New STEAM Lab Opens at Leto High School

Students at Leto High School and across Hillsborough County gain access to 3D printing, modern computers, and podcast recording for STEAM learning.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Secondary Education

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The Building Excellence Foundation unveiled a COEGI Lab at Leto High School in Hillsborough County on Thursday. The lab, which features modern computers, a 3D printer, and a podcast recording studio, is the foundation's second in the county after Armwood High School.

Why it matters

The foundation aims to bring specialized learning spaces to underserved schools so that students' access to STEM resources does not depend on family income. For Tampa-area families, the lab adds a hands-on STEAM option inside a public high school without requiring a separate program fee.

The Leto High School lab includes modern computers, a 3D printer, and a podcast recording studio. It is the foundation's second COEGI Lab in Hillsborough County, after the one at Armwood High School.

The players

Building Excellence Foundation

An educational nonprofit that brings specialized learning spaces, including COEGI Labs, to underserved schools.

Dariel Breton

A Leto High School senior enrolled in an engineering program who hopes to become an aerospace engineer.

The details

Each COEGI Lab is tailored to the needs of its students and built around STEAM education, which combines science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The space is designed so students can collaborate, solve problems, and explore possible career paths. Leto High School senior Dariel Breton, enrolled in an engineering program, hopes to become an aerospace engineer and is one example of the students the lab is meant to serve.

The Leto High School COEGI Lab was unveiled on Thursday, November 4, 2026.

The Home Front

The foundation's Hillsborough County rollout continues a pattern of placing specialized STEM spaces in individual public high schools, following Armwood High School. The Leto lab marks the second such site in the county, extending a local push to widen access to STEAM equipment beyond a single campus.

If your child attends Leto High School or Armwood High School, ask the school whether the COEGI Lab offers sign-up or enrollment for students in your program. Families with students interested in engineering or STEAM fields can also ask their counselor about career pathways linked to these labs.

The takeaway

Access to STEM equipment should not depend on which school zone a family lives in, and the foundation's labs aim to narrow that gap. Families with high schoolers interested in engineering or the arts should ask their school counselor how to get involved with lab offerings.