Bank Street College of Education hosted its first annual Alumni Weekend on June 3-4, 2022, drawing many alumni from the Bank Street Graduate School of Education, School for Children, and Liberty LEADS back to campus. During the two-day event, alumni reconnected with old friends, expanded their professional networks, honored outstanding alumni with awards, and learned more about Bank Street’s recent work.
The first-ever Alumni Weekend kicked off with the annual Bank Street Alumni Association (BSCAA) Awards ceremony, which celebrates alumni excellence by honoring outstanding educators who are making an impact in the field as they carry out the mission, beliefs, philosophy, and practices of Bank Street College.
This year’s award winners included Abby Kerlin, GSE ’00, Bank Street Graduate School of Education instructor; Allyx Schiavone, GSE ’94, Executive Director, Friends Center for Children; Cynthia Turnquest-Jones, GSE ’09, Founder, The Brown Urban Mother Partners, Inc.;; and Shavon Frazier, GSE ’12, ’17, Kindergarten Teacher, PS 184, and Adjunct Lecturer, CUNY School of Professional Studies. The Ida Karp Award was posthumously awarded to Zipporiah Mills, Principal, PS 261.
After the ceremony, alumni gathered on the play deck for a “Tar Beach” cocktail reception to reconnect with their peers, faculty, and advisors in their respective programs and learn about all of the changes happening across the College. Alumni also had several opportunities during an Open Hosue to learn more about Bank Street’s illustrious history with the Bank Street Archives, Children’s Book Committee, Continuing Professional Studies, Student Services, Graduate School Writing Assistance Program, Affinity Groups, and our Alumni Tutoring Network. They also attended campus tours, master classes, and professional development workshops facilitated by Bank Street faculty and staff on topics that included Bank Street Archives, STEAM Lab, Little Self/Big Self: Growing Up to be the Teacher You’ve Become, and Family Child Care.
The School for Children hosted a Young Alumni Reunion to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Class of 2017 and the high school graduation of the Class of 2018.
The Graduate School of Education Reunion also included an Alumni of Color networking and cocktail reception and an Alumni Panel Discussion about “The Role of Democracy in Education.” Panelists included Nafees Khan, SFC ’93, Assistant Professor of Social Foundations, Clemson University; Chiara Di Lello, GSE ’16, Fifth-Grade Homeroom Teacher, Village Community School; and Charisse Taylor, LL ’00, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services and Strategic Integration, Fall River Public Schools.
Director of Alumni Relations Eric Gutierrez said, “Our inaugural Alumni Weekend brought together alumni from across Bank Street’s community of educators and leaders, including many who have committed their life’s work to the mission of improving education for children and their teachers. We couldn’t be more proud of their dedication as they lead the charge for educational change across our nation and throughout the years.”
For more information about getting involved with Bank Street’s alumni network and community, please contact alumni@bankstreet.edu.