JOREL: A Story of School and Nature
When I founded a small democratic school in New York City 12 years ago, I was not aware of the term outdoor education, let alone how to offer it in the middle of Manhattan!
March 13, 2023 I Maysaa Bazna
All I wanted was a place where children were trusted to direct their own learning in pursuit of their own happiness. We simply provided a loving, peaceful space for the children to be and intentionally left it for their brilliant minds and bright souls to chart our course. I share our story of how, and possibly why, the children turned their school into an outdoor school, with the hope that it inspires the creation of more such programs and that, in turn, they serve to challenge the prevalent disconnect between school and nature.
TIMEOUT.COM: Will summer camps run this year?
Here's an update on NYC's most popular programs
MAY 6, 2020 I Danielle Valente
Nothing is out of reach when it comes to Pono Summer Camp. From book clubs and cooking classes to STEM projects and even travel, this virtual offering lets kids curate their own activities and brings them to life through field trips and interactive online lessons. Camp runs from July 6–September 4 for children ages 6–14.
NYMetroParents.com: How to Encourage Independent Play in Kids
With social distancing still top of mind, we spoke to experts about how to encourage and facilitate independent play in little ones.
June 22, 2020 I Whitney C. Harris
Playdates are a great opportunity for children to learn social skills and build healthy relationships. But with social distancing remaining a priority and with many quintessential summer experiences still uncertainties, independent play has perhaps never been so important. Jefra Rees is an Early Childhood Educator at Pono—New York City’s only democratic, outdoor, urban, educational program—and a staunch advocate of how independent play helps to build autonomy, self-reliance, and problem-solving skills, increases focus, attention span, and creativity, and allows you and your child to discover their natural interests.
Parents.com: Will Distance Learning Be the New Normal When Schools Reopen? Here’s What Experts Predict After COVID-19
Life as we know it has changed, but what kind of "new normal" can we expect for our children during the next stages of the pandemic?
May 16, 2020 I Melissa Mills
As parts of the country reopen, most schools and daycares remain closed. In nearly all states—and not just the hardest-hit areas like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts—in-person classes have already been canceled through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. But how long can this continue? How effective is virtual learning, really? And how sustainable is this "new normal" created by the coronavirus?
AGROSPACIA.COM: PONo – Democratic education starts from “interest”
Learning Starts with "Interest" (Vol. 1)
September 8, 2015 | Hana Takagi
The following is a translation. The original article in Japanese was published in Agrospacia.com:
“Today's article focuses on the idea of democratic education, an issue raised by Pono, an alternative education school.
When hearing the term democratic education, something not usually heard in Japan, what image comes to mind? Equality? Freedom? Majority rule? With only memories of deciding our School Arts Festival programs through majority rule, when I heard this term, nothing came to mind.
AGROSPACIA.COM: Pono - Democratic Education starts from “Interest”
How can we fulfill Children’s “Interests”in Class? (VOL. 4)
October 30, 2015 | Hana TAkagi
How are democratically chosen interests manifested in the classroom? Let’s take a look inside a day at Pono.
The morning starts off with “open stations,” in which children from ages 3 to 4 enjoy art, reading and writing, and putting on puppet shows. The older children (ages 5-8) enjoy art, logic games, reading and writing, chess, science experiments, and other activities. Following this is a meeting in which everyone sits in a circle.
UpJourney.com: How to Motivate a Child Who Is Unmotivated
Ask the children what they want to learn
June 17, 2020 I UpJourney Editors
Pono follows the democratic education model, trusting that students know best what they should learn. We ask for their interests and develop a curriculum based on what they’ve requested to learn.
When students know they have a voice that is heard and valued, they are invested in their learning and motivated to do their work.
But of course, there are still moments when my students may feel unmotivated. During a weekly fictional narrative writing class, one of my students stared at his blank paper and told me he had nothing to say.
Medium.com: Kids are humans too.
How human-centered design is good for everyone.
