University of Chicago Laboratory Schools facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools |
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1362 E. 59th St.
, United States
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| Coordinates | 41°47′19″N 87°35′38″W / 41.7886°N 87.5940°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private Secondary |
| Established | 1896 |
| Founder | John Dewey |
| Director | Victoria Jueds |
| Grades | Nursery (age 3)–12 |
| Number of students | 2,161 (2018–19) |
| Mascot | Maroons |
| Nickname | Lab, Lab schools, U-High (high school only) |
| Newspaper | U-High Midway |
| Yearbook | U-Highlights Yearbook |
| Tuition | 2024-25: Nursery, Half Day - $29,334 Nursery, Full Day-Grade 5 - $40,686 Grades 6-8 - $42,834 Grades 9-12 - $44,592 Tuition for children of faculty is half of listed amounts. |
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab, Lab Schools, or U-High) is a private school in Chicago, Illinois. It teaches students from age 3 (Nursery) all the way through 12th grade. The school is connected to the University of Chicago. Many students have parents who work at the university.
Contents
History of Lab Schools
The Lab Schools were started by a famous American educator named John Dewey in 1896. They are located in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. The school began as a new kind of educational place. It aimed to connect learning from kindergarten all the way to university.
John Dewey was in charge of the university's Department of Philosophy, Psychology, and Education. He wanted to test his ideas about how people learn best. So, the school became a "laboratory" to try out new teaching methods. Dewey's wife, Alice Dewey, also helped a lot in the school's early days.
Exploring the Campus
The Lab Schools have two main campuses that work together. The Historic Campus is at 1362 East 59th Street. It covers two city blocks. This campus is known for its old-style, castle-like buildings. It is home to students in grades 3 through 12. About 1,200 students learn here.
This campus has five buildings connected together. These include Blaine Hall (built in 1903) and Gordon Parks Arts Hall (built in 2015). There are also two gyms, Sunny Gym and Kovler Gymnasium. Students can also enjoy Scammon Garden and Jackman Field.
In 2013, Lab opened Earl Shapiro Hall. This new building is on the Early Childhood Campus. It is located at 5800 S. Stony Island Avenue. This campus is for about 625 younger children. It teaches students from nursery school up to second grade. The building is named after Earl Shapiro, a former Lab student.
Students and Classes
The school has more than 2,160 students in total. They range from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade. The school is divided into different sections. These include Nursery School, Primary School, Lower School, Middle School, and High School. Many students start in nursery school and stay until they graduate high school.
The school has a small student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1. This means teachers can give more attention to each student.
In 2007, The Wall Street Journal ranked the high school very highly. It was ranked fourth in the nation. This was for how many of its graduates went on to top colleges. These colleges included the University of Chicago.
U-High offers over 150 different classes. All classes help students get ready for college. There are more than 30 advanced classes available. These are like college-level courses. High school students can also take classes at the University of Chicago for free. About 20 students do this each year. The school has four libraries. Together, they hold over 110,000 books.
Fun Extracurricular Activities
High school students can pick from over 40 different clubs and activities. The school's math, science, and Model UN teams often win state titles. The school newspaper, The U-High Midway, and the yearbook, U-Highlights, win many awards. The arts magazine, Renaissance, also wins awards.
Other popular activities include theater and student council. The Model UN team is one of the best in the country. In 2011, it was ranked the #2 High School Model UN team in the United States. The Debate Team has also won many national competitions.
Students can also join the Maroon Key Society. These students are chosen by teachers. They act as ambassadors for the school. They give tours to visitors, alumni, and future students.
Sometimes, the high school's activities make national news. For example, in 1990, a student named Matthew Headrick won a big science competition. He even appeared on TV shows like Today. The Chicago Tribune newspaper wrote about how cool it was to be on the math team at Lab. In 2015, a Finance Club was started. It began with over $100,000 to invest.
Famous Alumni and People
School Sports
The Lab Schools have strong sports teams. The boys soccer team won the IHSA 1A state championship in 2019. The girls tennis team also won the IHSA 1A state championship in 2019. This was the first state championship for a U-High girls team. The girls tennis team won again in 2021.
Amazing Teachers
Many teachers at Lab Schools have won special awards. Eight Lab teachers have received Chicago's famous Golden Apple Award. This is more than from any other school in the city.
Teachers like Mima Maxey and Marjorie Fay taught Latin in the 1930s. Their way of teaching Latin was very new for the time. It focused on reading stories without lots of grammar rules. This idea is now called comprehensible input in language learning.
Author and teacher Vivian Paley spent most of her career at Lab. She won a "genius" award and an award for helping children. The Sutherland Award for Excellence in Children's Literature is a special book award. It is one of the only awards chosen by students in the U.S. It honors Zena Sutherland, a former university faculty member.
Lab teachers also helped create the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. This project made math textbooks used across the country. These include Everyday Mathematics for elementary students.
Blue Balliett, who wrote popular children's mysteries like Chasing Vermeer, got ideas for her books from teaching at Lab.
