On Monday, December 9, Bank Street hosted a special appreciation luncheon for members of the Lucy Sprague Mitchell Society, which honors donors who have chosen to leave a legacy gift to the College.
Shael Polakow-Suransky, GSE ’00, President of Bank Street College, and Trustee Fern Khan welcomed guests with exciting updates on Bank Street’s current work, sparking engaging conversations throughout the room. Following updates, guests enjoyed a “literary lunch” during which they listened to a presentation led by Kristin Freda, Director of Library Services, and Grace Handy, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian.
During the presentation, Freda and Handy explored some of the foundational works of Bank Street founder Lucy Sprague Mitchell, including her Here and Now Story Book—a compelling collection of narratives aimed at nurturing children’s understanding of their immediate world—and Young Geographers: How They Explore the World and How They Map the World. The presentation also touched on other significant Bank Street publications like 69 Bank Street, The Bank Street Readers, and the Occasional Paper Series, which remains an influential publication today that explores contemporary issues in education.
Freda also highlighted the enduring impact of the Bank Street Writers Lab—established in 1937 by Mitchell—as a thriving creative hub for authors. She brought her legacy to life by reading A Hole is to Dig, a beloved children’s book written by Ruth Krauss, an early Writers Lab member, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
Guests also had the opportunity to browse a curated selection of books, texts, magazines, and artifacts from the Bank Street Archives and were invited to take home select works, including the Best Children’s Books of the Year 2024 list recently released by the Bank Street’s Children’s Book Committee.
To learn more about joining the Lucy Sprague Mitchell Society, please contact Tracy Snyder at 212-961-3360 or tsnyder@bankstreet.edu.
Lucy Sprague Mitchell Society Appreciation Lunch attendees: Jim Clay, ’88; Stan Chu ‘72; Kristin Freda; Marcela Hahn; Grace Handy; Leslie Kandell ’61, ’42; Fern Khan; Judith Klein ’71; Nancy McKeever ’76; Hal Melnick ’74; Barbara Perry Morgan; Betty Pforzheimer; Shael Polakow-Suransky ’00; and Virginia Lee Ross ’70.