March 5, 2020 I Adriana Valdez Young
I usually write about cities, design, and technology. But I have another interdisciplinary practice — raising my six-year-old son to be a kind and connected human being. A few weeks ago as my son was going to bed, he made a quiet request: “Mama, tomorrow can you make me a protest sign that says ‘Kids matter too’?” I’m not sure what was fully on his mind as he quickly dozed off, but this moment was a good snapshot of our relationship and his journey of discovering his place in the world.
Edumodels.CA: Listening to children
Pono new york city
July 22, 2016 | Roopa Reddy
After a bit of downtime this summer, I am pleased to introduce you to Maysaa Bazna, the Director and Founder of Pono in New York City. Pono is a small alternative, democratic school that also places emphasis on outdoor education, with two days spent outdoors each week. The school also offers a sliding scale for tuition in an attempt to address access issues.
EDUMODELS.ca: Around the World in 18 Schools
An Introduction
September 16, 2016 | Roopa Reddy
“Over the past year, I have been fortunate to dedicate much of my time to visiting innovative programs in several countries, collecting stories as Himanshu at Dharavi Art Room aptly put it. My intention was to engage with courageous trailblazers; to showcase their approaches; and to raise awareness of key educational challenges that are being addressed.”
AGROSPACIA.COM: PONo – Democratic education starts from “interest”
What a democratic education brings about – Differences from other educational methods, highly specialized curricula, and the future of the children growing up in Pono (Vol. 2)
October 13, 2015 | Hana Takagi
The following is a translation. The original article in Japanese was published in Agrospacia.com:
“We asked Dr. Maysaa Bazna, the found of Pono, to tell us how Pono’s approach differs from other educational methods, its highly specialized curricula, and the future of the children growing up in Pono.
Parade.com: 43+ Virtual Summer Camps to Keep Kids Busy While Safely Social Distancing
43+ Best Virtual Summer Camps for 2020
MAY 20, 2020 I JESSICA SAGER
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a serious wrench into most summer camp plans for kids. Thankfully, there are still options for kids and parents to keep busy and active while maintaining safe social distancing through virtual summer camps. These programs will keep your children happy while we all work through the COVID-19 crisis. For summer classes for kids or even fun summer school for kid ideas, here’s the best virtual summer camp ideas for kids K-12.
Patch.com: Do Elementary Schools Incorporate Enough Playtime Into The Day?
Research suggests that kids learn through play way beyond nursery school — so why does playtime seem to end after kindergarten?
January 28, 2020 | Ilana Donna Arazie
All my child wants to do is play. He plays with Legos, pretends he's a leopard or a superhero — he even plays both sides of good guys versus bad guys. I can't keep up with it all, but I do know he loves his playtime.
EDUMODELS.CA: Around the World in 18 Schools
Context Matters!
September 22, 2016 | Roopa Reddy
“Over the past year, one theme that kept surfacing for me across visits was the importance of contextual factors in designing learning experiences and determining priorities.
Two distinct schools in New York helped me to demonstrate this first lesson: Context Matters.”
The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC: Teachers share how they teach MLK and RAce
January 20, 2019
One of Pono's teachers called into the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC this morning to share how her students have learned about Dr. King's legacy and put it into action.
Click below to listen. Go to the 8:42 minute marker.
AGROSPACIA.COM: PONo – Democratic education starts from “interest”
Opinions of the Parents (Vol. 3)
October 18, 2015 | Hana Takagi
The following is a translation. The original article in Japanese was published in Agrospacia.com:
Reasons to choose Pono
Sakai: My friend told me about Pono, that it’s small and gives attention to each child, and also that harmony is the key element in the school. My daughter is only 3 years old but already learning from the older students, who are very spontaneous. At the beginning I thought that the teachers were intervening with the children too much, but now I see that as respect for each child’s opinion. For example, the teacher asks children, “How can we stop fighting?” when they argue. Asking the children’s opinion leads to them verbalizing things…and that helps them grow. And I was impressed by the way they create the curriculum for the next term by asking the opinion of each student at the end-of-term meeting. Students are thinking and choosing, and they have a responsibility doing it this way.