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Lab is still accepting applications to select grades for 2026–2027.

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What is Progressive Education?

Progressive education is a student-centered pedagogical approach to learning that emphasizes hands-on, experiential activities, collaborative problem-solving, and the development of the whole child.

Rooted in the nineteenth-century Progressive Education movement, it is based on John Dewey’s philosophy of experiential education—that children learn by doing. Guided by principles of democracy and social responsibility, progressive education encourages students to think critically, work cooperatively, and engage fully in the learning process.

 

Image of founder and professor John Dewey

The Origins of Progressive Education

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools’ founder, John Dewey, is regarded as the most significant educational thinker of his era and is known to many as the “father of progressive education.” Yet, Dewey is not widely cited as ever using the word “progressive” himself. Rather, he advocated for schools to be more like democratic communities and for classrooms to move from traditional, rote memorization-based models to experiential, student-centered learning environments.

 

There is an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and education. John Dewey
Education and Experience

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Image of students in computer science
Image of students cooperatively building a robot
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Image of two U-high students in chemistry class
Image of students sculpting out of chocolate
Image of students gardening outside their classroom

From the beginning, Dewey emphasized educating the “whole child”—a concept that appears throughout his writings on democracy and education. He argued that schools should develop not only students’ intellectual capacities but also their social, emotional, and ethical growth. For Dewey, genuine learning meant preparing children to engage fully as thoughtful, responsible participants in society, not simply training them in academic skills.

Today, as the nation's first laboratory school, Lab is a founding and active member of the Progressive Education Network (PEN), which asserts that the purpose of education transcends preparation for college or career to include meaningful participation in democratic life—reflecting Dewey’s vision. 

Since 1896, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools have been at the forefront of student-centered, experiential learning, creating a dynamic environment where children don't just learn, they actively discover. Our unique educational philosophy fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. Reach out to us today to explore how a Laboratory School education can empower your child, or come experience our beautiful campus by scheduling a tour.