News

What a Night!

All three campuses of Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) were buzzing with energy on Tuesday night as families gathered for the campus-wide Discover LILA Night, welcoming new, prospective, and current families for an inside look at life at LILA.

Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) is proud to announce that our Executive Director, Shannon Peterson, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Minnesota Charter School Leadership Award by the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools (MACS).

For several months during the 2024–25 school year, a group of LILA fifth-grade Enrichment students worked on an ambitious idea: creating a giant outline of the letters “L I L A!” on the Lower Campus field. Their goal was bold—at the final school assembly, every student and staff member would fill the letters, chant “LILA!”, do the wave, and create a moment to remember.

And they did.

In LILA’s Chinese classrooms, students are learning about the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival. This cultural tradition that celebrates family, gratitude, and the beauty of the full moon. First graders crafted colorful paper lanterns to mark the occasion, filling their rooms with the soft glow of creativity and curiosity.

Designed with student input, the amphitheater-style space features Wi-Fi, electricity, and pollinator-friendly gardens—all set against the beauty of Minnesota’s seasons. Ideal for everything from daily classes to special events, this innovative space gives students and the LILA community a fresh way to learn, connect, and celebrate together.