News

Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this production to life. Our students’ hard work, talent, and dedication were recognized through Hennepin Arts Spotlight Education across multiple performance and technical categories for Mamma Mia! Following is a long list of honors.

LILA’s very own second-grade Chinese immersion student, Prince Walkowiak, represented LILA at the 2025 National Chinese Language Education Achievements Exhibition, an online event showcasing outstanding student work from across the country.

Prince’s work was selected for display, and families can watch a video of him reading his story as part of the Grades K–2 exhibition.

Freshman alpine skier Julia Phingsten delivered an extraordinary winter season for Lakes International Language Academy, earning conference honors, state recognition, and invitations to compete at elite regional and national events—while proudly representing the LILA Dragons on the slopes.

On behalf of the Lakes International Language Academy Board of Directors, we are happy to introduce Nicole Rasmussen as LILA’s next Executive Director. Nicole will officially begin in the position on July 1, 2026.

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.