Playlab opens applications for AI Lab Schools as 20 teams rethink school design
Playlab says its new, tuition-free “AI Lab Schools” program will support up to 20 leadership teams over 24 months as they design and launch new school models or restructure existing ones, with an emphasis on AI-integrated teaching, learning, and operations.
Playlab has launched AI Lab Schools, a new 24-month program that aims to help up to 20 school leadership teams design and launch “AI-Integrated” school models, with the inaugural cohort scheduled to begin in July 2026.
The initiative lands as more school systems experiment with generative AI, but still face practical questions about what should change in schedules, staffing, assessment, and the day-to-day “grammar” of learning.
In a LinkedIn post, Playlab wrote: “we are recruiting 20 teams to design and launch school models that reimagine school in the age of AI.”
What Playlab is building and who can apply
Playlab describes itself as a nonprofit that helps educators and impact organizations build AI-powered tools and experiences, and says it provides public infrastructure for researchers to study AI’s impact on education, with open data to support responsible, open-source AI work.
AI Lab Schools is set up with two participation tracks:
The New Start: teams founding a new school or learning environment “from the ground up,” with a stated goal to “Launch a fully operational, AI-Integrated learning environment by Fall 2027.”
The Pivot: leaders of an existing school (district, charter, private, or micro) planning a “radical structural pivot,” with a stated goal to execute a model redesign that “shifts power to learners.”
Applicants must apply as a core team of two to four leaders with decision-making authority over schedule, staffing, and budget. Playlab also requires “Evidence of Action,” meaning teams submit an existing AI tool or solution as proof they have already started experimenting with innovation, student agency, and AI in their context.
Program structure, requirements, and selection timeline
Playlab positions the program as an R&D incubator rather than a professional development series, with quarterly in-person intensives, monthly strategy calls, and individualized coaching. The organization says participants will use Playlab’s platform to create custom AI tools, run short pilots, and share learnings publicly as part of an “Open Source Commitment.”
The program is described as tuition-free, with Playlab covering travel, lodging, and meals for quarterly in-person intensives, plus platform access for two years. Participating teams must earmark at least $10,000 in their own budgets for post-program implementation support such as software costs and professional learning.
Key dates included in the program materials:
Feb. 3, 2026: Applications open
Feb. 4, 2026: Informational webinars (two options: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM PST and 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM PST)
Feb. 10, 2026: Additional informational webinars (two options: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM PST and 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM PST)
Feb. 27, 2026: Application closes
March 6, 2026: Finalists invited to interview
March 16–27, 2026: Finalist interviews
March 30, 2026: Cohort announced
July 2026: Program kickoff
What Playlab says it wants to change in school design
Across its materials, Playlab frames AI as infrastructure that can reduce friction in operations and feedback loops, while pushing schools to redesign core structures rather than bolt tools onto existing systems. The program’s stated design areas include AI-integrated pedagogy, agency-driven learning, and “boundary-less” classrooms, alongside shifts toward mastery-based progression, portfolios, and measurement that goes beyond one-time tests.
Playlab explicitly notes that conventional measures like standardized reading and math scores still matter for transparency and equity, but argues they do not capture broader outcomes tied to student well-being, relationships, and human skills.
ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.
