Celebrating the dream that became Third Academy, and the students, families, educators, and supporters who continue to build its legacy.
Since 1997, Third Academy has helped students with special education needs find understanding, support, and a path forward when conventional school settings were not enough.
This year, we honour our founder, Dr. S. Lal Mattu, celebrate the lives changed by Third Academy, and look ahead to the next generation of students and families who will find hope here.
We will mark this milestone year with two celebrations: a 30th Anniversary Gala on May 23, 2026 and a Community Gathering later in the year.
The Dream That Became Third Academy
Third Academy began with a simple but urgent belief: some children need more than what a conventional school system can provide.
Dr. S. Lal Mattu, an educator, administrator, and psychologist, had seen too many students fall through the cracks. These were capable children and young people whose learning, behaviour, attention, or emotional well-being made success difficult in traditional classrooms. What they needed was not lower expectations, but rather a different system of supports.
In 1997, Dr. Mattu’s dream became Third Academy – an independent school serving the public good, built for students with special education needs.
It would be a school, but also therapeutic by design. A place where students could be understood, accepted, and nurtured. A place where they could heal, and then begin to learn again.
That dream became Third Academy.
“The best thing that I ever did in my 65 years in education is Third Academy.”
—Dr. S. Lal. Mattu, Founder
A Legacy Built One Student at a Time
For three decades, Third Academy has grown from one founder’s dream into a lasting Calgary institution for students and families who needed a different path.
Still Growing
Thirty years later, more families are seeking the kind of specialized education, therapeutic support, and individualized care the school provides.
To meet this need, Third Academy is expanding capacity at East Campus, with 80 additional seats planned for September 2027. It is a fitting next chapter for a school built on hope: more room for more students to be understood, supported, and given a different way forward.
Today, this work is part of the wider Third Schools system, with Third Academy, LYNX, and ursa serving more than 1,000 students across Alberta and beyond through special education, home education, online and hybrid instruction, ECS programming, and nature-inspired learning.
Two Celebrations of Hope and Legacy
Third Academy will mark this milestone year with two celebrations: one formal gathering to honour the school’s legacy and launch the next chapter, and one community gathering to bring together the people who have shaped the school across three decades.
30th Anniversary Gala | May 23, 2026
This formal gathering will revive a cherished Third Academy tradition and honour the stories, families, staff, and supporters who have shaped the school’s first three decades.
The gala will look back at the dream that became Third Academy and look ahead to the legacy still being built. It will be an evening of storytelling, gratitude, and shared purpose, centred on the students and families whose lives have been changed by this school.
The evening will also introduce the Dr. S. Lal Mattu Endowment Fund, created to help future students access the specialized education and therapeutic support they need.
Fall Community Gathering | Date to be announced
In fall 2026, Third Academy will host a grassroots community celebration at East Campus for current students, alumni, families, former and current staff, volunteers, and the wider Third Schools community.
This gathering will include food, stories, and time together as a community. It will also include the placing of a foundation stone at East Campus to mark this 30th year of service.
The stone will stand as a lasting sign of permanence – a tribute to the foundation Dr. Mattu built and a promise to carry Third Academy’s work forward for future generations.
Opening the Door for the Next 30 Years
The Dr. S. Lal Mattu Endowment Fund carries Third Academy’s founding promise into the future: that students with special education needs deserve access to a school where they can be understood, supported, and given the chance to thrive.
Established in honour of Third Academy’s founder, the fund will support bursaries for students whose families may not otherwise be able to access the specialized education and therapeutic support they need.
For some families, Third Academy is not simply another school choice. It is the place they turn when other options have not worked. The endowment will help keep that door open.
A gift to the Dr. S. Lal Mattu Endowment Fund is a gift to the next student who needs hope, structure, care, and a different way forward.
Were You Part of the Third Academy Story?
We would love to hear from alumni, past families, former staff, volunteers, and community members whose lives have been touched by Third Academy.
The heart of our mission remains the same: helping students who need a different path find the support, structure, and hope to move forward.
As we mark 30 years of hope, your memories help us tell the fuller story of what this school has meant.
You might share:
- a favourite memory from your time at Third Academy
- a photo from school life, events, or past celebrations
- a student or alumni update
- a reflection on a teacher, staff member, class, or moment that mattered
- a story about how Third Academy changed your family’s path
Every memory helps us honour the dream that became a school, and the community that has kept that dream alive.