MindLab
Mindlab serves as a baseline program that offers opportunities for children in 6th-9th grade to advance critical thinking, finance skills, economic knowledge, and statistics.
Using our book as a guideline will give the children exposure to practice questions and easy-to-comprehend examples of the most critical aspects of each topic. We have 7 sections that cover 30 topics in total.
The price. The timer. The choice you think you made.
- Pick one.
Sessions
Mindlab sessions are designed to transform complex academic concepts into engaging, interactive learning experiences for students in grades 6–9. Using the Mindlab book as a foundation and guide, we introduce each topic in a way that is accessible, relatable, and enjoyable for students.
Rather than relying on traditional lectures, our sessions will prioritize active participation. Concepts from the book will be reinforced through interactive discussions, hands-on activities, games, experiments, challenges, and real-world scenarios. Students will have opportunities to ask questions, work collaboratively, test ideas, and apply what they learn beyond the page.
Our goal is to make each session both educational and memorable by presenting challenging concepts in a way that feels approachable and fun. By combining the structured content of the book with creative and engaging activities, Mindlab aims to create an environment where students are encouraged to think critically, explore new ideas, and actively participate in their own learning.
Beneath The Choice
In progress.
Mindlab is designed to provide students in grades 6–9 with opportunities to strengthen their critical thinking, financial literacy, economic knowledge, and statistical skills.
The program's book serves as a foundational resource for both volunteers and students. Using clear, easy-to-understand explanations, practical examples, and practice questions, it introduces students to essential concepts in an engaging and accessible way.
The book is organized into seven sections covering a total of 30 topics. Students explore topics such as evidence, statistics, probability, decision-making, and cognitive biases while developing the skills needed to evaluate information and make informed decisions. Activities and experiments throughout the book encourage students to apply what they learn in real-world situations.
Mindlab's curriculum is designed not only to introduce important concepts but also to help students understand how these ideas influence everyday decisions. By using the book as a guide, volunteers can provide students with a structured and interactive learning experience that builds practical knowledge and critical thinking skills.
The seven parts
- IProofsHow we know something is true, not just probably true
- IIStatisticsSummarizing a pile of numbers without lying with them
- IIIRandomnessWhat chance actually looks like up close
- IVData analysisReading evidence, and making your own
- VGame theoryDeciding when other people are deciding too
- VIEconomicsWhy things cost what they cost
- VIIBehavioral economicsWhere the theory meets the actual human
Data lab
Use this after the class has made its guesses. Sample numbers from the anchoring activity are loaded — press edit on either group to type in what your class actually said, and everything below updates.
The two groups start with 20 simulated answers each so there is something on screen before a class has run the activity. Replace them with real numbers using the edit buttons.
About Us
Hey! I’m Shreya, a junior at Kennedy High School and a co-founder of MindLab. I’m interested in the space where math, economics, and human behavior meet: why people make the decisions they do, how we judge risk, and how easily numbers can influence what we believe. I started thinking more about these topics after realizing that statistics and probability are often taught as formulas, even though they are factored in constantly when making choices in real life. That very idea became the foundation for MindLab and the book I co-wrote, Beneath the Choice. We built it around questions that go beyond simply getting the right answer, like how economic incentives shape the choices people make. My hope is that middle and early high-school students come away more willing to question information, trust their own reasoning, and see math as a tool for understanding the world rather than just a class to get through. In my free time, I’m usually reading, looking for a new coffee shop, or going on a hike.
philosopherMachiavelli
mathematicianRamanujan
Hey! I’m Poojitha, a junior at Troy High School and a co-founder of MindLab. I’ve always liked the creative side of computer science and math, especially being able to turn an idea into something people can actually use. I build websites for clubs at my school, so creating MindLab’s website felt like a natural way to help bring the project to life and make our resources easy for students to find. I also helped work on MindLab’s book, Beneath the Choice, which was a really different kind of project from building the website. It gave me the chance to think about how we could make each topic clear, interactive, and actually enjoyable to work through. Outside of MindLab, I spend my time reading, going on hikes, following racing, and stopping for matcha whenever I can.
philosopherPythagoras
mathematicianAda Lovelace
Hey! I’m Sriya, a junior at Oxford Academy and a co-founder of MindLab. I’m interested in psychology and hope to become a pediatrician someday because I genuinely love working with kids. I joined MindLab because I like being part of projects that make learning feel less intimidating and more engaging. Helping create resources for younger students has been especially meaningful to me. I hope they feel comfortable being curious, asking questions, and realizing they are capable of understanding more than they think. Outside of MindLab, I love watching films, reading, journaling, and going on hikes.
philosopherDescartes
mathematicianHypatia