In October, Bank Street School for Children launched a new virtual tour for prospective families to explore the school interactively and experience how our classrooms, facilities, and other shared community spaces support children’s learning and development.
In step with Bank Street’s health and safety policies around the pandemic, the virtual tour invites prospective families to tour the school from their computer, phone, or tablet without having to physically enter the building.
“In the past, prospective families were able to visit classrooms, see children in action, and hear the language educators use in their spaces. While we cannot replicate that exact experience at this time, we have designed this tour to spotlight key aspects of our classrooms, hallways, and shared community spaces inside and out,” said Doug Knecht, Dean of Children’s Programs, Bank Street College of Education, and Head of the School for Children.
Featuring classrooms across the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School, as well as specialty spaces, such as the new STEAM Lab, and community spaces like the Play Deck, users can virtually walk through different areas of the building at their own pace and navigate to the areas they are most interested in learning about.
In addition to vibrant panoramic pictures of the school, the virtual tour includes an overview of each space and, in some cases, a short video clip of the space in action, creating an immersive tour experience that is engaging and informative. In select areas, users can click on significant items, such as the sensory table or dramatic play center in Lower School classrooms, to learn more about how these resources are used.
“Like many other schools with strong health protocols, we are encouraging prospective families to take a virtual tour so that they can still have the opportunity to safely discover more about what makes our school such a special place,” said Jessica Anzelone, GSE ’09, Interim Director of Admissions and Enrollment, School for Children. “The admissions team is thankful for the efforts of many members of our community, including Dylan Morgan, SFC ’01, Director of Marketing & Communications for Children’s Programs, as well as the faculty and staff who took time to ready classrooms and hallways to make the virtual tour possible as we navigate our second admissions season during the pandemic.”
Knecht added, “This project is a massive collaboration with teachers, specialists, leadership members, communications, and admissions. I would like to thank everyone who got this project off the ground by working on content and/or staying late to bring the spaces to life.”
To learn more about applying to the School for Children, visit school.bankstreet.edu/admissions.