Celebrating Our Differences 
Falk Family Center for Learning Engagement
Beginning in 2024 and thanks to a generous $2.75 million grant from Lauren ('01) and Michael Falk, ULS shall establish the Falk Family Center for Learning Engagement - a program embedded into our student experience to cultivate the highest level of learning for all students at ULS.
Through this program, ULS shall provide:
- Additional staff members to support students in house
- More resources for children with neurodivergent learning needs and capacities
- Professional training for staffulty using the most up-to-date research
With this expanded commitment to identifying, celebrating, and accommodating learning differences, ULS will capitalize on its enduring strengths and potential by taking full advantage of the burgeoning field of brain science and its emergent educational insights. All students at ULS shall have the tools they need to thrive in school and life as global citizens and thought leaders.
While it is common for teachers to have classrooms that represent broad learning differences, ULS has a unique opportunity to capitalize on its small student-to-teacher ratio, thoughtful Reggio-inspired environment, and renowned responsive and inclusive culture to become a true destination for learning among an increasingly diverse population of learners.
Learning differences we see in our classrooms every day such as ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, dyscalculia, speech challenges, and children with twice exceptional qualities. This program will benefit all students in the classroom, including those who are not diagnosed or have unspecified learning differences.
ULS has quietly been the go-to for families who understand that their child requires something different, something patient, and something more intellectually challenging and engaging. ULS inherently possesses great advantages for students who learn best in small settings and benefit from an environment that fosters close relationships with teachers and peers in which each child is known and loved. The sensory richness and spiritual grounding that comes from life on 180 acres of forest, field, and prairie stimulates learning and growth in ways that cannot fully be measured.
The planning and research is underway. The investment from the Falk Family will jumpstart and lay the groundwork for the sustainability of this program starting in Fall 2024.
The high aim of this center requires unwavering belief in the children of today– and the intentional and sustained support of students with neurodiversity and exceptional learners. University Lake School is committed to empowering students to unlock their unique gifts and potential to make good on our non-profit mission and to lead the next generation of innovation, success, and service to humanity.
Questions? We look forward to sharing more information with families. In the meantime, please contact Stacy Synold at [email protected] with questions.
