+ What’s Portfolio School’s approach?

Using an immersive Project-based Learning approach, we offer engaging, active experiences that invite students to delve into open-ended challenges. Over a period of months, students are involved in hands-on projects that require collaborative, creative problem-solving with real-world applications. Portfolio School is a Maker School. Students and teachers determine units of inquiry for a journey of several months. These Project-based Learning experiences occur in the classrooms and in our Maker Space, and our students demonstrate what they’ve learned in exhibition evenings, at conferences, and throughout explorations in New York City.

+ What distinguishes Portfolio School’s teachers?

A Portfolio School teachers are genuinely enthusiastic about working with children, innately curious, open to new ways of doing things, and deeply collaborative. We like educators who bring the real world to the classroom, so our educators come to us with a mixture of rich experience, both in and outside of the classroom.

+ How does Portfolio School teach core academic subjects?

Our teachers use research-based and time-tested curricula and standards for core academic subjects, such as Read Write Inc. Phonics, Bridges In Mathematics, Readers and Writers Workshop from Teacher’s College, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education.

+ How do you incorporate the arts into the students’ experience?

The arts are naturally incorporated into Project-based Learning, core academic subjects, and independent projects. In addition, teachers take advantage of New York City’s many resources. Additionally, our robust After School program provides many arts options, as well as martial arts, chess, robotics, and much more.

+ Where do the students go for recess and physical activities?

Portfolio School students spend at least an hour each day at nearby parks, such as Washington Market Park and the Hudson Piers. They play an organized sport twice per week and take swim lessons at Imagine Swimming once per week.

+ Where is Portfolio School’s new space? Can students use the public school bus?

Portfolio School is located at 90 Hudson Street, a location that is easily accessible to many subways: 1, A, C, E, N, Q, R, 4.

+ What kind of students will thrive at Portfolio School?

We welcome children who are: Intrinsically motivated, Curious, Open to other perspectives, Creative thinkers, Hands-on learners, Generous with their time and ideas, Eager to communicate their thoughts, Good listeners, Independent, Happy to learn with their friends.

+ How old does my child need to be for Portfolio School’s Kindergarten?

Students who turn five before December 31, 2021 are eligible to join our Kindergarten class for the 2021-2022 academic year, as we use the public school birthday cut-off. If they are turning 5 in 2022, we welcome your inquiries for 2022-2023.

+ Why does Portfolio School have mixed age groups?

Students learn in mixed age groups because we don’t define children’s learning journey simply by their birthdates. They are grouped based on their level of independence, their academic abilities, their social readiness, and other factors.

+ How much is your tuition?

We provide a sliding-scale tuition system that supports diversity and equity.

The sliding-scale tuition eliminates the categories of “financial aid” and “full-paying” families. It enables all of our families to educate their children as equal members of an economically and culturally diverse community.

Sliding-scale tuition is based on the principle that a family’s financial commitment should be in equitable proportion to its financial resources. Maximum Portfolio Tuition is $47,500.

+ Do you offer Financial Aid?

We provide a sliding-scale tuition system that supports diversity and equity.

+ How are you funded?

Portfolio School was started with investments from the founders and is supported 100% by tuition, but is becoming a parents owned & Teachers led non profit in 2023-2024.