Bennett Day School Named a Recipient of the Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations

CHICAGO, February 7, 2022 — Bennett Day School, an independent PreK-12 school located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, has been named a recipient of the 2022 Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations. Each year, the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) recognizes three schools from across the country that have demonstrated innovation in school business operations through approaches, programs, or practices.

“On behalf of the entire Bennett community, I’d like to thank NBOA and the awards committee for recognizing us as a recipient of the Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations,” says Cameron Smith, Bennett Day School CEO, Co-founder, and parent. “Dynamic project-based learning is at the heart of what we do here at Bennett, and we’re thrilled to share a part of that with the world.”

This recognition specifically highlights the work of Bennett Labs, the learning innovation and development lab that is embedded in the life of Bennett Day School. Children and educators at Bennett recently co-designed Osmo Kaleidoscope, a kinesthetic and collaborative app that empowers users to design and create beautiful kaleidoscope images with everyday objects, toys, art materials, or seasonal items from nature.

“Our recent Osmo Kaleidoscope app-building project was an example of how our faculty and students can investigate interesting technology, then design something new and innovative based on those investigations,” says Frances Judd, Bennett Labs Fellow and Early Childhood TESLab/Art Teacher at Bennett Day School. “We’re proud of this unique app that offers hands-on STEM/STEAM explorations, with tangible user interface and we are excited about its commercial success.”

About NBOA:

The National Business Officers Association (NBOA) is the only national nonprofit membership association focused exclusively on supporting independent school business officers and business operations staff while fostering financial and operational excellence among independent PK-12 schools.

For more information, visit https://www.nboa.org/home 

About Bennett Day School:

Bennett Day School is a Reggio Emilia-inspired PreK-12 school where students learn through dynamic project-based learning. Located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, the school is committed to advancing creativity, innovation, and the development of lifelong learners and leaders.

For more information, visit www.bennettday.org

MEDIA CONTACT:
Samantha Rud
Bennett Day School
sam.rud@bennettday.org
(312)-236-6388