Welcome to the JMU Lab School!
The Laboratory School for Innovation & Career Exploration is an exciting partnership between James Madison University (JMU), Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS), and Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC).
Our Mission is to create a space for innovation, where educators, industry, and pre-service professionals can learn about best practices in teaching and learning. The Vision of the Lab School is to become an innovation hub for career exploration and workforce development through interdisciplinary, problem-focused application of solving community needs, leading to college and career readiness.
In Lab School, students in grades 9–12 explore an innovative, project-based learning environment. We follow the same Virginia Department of Education standards as traditional classrooms—but here, our goal is to provide high school students with a hands-on, real-world learning experience that inspires curiosity, creativity, and confidence.
Our curriculum is:
- Interdisciplinary – connecting subjects in meaningful ways
- Place-based – rooted in our local community and environment
- Problem-based – focused on solving real challenges
- Collaborative – students learn and grow together
This approach helps students see how what they learn in school applies to life beyond the classroom—and prepares them for college, careers, and the future.
As of the 2026–2027 school year, the JMU Lab School is offered in the following Rockingham County high schools:
- 9th Grade:
- 10th Grade:
- 11th Grade:
- James Madison University (Memorial Hall)
