We are 295. Come dream with us.
Project Date: 2024–2025
Team: Shh Collective
PS 295 Brooklyn: The Studio School of Arts and Culture, my local neighborhood elementary school, has been a special place for our family since 2019, as we’ve watched both of our kids grow up together, grade by grade, being well cared for by the staff, making fast friends, and experiencing a valuable education in the arts, reading, inclusivity, and a thoughtful approach to whole child learning (social, emotional, physical, and mental well-being, along with their academic achievements).
In 2024, PS 295 was being considered for consolidation with a much larger nearby school, due to enrollment decline during the pandemic. There was a dismal mood amongst the teachers and parents who had come to consider our small community and student / teacher ratios as a major asset, not a drawback. What could the community do, but face what seemed inevitable?
I decided to volunteer as Vice President of Communications for the school’s Family Teacher Association, and promptly set out to propose an overhaul of the branding, narrative, and communications strategy, which was warmly received. After all, I thought, even if it only lasts for one year, it will be a celebration of all that we hold dear as a community, and maybe, just maybe, it will make a bigger difference.
What happened next was better than any of us could have expected. The school community embraced the new message of hope and joy. Kids proudly wore the new logo, teachers hung colorful banners in the hallways, parents got involved and shared events around the neighborhood, and social media posts got more engagement. The decision makers noticed a significant change: enough that they dismissed the idea of consolidating the two schools to give PS 295 a fighting chance to grow.
We are small but mighty.
At the cornerstone of the new communications strategy, the size of the PS 295 student population is part of its strength. While the average classroom size in NYC Public Schools is 24 students with a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, our school is almost two-thirds that amount, allowing for a learning experience that is rarely matched outside of a private school setting. “Small but mighty” became a rallying cry for the community.
You are known and loved.
PS 295 has been at the forefront of constructivist education, nurturing proactive, joyful, and courageous young people that are focused on kindness, responsibility, equity, and inclusion in their everyday interactions. Weaving these ideals and values into the communications strategy meant introducing a friendly, people-forward, and playful visual design alongside the can-do attitude that together we can accomplish more.
Ask me about my school.
After a parent suggestion, I created a simple button that said “ask me about my school” in English and Spanish, and stickers for prospective students that said “future family” in six languages. It was a simple but powerful idea: empower everyone at PS 295 to become an ambassador for their own school. Along with fresh merch, brochures, postcards, and posters, the brand identity became so much more than a logo. It is a celebration of who we are.
After one year with the new branding, narrative, and communications strategy, PS 295 Brooklyn is better than ever: the school received a grant to hire additional teachers, opened a new sensory and movement room, and hosted over 200 prospective families who are interested in making this small but mighty school their home in the future.
