Dewey Laboratory School

The Laboratory School of the University of Chicago—commonly known as Dewey's Laboratory School, [Page 291]in tribute to John Dewey's role as its founder, director (1896–1903), and philosopher-in-chief—had a two-pronged function: (1) to cultivate an active and supportive learning community in which the social and intellectual needs and capacities of children could be met and (2) to make discoveries about learning, teaching, subject matter, curriculum organization, discipline, and administration by applying educational theory to practice in an experimental setting. As both an elementary school where children were educated and a university department where scientific investigations were conducted, the Laboratory School had as its constant purpose the fostering of curiosity, inquiry, learning, and growth among students and educators alike. Just as the school created for its students ...