trevordayschool

Ethan Kent '90 Executive Director of PlacemakingX 4 3 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 – 2 0 2 1 Opposite page: A Placemaking delight, Ethan poses in front of the block of buildings where he lives: Warren Place Mews. Nearly hidden in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, this block- long community of brick homes was built for workers in 1878. Ethan's house is 11 feet wide and faces out onto a mews of commonly accessible backyard gardens; is page, left top: In 1983, 1st grader Ethan (second from left) and classmates—from left to right, Ned Rauch, Ethan, Channing Ferrer, Kenji Tokunaga, Mike Smith—proudly pose with their classroom Word Board and a Cuisenaire Rod tower; Left bottom: Jinnah Hosein '90 created this artistic version of a photograph of Ethan's 8th-grade advisee group, led by Mr. Zulakis, who is on the extreme left; Right: Already demonstrating an early interest in lively public spaces, Ethan (right) and his brother, Josh, pose with their skateboards on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When did you begin at e Day School? After having enrolled at a different independent school, my parents moved me to e Day School in 1st grade— I joined Ms. Alberti's class. I think that decision set me on a very different trajectory. e Day School was an elementary school when you attended, and you graduated in the 8th grade. What impact did your years at TDS have on you as a person and on your educational journey? e Day School instilled in me self-confidence in my own style and pace of learning, and of social development. More than anything, it taught me the importance of a strong community and how to be part of one. What schools have you attended? After graduating from e Day School, I went to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School for high school, Bowdoin College (where I received a BA in sociology, environmental studies, and economics), and Antioch University Seattle for graduate school. What are your passions? I'm energized by how people and places can build each other up. Perhaps because I have grown up in such strong communities, urban spaces, and nurturing learning environments, I'm now dedicated to how we can create such environments more widely. Whether great streets, markets, squares, or learning hubs like the Common Rooms at e Day School, I love being part of places where people are bump- ing into each other, connecting, and where serendipity is accelerated. I also love connecting people who are dedicated to supporting such spaces, and am now working to build a learning community of such "placemaking" leaders across the world through a new organization called PlacemakingX. How did e Day School prepare you for "real life"? e Day School taught me that relationships come first, that every person has deep value and potential. e school also taught me how to use unstructured time for self-directed work and for further community-building. Please share how your work in public-space/placemaking advocacy has developed over the years, and what/who has influenced you. In some ways, the educational philosophy of e Day School supported the kinds of public spaces that my work is trying to bring about. Cities and education both increasingly need to be centered around common rooms/public space, self-directed work, supporting and celebrating individual learning styles, and building strong learning communities with lasting ties.

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