Who are you?
Cameron Smith, co-founder and CEO of Bennett Day School
Describe your business
Bennett Day School is an independent, PreK-12th grade school located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Founded in 2014, our mission is to develop lifelong learners and leaders and provide a collaborative culture that nurtures our community’s sense of inquiry and curiosity. Bennett Labs, a learning innovation and development lab embedded in the life of the school, committed to advancing creativity and innovation in family, adult, and educator learning experiences.
If your doors are closed, what are you doing online?
Bennett Day School was one of the first K-12 schools in Chicago to move all our classes for our enrolled families online. In a matter for days, we transitioned from providing face to face classes for our PreK-12 children to providing mediated digital learning via Google Classroom, SeeSaw, and Zoom web-conferencing platforms. We never closed our school or canceled any of our classes, we moved them all online, with our faculty working from home, as well as our advisory, admissions, and auxiliary programs.
Our auxiliary programs consist of our before/after school social programs, as well as our spring and summer camps. We transitioned to providing Zoom lunch and playdates for our families, as well as spring and summer camp activities that children and families can do at home.
Bennett Labs, our learning innovation department, launched Bennett Live -- a FREE engaging and educational media program for children ages 3-12 and their families. Inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia and Project-Based Learning (PBL), Bennett Live allows children to design and tinker with their hands and explore and create at home. Live and pre-recorded episodes are shared Monday-Friday on Bennett Day School’s Facebook at 11:00 am (CST) and 2 pm (CST). Archived episodes can be found on Bennett Day School’s YouTube channel.
To learn more, register for a Virtual Info Session or Open House, or take a Virtual Tour of Bennett Day School: https://bennettday.org/visitus/
Follow us on social media through the below links:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/BennettDaySchool
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BennettDaySchool
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bennettday
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bennettdayschool
What makes your business unique?
Bennett Day School is breaking the mold of traditional education. We have built a collaborative and engaging environment where students and teachers co-construct learning together. By focusing on student growth and discovery, instead of letter grades and test scores, our students are empowered to try new things, ask questions, and solve real problems. Rooted in the tenants of Reggio Emilio, Bennett Day School’s approach is student-centered and project-based.
Share something interesting about your business
This summer, Bennett Day School will offer Bennett Day Camp At-Home. Bennett Day Camp At-Home gives children ages 3-15 the opportunity to explore, play, and foster their sense of adventure at home. For each week of camp, families will receive an all-inclusive Camper Box with materials, projects, and traditional summer camp activities. Campers will have the opportunity to socialize with their fellow campers in small group activities and receive guided instruction on camp projects. In addition, campers will have hours of access to our counselor-staffed helpline. All virtual, on-screen elements are optional, giving families the ability to opt for ‘screen-less’ summer camp. Camp offerings include STEM Tales, Photography, All About Animals, Rockets & Drones, Songwriter Workshop, Codemoji (Coding & Robots), Bennett Art, and more. Should an opportunity arise to allow campers back on campus, those participating in Bennett Day Camp At Home will have the first opportunity to register.
Bonus Question: What is getting you through quarantine?
Building forts with my family!