Communications from the Director

May 2008
David W. Magill, Director

On May 1, 2008, The University of Chicago announced that a ten million dollar gift to our Schools was given by a family representing three generations of Lab students.

The largest gift in the history of the Laboratory Schools comes at a time when the Schools are about to embark on a transformational effort to improve its conditions for learning. During the coming months, the details of future renovations and expansion will become clearer and will give us all something to which we can look forward.

I believe that this gift will be a powerful stimulus as we begin a comprehensive campaign in September. More importantly, I believe that it will strengthen a changing culture in which the gifts of time and money become a natural and expected part of the Laboratory Schools experience.

Great progress has been made in the past several years, and it is so encouraging to witness the difference that can be made with the support of faculty, students, parents, alumni, and friends. Note the following:

• In four years, our annual giving has doubled and the endowment has grown by 82 percent.
• In two years, Connections net proceeds have doubled and attendance has increased by 30 percent.
• Between July and December of 2007, the number of alumni gifts increased by 87 percent over the same period of time in 2006.
• As of April 30, 2007, we received 2,002 gifts compared to 1,474 in the previous year.

This by no means happened by accident. A strategic direction coupled with hard work is moving us in the right direction. Advised by a committed group of Board members and parent volunteers, the members of our Development and Alumni Relations Office are experts, and each of them is in the business of establishing lasting relationships with all who care about the Laboratory Schools. “We’ve never done it that way before” has been replaced with “What can we do to fulfill the central mission of the Schools while supporting teachers and enhancing student learning?”

Even as enormous progress is being made on the financial side of giving, I am just as impressed with an increased emphasis on the gifts of time. In some cases, such as marketing our fifth-grade student note cards or inviting Grandparents/Grandfriends to visit Lab, it is individuals working with classroom teachers or divisions. In other cases, like Connections, Bizaarnival, or Rites of May, it has taken the form of an organized group effort. While not as visible as a gift like last week’s, gifts of time are at the foundation of childhood memories that last a lifetime.

The Laboratory Schools are at an important milestone in our 112-year history. Balancing size with intimacy and community, maintaining the emphasis on academic superiority while ensuring well-roundedness, and creating the conditions in which teachers can perform their best work and students exercise their best habits of thinking are the most pressing challenges during the next several years.

It will take more than our immediate “village” to raise Lab’s children. It will take the collective gifts of time and capital from our extended village, including alumni and friends from around the world, to pay it forward for the next generations of those fortunate enough to be part of this special place. What a great time to be a part of it all!

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