Organization: LAKES INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE ACADEMY
Mission: LILA PREPARES TOMORROW'S CRITICAL THINKERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENS THROUGH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND INQUIRY-DRIVEN STUDY, AND IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR GRADES PRE-K TO 12.
Activities: LANGUAGE IMMERSION AND IB WORLD SCHOOL: THE SCHOOL HAS COMPLETED ITS SIXTEENTH YEAR OF OPERATION, AND SERVES PRE K TO GRADE 12. ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO GROW ALONG PROJECTIONS, WITH THE MOST GROWTH AT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS. STUDENT ENROLLMENT TOTALED 1,187 IN K-12, WITH 843 IN K-6 AND 344 IN GRADES 7-12. THE 2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR MARKED LILA'S FIRST YEAR TO OFFER HIGH SCHOOL GRADES 9-12 AND THE SCHOOL EXPECTS TO ADD 100 STUDENTS/YEAR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. PRE-K ENROLLMENT HELD AT 133 STUDENTS. IN FEBRUARY 2009, THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE ORGANIZATION AUTHORIZED LAKES INTERNATIONAL'S ELEMENTARY CAMPUS AS AN IB WORLD SCHOOL AFTER A THREE-YEAR CANDIDACY PROCESS, ACHIEVING A PRIMARY GOAL OF THE SCHOOL SINCE ITS INCEPTION. AUTHORIZATION ONLY RESULTS WHEN A SCHOOL HAS BUILT AND IMPLEMENTED ITS IB PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAM CURRICULUM TO EXACTING STANDARDS. THE SCHOOL RECEIVED A SUCCESSFUL IB STATUS RENEWAL IN 2012. THE SCHOOL RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION FOR ITS MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME AND DIPLOMA PROGRAMME IN 2018 AFTER A TWO-YEAR CANDIDACY. THE SCHOOL OFFERS MANDARIN CHINESE IMMERSION AND SPANISH IMMERSION TRACKS TO GRADE 5. UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AS A FOCUS, BUT THE CURRICULUM IS NOT FULL IMMERSION. INSTEAD IT IS MEANT FOR NEW LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS WELL AS IMMERSION STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE LOWER SCHOOL PROGRAM OR COME TO LAKES INTERNATIONAL FROM ANOTHER IMMERSION SCHOOL, TO MAINTAIN AND GROW LANGUAGE SKILLS. LILA GRADUATES TYPICALLY EARN THE STATE'S BILINGUAL SEAL ON THEIR DIPLOMAS, AND LILA'S 100% GRADUATION RATE AND 100% ACCEPTANCE RATE INTO POST SECONDARY EDUCATION WAS MAINTAINED IN 2019-2020.
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS: ALL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS ARE FEE-BASED AND DO NOT RECEIVE STATE FUNDING. IN FALL 2013, LILA OPENED KINDER PREP PRESCHOOL, FOR AGES 3-5. THE KINDER PREP CURRICULUM REFLECTS THE IB WHOLE-CHILD PHILOSOPHY AND HAS A RICH LANGUAGE COMPONENT, WITH TEACHERS SPEAKING CHINESE, SPANISH AND ENGLISH TO ALL PARTICIPANTS. ABOUT 125 PRESCHOOL STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED FOR THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR. EXPLORER CLUB SERVES AS THE SCHOOL'S BEFORE-AND-AFTER SCHOOL CHILDCARE PROGRAM AND SUMMER CHILDCARE PROGRAM. EXPLORER CLUB IS A FOR-FEE PROGRAM AND SERVED APPROXIMATELY 160 CHILDREN EACH DAY DURING THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR AND 80 CHILDREN/DAY IN SUMMER. THE PROGRAM EMPLOYEES ENHANCE STUDENTS' EXPOSURE TO SPANISH & CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, AS THEY CONDUCT THEIR PROGRAM IN SPANISH, CHINESE AND ENGLISH. THE PROGRAM IS LOCATED AT THE LOWER SCHOOL ON THE MAIN CAMPUS AND SERVES GRADES PREK-5. THE LANGUAGE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM ALLOWS COLLEGE-AGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN SPANISH- AND CHINESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES TO COME TO WORK IN OUR CLASSROOMS AS AIDES FOR THE YEAR, AND LIVE WITH HOST FAMILIES. SKI CLUB IS A SCHOOL-SPONSORED CLUB THAT GIVES K-12 STUDENTS AT LILA AN OPPORTUNITY TO SKI AT A LOCAL HILL EACH THURSDAY FROM DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY, FOR A FEE. TRANSPORTATION IS VIA HIRED BUS AND LESSONS ARE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS. FAMILY PARTICIPATION IS ENCOURAGED. ARCHERY CLUB SIMILARLY IS A SCHOOL-SPONSORED, SCHOOLWIDE, FOR-FEE ACTIVITY. SUMMER LANGUAGE IMMERSION CAMP (CAMP DEL SOL AND TAIYANG XIA LINGYING) MEETS FOR 2 WEEKS EACH AUGUST, BRINGING PARTICIPATING STUDENTS BACK TOGETHER FOR A LANGUAGE REFRESHER, FUN ACTIVITIES, AND ORIENTATION TO SCHOOL FOR GRADES K-5. COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS WERE IMPACTED BY MINNESOTA'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE. KINDER PREP PRESCHOOL CLOSED TO IN-PERSON LEARNING FROM MARCH 31 TO JUNE 6 AND COLLECTED NO FEES DURING THAT TIME. SOME ONLINE INSTRUCTION WAS OFFERED TO PRESCHOOLERS FOR NO FEE. EXPLORER CLUB SCHOOL AGE CARE PROVIDED FREE CHILDCARE SERVICES TO CHILDREN OF TIER 1 ESSENTIAL WORKERS PER THE EXECUTIVE ORDER. THE SCHOOL WAS AWARDED A PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOAN TO ASSIST THESE TWO PROGRAMS DURING THIS TIME OF REVENUE LOSS, AND THE SCHOOL EXPECTS TO RECEIVE FULL FORGIVENESS FOR THE LOAN IN 2020-21.
NTEE category: Education
Secondary category: Youth Development