> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.samstudio.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SAM Studio: Browser-Based STEAM and Coding for K-12

> SAM Studio is SAM Labs' browser-based platform for STEAM and coding education. Discover environments, hardware blocks, and how to get started.

SAM Studio is SAM Labs' browser-based platform that brings STEAM and coding education to life for K-12 classrooms. You open it in any supported browser — no software to install, no IT tickets to file — and your students are coding physical Bluetooth hardware blocks within minutes. Whether you teach five-year-olds dragging shapes on a screen or middle schoolers writing JavaScript, SAM Studio has an environment built for that moment.

## What SAM Studio Does

SAM Studio brings together three coding environments, a library of 850+ structured lessons, and a suite of physical and virtual hardware blocks into one unified platform. You sign in once, and everything — projects, progress, class rosters — lives in the cloud.

* **SAM Space** — a visual, flow-based environment where younger learners connect blocks on a canvas without writing a single line of code.
* **SAM Blockly** — a drag-and-drop, block-based coding environment built on Google Blockly, bridging the gap between visual and text-based programming.
* **SAM Script** — a full text-based coding environment supporting JavaScript and Python, designed for students ready to write real code.

<Tip>
  Not sure which environment to start with? SAM Space is ideal for K–5, SAM Blockly for grades 4–8, and SAM Script for advanced or older students. You can always switch later — all three environments live inside the same platform.
</Tip>

## Who Uses SAM Studio

**Teachers (K–8 and beyond)** use SAM Studio to create classes, assign lessons from the built-in library, monitor student progress, and manage hardware distribution. The teacher dashboard gives you a live view of every student's work without leaving your desk.

**Students** use SAM Studio to build projects, complete teacher-assigned lessons, experiment with physical SAM Labs blocks, and submit their work — all from the same browser window.

## What Makes SAM Studio Special

Most coding platforms stop at the screen. SAM Studio connects the digital and physical worlds.

* **Physical Bluetooth blocks** — SAM Labs hardware (LEDs, motors, buttons, sensors, and more) pair directly to the browser over Bluetooth. Students see their code control something real.
* **Virtual blocks** — no hardware? No problem. Every physical block has a software counterpart you can drop into a project and test on-screen.
* **850+ ready-made lessons** — a growing library of curriculum-aligned STEAM activities means you spend less time building content and more time teaching.
* **SSO and cloud saves** — students sign in with Google or Microsoft, and their projects save automatically to the cloud.

## Explore SAM Studio

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Sign in, create your first project, pair a block, and run your first script in under 10 minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Coding Environments" icon="code" href="/environments/sam-space">
    Compare SAM Space, SAM Blockly, and SAM Script to choose the right fit for your class.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SAM Labs Blocks" icon="microchip" href="/sam-script/blocks-reference">
    Learn about the physical Bluetooth hardware blocks students program in SAM Studio.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform Overview" icon="layout-dashboard" href="/platform/teacher-view">
    Explore classes, lessons, the teacher dashboard, and how everything fits together.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>