The Lab Difference

At traditional schools, students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia and ADHD, may feel alone, misunderstood, and even embarrassed. At The Lab School of Washington, these students enter an environment designed for them to thrive.

And that changes everything. 

Project-Based Learning

At Lab, our 385 students from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia become active players in their education. At our Lower School campus, you’ll find multiple teachers in any given classroom. While one is working one-to-one with a student in a quiet corner, another small group develops strategic thinking skills through a board game. In a high school physics class, a teacher leads a Socratic discussion on Newton’s Laws of Motion, seated at a picnic table in the eco-engineered wetlands with the students. 

Inspired Faculty

Our teachers have the freedom to create, experiment, and challenge themselves while engaging our students. One moment they are giving a one-to-one reading lesson and the next, teaching the rites of mummification to young gods and goddesses in an Academic Club.

Involvement

Lab students at all levels participate in hands-on learning in and outside the classroom, including athletics, community service, theatrical performances, and global experiences. Role-playing and immersion into historic time periods in elementary and intermediate bring lessons to life. A year-long internship for juniors provides an unparalleled real-world experience most of their peers may not experience until college. A senior thesis prepares students for the rigors of research and writing at the college level. 

Skills for Life

Our innovative approach to education does more than impart knowledge: the focus on problem-solving allows students to blossom in other areas of their lives. Our project-based educational model focuses on developing strong habits of mind, executive functioning skills, and self-advocacy in order to develop confident, capable learners.