I learned how to cook from my grandmother. Whenever she would visit, I stood by her side, watching how she prepared traditional meals. My mother was meticulous about using recipes, but my grandmother cooked by trial and error, tasting every dish until it was “quite right.” As an adult, I have absorbed my grandmother’s lessons, and I also do not use recipes. I prefer to remember the times my dinner mates praised me for the meal set before them. Still, I became a better cook through both failures and successes. 

I share this story because the trial-and-error cooking method is how we teach our students to navigate their learning. As they try things, they will find success in some activities, and they will not fare as well in others. Through it all, they are supported by caring and skilled faculty and staff. Perhaps your student tried an instrument and discovered it was not for them. Maybe they played a new sport and decided it was not a good fit. Through this path of discovery, your student might also learn they can make magic appear on paper during their first art class.

As we move into the future at UPrep, we will continue to be a school where experimentation is safe, and failure is productive. Students learn resilience through picking themselves up, trying again, and creating their own successes. Our students will use their growth mindset skills to navigate the world once they leave our school. The ULab spaces for collaboration and experimentation will allow our students to hone these skills. Every time I drive by the construction site, I grow more and more excited about what this building will mean for our future!

What an exhilarating moment in time to be at this school. As the world evolves, so does UPrep.

Read more about the ULab here