Creative Minds, a classroom of mixed grade levels in the Wichita Public Schools system, focuses on hands-on, exploratory learning activities for students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The curriculum allows parents to select the best educational path for their child through a personalized learning intended to ignite a passion for lifelong learning.
Creative Minds launched inside Learning Lab in fall 2024 and has more than doubled in size for the 2025–2026 academic year. It is one of seven school models that holds its learning experiences at Learning Lab Wichita.
Creative Minds learner Layth and his mom, Kendra, sat down for an interview at Learning Lab Wichita, where Creative Minds holds school. Layth joked with his mom as he stretched out on an upholstered chair, looking entirely comfortable in his surroundings.
Kendra said she appreciates how Creative Minds’ new approach to teaching and learning has brought out the best in her child.
“Project-based learning is where kids excel; they want to learn,” she said.
Project-based learning is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world problems and personally meaningful projects. Creative Minds’ curriculum is focused on four large quarterly projects that are not only personalized but that help students meet all state standards for each school subject.
Kendra is a public-school teacher and a mother of three, who homeschooled her children while living overseas. When her two older boys returned to public school, Kendra observed that they had advanced beyond their grade levels after studying at home for many years. After relocating to the Wichita area, Kendra sought a different educational environment for her youngest son Layth, one outside the traditional school setting.
Creative Minds follows the Wichita Public Schools schedule, which was one of the key factors that caught Kendra’s attention; it fit perfectly into her own schedule. Above all, Kendra was looking for a place that could dedicate the time and attention to students that Layth needed to thrive. When introduced to Creative Minds at Learning Lab Wichita, Kendra found that the “smaller setting allows Layth to do what he is good at and at his own pace.”
Teacher Olivia Sumner began working at Creative Minds after Wichita Public Schools Chief Information Officer Rob Dickson created the microschool. Her organizational skills, welcoming demeanor, and ability to connect with students has contributed to the school’s popularity; Creative Minds had a wait list for the 2025–2026 academic year.
“Creative Minds is a space where curiosity leads the way, and learning is built on relationships, discovery, and joy,” Sumner said. “Our model is rooted in student choice, meaningful projects, and a belief that every child deserves to be seen, heard, and challenged. Kids thrive here because they’re not asked to fit a mold; they’re given tools to build something entirely their own.”
At Learning Lab, Layth had the opportunity to explore his creative side even more than he did at home, Kendra said. The collaborative space provides a wide range of resources that allows Creative Minds learners to discover new interests and talents they might not have realized before.
When students enjoy what they’re doing, it sparks greater interest and curiosity in their learning, Kendra said. This approach helps ensure that learners can grow and excel at their own pace, focusing on what they’re truly good at.
“The space allows [Layth] to be a kid,” she said. “He smiles and laughs. Before, when I would pick him up from school, he was just tired. Overstimulated. Here, that doesn’t exist. He looks forward to coming to school every day.”
Test results show Layth is academically outperforming the average student his age. He enjoys engaging with his creative side, which makes him “feel happier” and more motivated to succeed.
“Watching Layth grow last year was such a gift,” Sumner said. “He came in full of ideas and quickly found his voice as both a thinker and a teammate. He asked big questions, dove deep into his interests, and found confidence in leading with kindness. His growth wasn’t just academic but personal, creative, and powerful.”
Kendra loves Learning Lab and Creative Minds so much so that “we will go the extra mile as parents to bring him to this environment because it’s so special. Only good things happen here. It’s all the things I believe in as a mom and an educator myself.”
Layth’s recommendation says it all.
“More kids should come because I love it, and the other kids would love it,” he said. “The teachers are nice, and it’s a good place. I would rate it a 10 out of 10.”
To learn more about Learning Lab Wichita’s resident school models, click here.