Think. Create. Connect.
About Us
At Think First Labs, we develop programs and clubs that allow students to grow in friendly, social environments built to help them think, create, and connect.
We work directly with schools and community organizations to bring our clubs on-site, handling the staffing and materials so our partners don't have to. Every instructor is experienced and vetted to meet your school's standards, and every session is built to welcome beginners while still challenging intermediate players who want to go further.
Our signature programs are Think First Chess Club and Creative Minds Drawing Club, for students in grades K–8 across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana — growing into the greater Midwest.
What We Bring
- Experienced, vetted, background-checked instructors
- All teaching materials and equipment
- A friendly, focused learning environment
- Programs built for grades K–8
- Service across Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana
Our Signature Clubs
Think First Chess Club
A structured, coach-led chess club that meets students where they are — from learning the pieces to checkmate. Each club meeting features a lesson curated to the levels of the students in the room, then open play where students put concepts, tactics, and strategy into practice with their peers while the coach is on hand to assist and answer questions.
- Focused Lesson (10–15 min) — a short, level-appropriate lesson on openings, tactics, or endgame fundamentals.
- Supervised Open Play — friendly games with real-time coaching from an experienced instructor.
- Special Activities — puzzles, drills, and timed games with regulation chess clocks.
Creative Minds Drawing Club
A hands-on drawing club that builds creativity, observation, proportion, shading, and confidence across multiple mediums — through guided instruction and plenty of studio time to practice. Students work on fundamentals while developing their own style.
- Focused Lesson (15–20 min) — a short lesson on a technique or concept: line, shading, proportion, composition, or a new medium.
- Studio Time — students put the lesson into practice on their own piece, with the instructor circulating for hands-on feedback and review.
- Share & Critique — students show their work and get feedback from the instructor and their peers.
No lift to launch.
We partner with schools and organizations around a shared goal: quality enrichment for students. Our programs are designed to run with minimal to no added lift on your staff. Our clubs are your clubs, built for your students, giving them a place to express themselves and connect with like-minded peers.
You provide the space and a point of contact. We bring the coach, teaching materials, and everything else.
Families register and pay Think First Labs directly. No cost to your school.
Your school covers the instructor directly. A single instructor supports up to 15 students.
What We Provide
- Vetted, background-checked instructors who meet your school's certification requirements (Virtus and others)
- All teaching materials and equipment
- Registration and enrollment handled end-to-end
- Clubs run in 10-week sessions, one hour a week, scheduled around your school day
What We Need From You
- A classroom or common space, one day a week
- A single point of contact to coordinate scheduling and enrollment
Let's bring Think First Labs to your school.
Interested in partnering with us, or want to learn more about Chess Club and Drawing Club? We'd love to hear from you!