bright bold next campaign
At the heart of the Lower School renovation is ensuring every student has the learning environment they need to reach their full potential. A classroom is not just a space for students to have a desk and a chair—it is an integral part of the learning experience. Every design decision, from classroom size, to paint color, building materials, and access to windows and natural light has been made through the lens of pedagogy and biophilia, the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings.
The meeting house will serve as the campus’s central focal point where we come together as a community. This multi-use space will serve as our gym, lunch room, house our music room, and serve as a flexible community space. It offers a powerful opportunity to elevate the great student work already happening by serving as a beautiful backdrop for live performances and artwork. This new building is also the key to allowing the transformation of the current gym into arts and science classrooms.
The most prominent example of this is the transformation of the Brick gym into two floors of science and art classrooms. At times thought of as dissimilar, the arts and sciences are both simultaneously creative and analytic. In this hub of discovery at the heart of Brick, students will learn at the natural intersection of these two disciplines. Teachers can coordinate with one another and will be able to develop projects that simultaneously live within both the art and science curriculum.
Our current spaces do not allow us to fully meet the needs of all learners or support the collaborative and small-group work that our curriculum and pedagogy demand. Every classroom will increase in size by approximately 200 square feet and every grade will gain an additional 400-550 sf of collaborative breakout space beyond the classroom to support a dynamic learning model.
Our curriculum lives on the grounds as well as within the walls of the classroom. The reimaging of our outdoor spaces allows for field and project learning that are purposefully built to enhance the academic day. A focal point of our outdoor learning will be on our science curriculum, much of which is already centered on earth sciences. This includes elevated versions of our current outdoor facilities; for example, a teaching greenhouse that can fit a group of 10 students.
The outdoor play spaces will enhance the entire campus and have significant impacts on play and learning across all grades. The renovation includes the creation of three new age-specific play and social spaces that meet the unique needs of these different age groups: B-2, 3-4, and 5-6. The redesigned spaces also recognize that students refresh differently, and offering spaces that meet those needs is vital to ensuring all students can do their best learning. For example, a meditation garden will allow appropriate spaces for students who need quiet time, the new play structures allow for exploration, while removing Kelsey and Morrison allows for the green space needed for another child to run freely.
The Lower School renewal is implementing a holistic approach to sustainability by integrating a broad range of strategies across the site and within each of the buildings. These strategies include equity and accessibility, harnessing sun power, and natural ventilation. BB&N will be using the Living Building Challenge Certification as an Aspirational Guide which means selecting natural, healthy, and responsible materials, creating a model for urban agriculture, and demonstrating the uses and conservation of water.
The Bright Bold Next Campaign is a transformative investment that will elevate the student experience from pre-K through grade 12. This campaign will ensure our students are equipped with the skills and experiences necessary to thrive in a changing world.
Financial aid allows us to promote socioeconomic diversity in all grades. When students bring different backgrounds and perspectives to campus, our education becomes more expansive and open to bright ideas and bold solutions.
Our commitment to innovation ensures that educational practices stay cutting edge. Our funding supports initiatives like the Class of 2023 Visiting Innovator Program, the BB&N Leadership Institute, the Action Research Program, and Innovation Grants.
The BB&N Fund meets pressing needs and keeps us agile and flexible. It stands as a testament to our institutional strength and the commitment of our community.
Thanks to generous support from early donors, BB&N opened its newest athletic campus during the 2022 Homecoming Weekend. The Grove Street Athletic Campus is located in Watertown, MA.
The Bright Bold Next campaign is designed to propel BB&N into the future with an emphasis on community, sustainability, and innovation. We continue to move forward in the soft launch phase of our fundraising.