructional technology for M-DCPS. “It is not just an initiative but an opportunity that has changed the mindset of how teaching and learning occurs; it has changed the trajectory of students’ educational journey.”  

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