named programs · 1 · from sources
What they call their work
On Balance Podcast
A podcast created by Blue School educators for parents, featuring conversations on education, equity, and independent school experiences.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
- Conducting community engagement and enrollment outreachConducts a formal entry process involving individual meetings and small focus groups with diverse community members to understand and build relationships within the school community through active listening and inquiry.
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Project-Based Learning Programs 1 activity
- Delivering integrated studies with interdisciplinary and social justice focusImplements a middle school integrated studies curriculum that combines science, social studies, and self-reflective inquiry, teaching topics such as genetics and the social construction of race, technological and societal revolutions, and critical reading skills. Curriculum includes social justice, self-awareness, and community engagement components.
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Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
- Hosting annual arts and oratorical festivalsOrganizes a school-wide, week-long Spring Arts Festival that showcases student work in expressive arts, expanded from a Primary-only event to include cross-grade collaboration, including multi-phase puppet shows with scriptwriting, character design, and set creation. Also hosts an annual Oratorical Festival centered on the theme of freedom.
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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs 1 activity
- Integrating social-emotional and project-based learning into curriculumEmbeds social-emotional learning into play-based and academic activities to develop empathy, conflict resolution, and oral language skills. Implements project-based learning such as student-led interviews, development of mycelium-based materials, and emergency housing design inspired by biomimicry, fostering resilience, leadership, and critical thinking.
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Independent and Charter K-12 Schools 1 activity
- Operating an independent school with an inquiry-based curriculumProvides a balanced educational experience for students ages 2 through grade 8 in lower Manhattan, emphasizing creativity, academic excellence, socio-emotional learning, and an emergent curriculum responsive to children's interests. The school has operated for sixteen years, fostering joyful, analytical, and compassionate learners.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Producing parent education podcast seriesProduces and releases the On Balance podcast, an educational resource for parents focused on parenting and education topics, with four seasons released to date. Episodes include interviews with authors and experts such as Kendra James and Maggie Doyne.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$81K
Contributions & grants$64K79%
Program service revenue$6K8%
Investment income$5681%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$552K
Program expenses68%
Admin / overhead26%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$173K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash$1.06M
Investments$0
Liabilities$50.65M
Net assets$0
Liquid reserves23.1 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -98.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 8
- BELGIES ANAN — TRUSTEE
- DAVID BEAL — TRUSTEE
- ILARIA WOODWARD — TRUSTEE
- JENNIFER LAMBERTS STANTON — TRUSTEE, CO-FOUNDER
- JULIAN BARROWCLIFFE — TRUSTEE
- KATE QUARFORDT — TRUSTEE
- PETER MASTERSON — TRUSTEE
- REBECCA LISICA — TRUSTEE
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Allison Partner — School Nurse at Blue School who shares responsibility for school safety.
- Biomimicry Institute Partner — Collaborated with the Biomimicry Institute through participation in Pocket Lab's Science Is Cool Unconference.
- Biomimicry Institute Partner — Collaborates with the Biomimicry Institute through student participation in the Youth Design Challenge.
- Blue Man Group Partner — Founded Blue School to create an educational experience that fostered creativity, academic challenge, and socio-emotional learning.
- Blue School Partner — Collaborates with families to extend play-based learning into the home environment.
- Blue School Search Committee Partner — Interacted with search committee composed of board members, families, and leadership team during hiring process.
- Caroline McAuliffe Partner — Co-led the Spring Arts Festival development as Primary Studio Arts Specialist
- Jose Partner — Facilities Director at Blue School who shares responsibility for school safety.
- Kate Farrell Partner — Author and Blue School parent who collaborated with the school on educational content related to civic engagement.
- Keith Witty Partner — Collaborated on the design and implementation of the Spring Arts Festival as Middle School Music Teacher
- Kendra James Partner — Author and former employee who participated in a podcast conversation about her book and experiences.
- Kendra James Partner — Guest on the On Balance podcast to discuss her book and experiences in independent school admissions.
- Maggie Doyne Partner — Guest on the On Balance podcast for a book talk.
- Millennium High School Partner — Former teaching and curriculum development site for founding Blue School educator Corey Pickering
- Mollie McQuarrie Partner — Co-developed the expanded Spring Arts Festival as Pre-Primary Studio Arts Specialist
- Rebecca Partner — Collaborates with outgoing head of school Rebecca during transition period to ensure continuity and respectful handover.
- Renee Partner — Engages with Renee as part of leadership transition planning and school overview.
- Sesame Street Partner — Rachel Lowdermilk consults with Sesame Street in addition to her role as a Pre-primary educator at Blue School.
- Spark File Partner — Co-hosted by Laura Camien, a Blue School staff member, as a creativity-focused podcast connected to the school's community.
- YMCA Partner — Val Duval began his work with Blue School students through a partnership with the YMCA at the Chinatown Y.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Anti-Racist and Integrated Curriculummethodology: anti_racist_curriculumBy integrating science and social studies and centering marginalized voices, we challenge dominant narratives and promote equity because interdisciplinary, critical learning disrupts systemic bias and reflects the interconnected reality of knowledge and identity.
- Balanced Education for Holistic Developmentmethodology: balanced_educationBy integrating academic mastery, social-emotional intelligence, creativity, and compassion, we support the whole child because sustainable learning and identity formation require equilibrium across cognitive, emotional, and ethical domains.
- Empathy-Centered Design with Biomimicrymethodology: empathy_centered_designBy grounding the design process in empathy and drawing inspiration from nature’s systems, we cultivate purposeful, sustainable, and human-centered solutions because emotional understanding and biological wisdom together inform resilient innovation.
- Inquiry-Based and Emergent Curriculum Modelmethodology: inquiry_based_learningBy using inquiry-based learning and emergent curriculum, we foster deep engagement and academic growth because children’s natural curiosity and observed interests drive the learning process, making education student-centered and intrinsically motivating.
- Social-Emotional Learning Through Physical Educationmethodology: sel_through_phys_edBy designing physical education to prioritize emotional safety and individual needs, we develop social-emotional intelligence because movement-based experiences provide accessible, embodied opportunities to practice self-awareness, vulnerability, and relationship skills.