UCLA Lab School is the laboratory school of the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies (Ed&IS). Located on UCLA's main Westwood campus since the 1950s, it currently serves 450 students ranging in ages from 4 to 12. Founded as a demonstration school for the Los Angeles branch of the California State Normal School in 1882, the school was previously known as University Elementary School (1929-1982) and Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School (1982-2009).Administrative/Biographical History, UCLA Lab School records (University Archives Record Series 208). UCLA Library Special Collections, University Archives, University of California, Los Angeles

/ref> The name was changed in 2009 to better convey the school's purpose as a laboratory for research and innovation in education. CONNECT, an onsite research center, allows educators and researchers to explore ideas about teaching, learning and child development.

History

UCLA Lab School was founded in 1882 as the demonstration school of the California State Normal School at Los Angeles. Located on the site of today’s Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, the Normal School prepared teachers for educating the growing city. By 1914, enrollment had far exceeded capacity, so the Normal School and the children's school moved to a Hollywood campus off a dirt road that later became Vermont Avenue. In 1919, the regents approved the establishment of the “Southern Branch of the University of California,” which expanded and became the University of California at Los Angeles in 1927. With the university's move to Westwood in 1929, the children's school began leasing property owned by Los Angeles City Schools east of the main UCLA campus on Warner Avenue. The children’s school was called University Elementary School (UES) and was led by principal Corinne A. Seeds. An educator heavily influenced by the teachings of

John Dewey John Dewey (; October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the f ...

, Seeds became a key figure in developing and promoting progressive education during the 1930s, '40s and '50s. She believed that "to keep education dynamic, children must have experiences that they care about." In 1945, the university lost its lease on the Warner Avenue location and left the site the following year. From September 1946 to June 1947, UES was without a schoolhouse, but some classes continued in private homes. Supporters of Seeds and progressive education successfully lobbied the state legislature to fund a relocation onto the UCLA campus. While World War II restrictions prevented building efforts, supporters found unused army barracks and transferred them to the Westwood campus to be used as a temporary school facility. The first permanent school buildings for the elementary school were completed in 1950 and designed by architects Robert Alexander and

Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for the majority of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. He ...

. The architects worked closely with Seeds and other members of the school community to promote children’s movement and exploration through the integration of indoor and outdoor space and flexible configurations of the learning environment. Over the decades, UES has been led by directors and principals that include

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and

Deborah Stipek Deborah Stipek is the Judy Koch Professor of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) and a professor by courtesy of psychology. She also serves as the Peter E. Haas Faculty Director of the Haas Center for Public Service at St ...

. In 1982, the school was renamed the Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School. In 2009, the UCLA Lab School name took hold on the Corinne A. Seeds Campus.

Notable alumni

* Leonardo DiCaprio – actor * Derek Bok – lawyer, educator, and former president of Harvard University * Andrea Fay Friedman – Actress * Eric Garcetti – politician,

Mayor of Los Angeles The mayor of the City of Los Angeles is the official head and chief executive officer of Los Angeles. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and is term limit, limited to serving no more than two terms. (Under the Constitution of Califo ...

* Kim Gordon – musician,

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

* Alex Greenwald – lead singer of Phantom Planet * Emma Walton Hamilton – actress and author of children's books * Henry McHenry – biological anthropologist * Jason Schwartzman – actor and musician * Earl Sweatshirt – rapper, record producer, skateboarder, musician, and former member of Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future

References

Bibliography

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External links

UCLA Lab School
{{Los Angeles County Westside Schools Lab School University-affiliated schools in the United States Schools in Los Angeles Public elementary schools in California Public middle schools in California Public high schools in California 1882 establishments in California