The ULab

Independent schools rely on philanthropic support to fund every day operations, construct new facilities, and sustain excellence with a robust endowment. In 2018, the school launched a $25 million effort to fund construction of a three-story, 39,000-square-foot building that will extend our current footprint with inspiring learning spaces that match the quality of the outstanding teaching and learning that occur at our school every day. Thanks to our early donors, we have raised $19 million toward our $25 million goal.

Yes! The Puma Fund supports everyday operating costs that are not covered by tuition. We rely on our community each year to contribute to this vital revenue source and hope all parents make a gift that is meaningful to their family. We ask families to renew their support of the Puma Fund while also considering a ULab campaign commitment above and beyond their annual support. 

We are now in the community phase of the campaign, meaning we invite all members of the UPrep community to make a meaningful contribution to help us reach our ambitious $25 million campaign goal. Our annual UPrep Together event on March 16, 2024, will be dedicated to finishing off the campaign as a community. We look forward to celebrating our success and all that the ULab will do to transform the UPrep educational experience. Please join us!

Later this fall, the school will open the ULab, a 39,000-square-foot, three-story building across the street from our main campus. This new building will house 10 classrooms including a large wellness center, a 1,100-square-foot Makerspace, a large communal gathering space, a rooftop deck, and expanded offices for College Counseling, Global and Outdoor Education, and Launchpad (our signature junior/senior project).

Thanks to a visionary Board of Trustees that set aside funds over the past many years, we began construction with a combination of bond financing and reserves. The school was also fortunate to have generous early donors who ensured construction bills were paid as the project progressed. But we are relying on the generosity of our community to help us reach our campaign goal and complete the project, while maintaining the financial strength of the school.

Upper School enrollment will grow from 340 to 450 students—an increase of over 30 percent. This growth will provide our students with a larger social cohort, more diverse perspectives in the classroom, and opportunities for expanded course offerings, clubs and athletics. Already this fall, we have enrolled our largest 6th and 9th grade classes in history–with 102 and 114 students respectively.

No, it is so much more! The ULab is an Upper School hub dedicated to igniting our students’ passion for collaboration, creativity, and leadership through interdisciplinary and project-based learning.

The ULab was primarily designed to enhance the learning experience for our Upper School students. However, we expect that our Middle School students may use the Makerspace and Wellness Center from time to time.

Our Commons Cafe, redesigned in 2019, will continue to serve our entire campus community.

We will assess the need to adjust the daily schedule for our students once we move into the ULab.

The ULab will be open to students in fall 2023.

We anticipate that Upper School co-curricular activities (e.g. Robotics) will take place in the ULab with adult supervision. After school use may expand once we have fully moved into the building and classes are well underway.

A small parking lot was added along the building’s eastern entrance along 25th Avenue, some of which are designated for accessible parking.

All campus visitors will continue to check in at the Main Office; there will be someone at the ULab front desk to buzz in already badged visitors. UPrep students will have access via their phones and key cards.

This property is privately owned and not part of the UPrep campus.

We will continue to host all athletic events in the Pumadome. The Wellness Center in the ULab will be used for classes, wellness activities, and athletic practices.