Portfolio School, which moved to a newly renovated location in September, plans to add seventh grade for the 2020-2021 school year. Each year, a new grade will be added until the school becomes k-12, according to Doug Schachtel, co-founder of Portfolio School.
“The new space is much larger, so it allows us to grow our numbers,” says Schachtel. “We had been in a space that was relatively small. Now, we're in a space that can hold about 75 students.”
Schachtel says that the space has a lot of natural light, a perk that is hard to find in NYC. The building is on a corner, so natural light comes in from the windows facing Leonard Street and Hudson Street.
What sets Portfolio School apart from other schools is its strong parent community.
“[The natural light] creates a nice atmosphere,” Schactel says. “As a parent, would you want to bring your child to a school that you wouldn't want to be in yourself? We designed [the school] with that in mind, and our parents and kids love the space.”
Future careers for children are uncertain, and Schachtel says Portfolio School focuses on higher level skills to best prepare children for the jobs they may have, most of which don't even exist yet. Some of these skills include handling failure, learning new things, and learning new skills.
Image courtesy Portfolio School
