On November 6, Whittle School & Studios, a modern global PreK-12 school with campuses in Washington, DC and Shenzhen, announced that its third campus will open in Brooklyn, New York for the start of the school year in September 2020. Its first two campuses opened their doors to students this past September.
The school will be located in Downtown Brooklyn at 181 Livingston Street. The prestigious architecture firm Perkins Eastman, which recently won the 2019 AIA New York Design Award for the renovation of the Tenement Museum, will be working with the engineering firm Arup and Whittle architecture team to transform the 621,500 square foot site into a modern campus that will include classrooms, boarding facilities, a gym, theater accelerator labs and spaces for specialized educational offerings from advanced sports to robotics for students from Pre-K 3 through 12th grade. The design of the new campus will echo the look and feel of the Shenzhen and Washington, DC campuses, with large, light-filled spaces conducive to collaborative learning and designed to optimize children’s educational experiences.
Whittle School & Studios’ mission is to nurture future generations of global citizens through rigorous, creative, and innovative scholarship. Students are immersed in a progressive global curriculum backed by the latest in learning science to develop a passionate pursuit, master at least one other language, and study other cultures in preparation for the challenges of the future.
“We are proud to announce that we have commenced construction of our latest Whittle School & Studios campus in Downtown Brooklyn – a vibrant part of New York City that has seen immense growth in recent years,” said Chris Whittle, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Whittle School & Studios.
“We have a pioneering mission to transform education in great cities around the world. New York is the next stop on our extraordinary journey and we are thrilled to be bringing a unique experience to students that is anchored in a single global curriculum, full bilingual immersion, and seamless movement between our campuses located around the world. Brooklyn is an exciting, culturally-rich borough with a great deal to offer the families who join us. We look forward to partnering with organizations alike to make Whittle School & Studios an important part of the community.” he said.
Dr. Larry Weiss, who most recently served for nine years as Head of School at Brooklyn Friends School and previously spent six years as the Head of School of Saint Ann’s School, has been appointed as Executive Chairman of the Brooklyn campus. In his new role, Dr. Weiss will lead our Brooklyn launch phase, working with a new team of faculty and staff. He joins Whittle’s growing group of leading educators, including Chancellor Nicholas Dirks; Vice Chancellor and Global Head of School Heads Jim Hawkins; Vice Chancellor and DC Executive Chairwoman Rebecca Upham; DC Head of School Dennis Bisgaard; as well as our educational leaders in China, Shenzhen Executive Chairman Xianzhang Shen and Head of School Rhiannon Wilkinson.
Dr. Weiss said, “Being present at the creation of the first all-new PreK-12th grade independent school to be built in downtown Brooklyn in many decades is a truly great honor that we share with the many wonderful and passionate scholars who have joined the Whittle School & Studios team around the globe. Our Brooklyn team will be providing a visionary global education across geographic, academic, and conceptual boundaries, to students in a worldwide network of campuses. The choice of Downtown Brooklyn for the third Whittle campus opens an exciting new chapter for education in our community and the world beyond,”
About Whittle School & Studios
Whittle School & Studios intends to create the world's first truly modern school serving students from age 3 to 18, with a global network of exceptional private school campuses. Founded by Chris Whittle, an early leader of the charter school movement in the United States, the school is forming local partnerships in over 30 major cities around the world. Whittle School & Studios will bring together renowned educators to provide a world-class education for its students, one that is personalized, prepares students for the future, and enables unique global exchange experiences.
