UW Tacoma honors Kent Laboratory Academy partnership

Published 1:24 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Kent Laboratory Academy, of the Kent School District, was recently recognized by the University of Washington Tacoma with the Distinguished PK–12 Award, honoring its strong partnership and commitment to student success.

School leaders were presented with the award April 30 at Kent Laboratory Academy, 10515 SE 208th St.

“We have an amazing opportunity to celebrate with the University of Washington Tacoma, our partner, and today (April 30) we are celebrating that partnership,” said Principal Stephanie Knipp in a May 13 district Facebook post. “They are awarding us with a distinguished PK–12 award, and we are just going to have so much fun celebrating together.”

Kent Lab offers an innovative public-school option in partnership with the UW Tacoma. With a small school setting, it provides a personalized learning environment focused on the whole child for students in grades 3-12 seeking an alternative to their boundary school.

“They’re one of our most important school partners. …We just really thank all the KLA community and also the Kent School District for making this partnership possible,” said Rachel Endo, dean for the UW Tacoma School of Education.