Imagine a community where students explore, create and problem-solve their way to success. That’s what education looks like in Lake Nona. Every day over 16,000 students — from preschoolers to PhD candidates — are fostering creativity, thinking critically and building confidence. These future-ready skills prepare them to tackle tomorrow’s challenges head-on.
Early Education: Sparking curiosity from the start
In Lake Nona, the littlest learners are encouraged to dream big. At preschools like The Learning Experience, The Goddard School, Primrose School of Lake Nona, preschoolers dive into fun, hands-on activities that feed their natural curiosity.
Programs like Amazing Explorers Academy focus on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Learning feels more like play as kids explore their world and experiment with new ideas.
These experiences foster a lifelong love of discovery and innovative thinking.
Elementary School: A space to explore and grow
The educational fun continues at elementary school, where students explore new ideas in practical ways. Schools like NorthLake Park Community School, Laureate Park Elementary School and Village Park Elementary Schools provide engaging projects that address real-world problems.
This approach makes every lesson more meaningful.
Middle School: Where innovation meets imagination
At Lake Nona Middle School and Luminary Middle Schools, students engage in hands-on projects and creative decision-making. During this time, they find their voice and discover their passions.
For example, teams work together to create solar-powered solutions for the Sun Games every March. Like innovators Ada Lovelace, George Washington Carver and Nikola Tesla, they realize mistakes are an important part of learning.
High School: Making Memories and Forging Forward
Since the area’s development first began, Lake Nona High School has served as the launchpad for transitional education between grade school and career choice. The A-rated Lake Nona High School gives students the opportunity to get a head start on college with its partnership with Valencia College, located just next door. The Collegiate Academy offers students the opportunity to complete an A.A. degree during their time in high school, and the Lake Nona High School Health Academy partners with AdventHealth East Orlando to prepare students for future careers in healthcare.
Recent Lake Nona High School graduates were accepted to Columbia University, University of Notre Dame, West Point Military Academy, University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and Vanderbilt University among the top out-of-state schools.
Higher Education: Teaching Leaders of the Next Generation
The original plans for Lake Nona focused on the area as a hub for higher learning and advancement in technology and healthcare. It should be no surprise, then, that both the UCF Health Sciences Campus, which includes the College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and newly opened UCF Lake Nona Hospital, and the UF Research and Academic Center, home to the UF College of Pharmacy, are located in Lake Nona.
UCF is also offering a new Professional MBA part-time program starting in the fall of 2022, which has generated a lot of buzz in entrepreneurial circles. The 24-month program is excellent for working professionals who don’t want to interrupt their career, but still want to further their education. For students who already have an idea and are seeking the guidance to take it to the next level, UCF has been selected by the National Science Foundation as an I-Corps Site. The application-only program encourages and mentors students to take their innovative ideas into real-world marketplaces for testing and development. Each selected team receives seed money to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into potential viable companies.
With all these students contributing to the continued growth of Lake Nona, including three new public schools currently planned for the area, it’s easy to see how our community has become known as a hub for research and education.
Education for a changing world
Here in Lake Nona, education is more than academics. It’s about preparing students to meet the challenges of the future.
When students are encouraged to experiment, imagine and find solutions, they gain resilience and a lifelong passion for learning.
