diff --git a/samples/test-jupyter-app-launcher-ipylab.ipynb b/samples/test-jupyter-app-launcher-ipylab.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b915c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/test-jupyter-app-launcher-ipylab.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "d1e4bfe1-76c5-4148-b145-e89fe942584a",
+   "metadata": {
+    "extensions": {
+     "jupyter_dashboards": {
+      "activeView": "grid_default",
+      "views": {
+       "grid_default": {
+        "col": 0,
+        "height": 2,
+        "hidden": false,
+        "locked": true,
+        "row": 0,
+        "width": 12
+       }
+      }
+     }
+    },
+    "tags": []
+   },
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "from ipylab import JupyterFrontEnd  # type: ignore\n",
+    "app = JupyterFrontEnd()\n",
+    "import ipywidgets"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "044dd3e7-5507-4fe2-9867-6333ce8950ef",
+   "metadata": {
+    "extensions": {
+     "jupyter_dashboards": {
+      "activeView": "grid_default",
+      "views": {
+       "grid_default": {
+        "col": 0,
+        "height": 4,
+        "hidden": false,
+        "locked": true,
+        "row": 2,
+        "width": 12
+       }
+      }
+     }
+    },
+    "tags": []
+   },
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "def open_console(_):\n",
+    "    app.commands.execute(\n",
+    "    'console:create', \n",
+    "    app.sessions.current_session)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "8ba9fcdc-7193-46b0-94f8-d73d26247f19",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "b = ipywidgets.Button(description='Open console')\n",
+    "b.on_click(open_console)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "01ee6611-5f02-4296-98ec-a4cc1c8f5c29",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "b"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "12533fe9-b8d2-4c37-aa13-1dd25940e44d",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "a = app.sessions.current_session"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "057ecd0b-fb11-4b30-89d7-8232270040a9",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "a"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "f361e001-244b-45cd-8a31-8f582d8b3356",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": []
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "extensions": {
+   "jupyter_dashboards": {
+    "activeView": "grid_default",
+    "version": 1,
+    "views": {
+     "grid_default": {
+      "cellMargin": 2,
+      "defaultCellHeight": 40,
+      "maxColumns": 12,
+      "name": "grid",
+      "type": "grid"
+     }
+    }
+   }
+  },
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "Python 3 (ipykernel)",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.10.6"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 5
+}
diff --git a/src/documents/factory.ts b/src/documents/factory.ts
index 12e312f..48463c4 100644
--- a/src/documents/factory.ts
+++ b/src/documents/factory.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ export class NotebookGridWidgetFactory extends ABCWidgetFactory<
   protected createNewWidget(
     context: DocumentRegistry.IContext<INotebookModel>
   ): NotebookGridDocWidget {
-    return new NotebookGridDocWidget({
+    const widget = new NotebookGridDocWidget({
       context,
       content: new NotebookGridPanel(context, this._notebookGridFactory)
     });
+    return widget;
   }
 
   private _notebookGridFactory: NotebookGridFactory;
diff --git a/src/documents/widget.ts b/src/documents/widget.ts
index 7ab282f..db7bf17 100644
--- a/src/documents/widget.ts
+++ b/src/documents/widget.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ import {
 } from '@jupyterlab/notebook';
 import { IRenderMimeRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/rendermime';
 import { ServiceManager } from '@jupyterlab/services';
+import { ISessionContext } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
 import { Signal } from '@lumino/signaling';
 import { Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
 
 import { NotebookGridFactory } from '../factories/notebook_grid/notebook_grid_factory';
 import { ILauncherConfiguration } from '../schema';
+import { AppWidget } from '../factories/notebook_grid/app_widget';
 
 export interface IGridOptions {
   manager: ServiceManager;
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ export class NotebookGridDocWidget extends DocumentWidget<
   INotebookModel
 > {
   constructor(
-    options: DocumentWidget.IOptions<NotebookGridPanel, INotebookModel>
+    private options: DocumentWidget.IOptions<NotebookGridPanel, INotebookModel>
   ) {
     super(options);
   }
@@ -35,6 +37,10 @@ export class NotebookGridDocWidget extends DocumentWidget<
     this.content.dispose();
     super.dispose();
   }
+
+  get sessionContext(): ISessionContext {
+    return this.options.content.sessionContext;
+  }
 }
 
 export class NotebookGridPanel extends Widget {
@@ -74,5 +80,13 @@ export class NotebookGridPanel extends Widget {
     super.dispose();
   }
 
-  private _widget: Widget;
+  get sessionContext(): ISessionContext {
+    return this._widget.model.context.sessionContext;
+  }
+
+  get model(): INotebookModel | null {
+    return this._widget.model.context.model;
+  }
+
+  private _widget: AppWidget;
 }
diff --git a/src/factories/notebook_grid/notebook_grid_factory.ts b/src/factories/notebook_grid/notebook_grid_factory.ts
index 11c1bc5..f8fc6da 100644
--- a/src/factories/notebook_grid/notebook_grid_factory.ts
+++ b/src/factories/notebook_grid/notebook_grid_factory.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ import { ILauncherApp } from './../../token';
 import { AppModel } from './app_model';
 import { AppWidget } from './app_widget';
 
-export class NotebookGridFactory implements IPanelFactory {
+export class NotebookGridFactory implements IPanelFactory<AppWidget> {
   constructor(private options: NotebookGridFactory.IOptions) {}
-  async create(config: ILauncherConfiguration): Promise<ILauncherApp | void> {
+  async create(
+    config: ILauncherConfiguration
+  ): Promise<ILauncherApp<AppWidget> | void> {
     if (!config.sourceCode) {
       console.error('Notebook source is missing');
       return;
@@ -67,7 +69,6 @@ export class NotebookGridFactory implements IPanelFactory {
       editorConfig: StaticNotebook.defaultEditorConfig,
       notebookConfig: StaticNotebook.defaultNotebookConfig
     });
-
     const panel = new AppWidget({
       id: UUID.uuid4(),
       label: config.title,
diff --git a/src/token.ts b/src/token.ts
index 7919df6..06810a5 100644
--- a/src/token.ts
+++ b/src/token.ts
@@ -42,16 +42,16 @@ export interface IAppTracker extends IWidgetTracker<Widget> {
   instanceChanged: ISignal<IAppTracker, void>;
 }
 
-export interface ILauncherApp {
-  panel: Widget;
+export interface ILauncherApp<T extends Widget = Widget> {
+  panel: T;
   ready?: Promise<void>;
 }
 
-export interface IPanelFactory {
+export interface IPanelFactory<T extends Widget = Widget> {
   create(
     config: ILauncherConfiguration,
     args?: IDict
-  ): Promise<ILauncherApp | void>;
+  ): Promise<ILauncherApp<T> | void>;
 }
 
 export interface IPanelFactoryManager extends IDisposable {