VIDEO: I Learn from Children Panel Discussion and Book Release

In December 2019, our founder Caroline Pratt’s memoir, I Learn from Children, was republished in hardcover format for the first time since its original publication in 1948. I Learn from Children is the story of the inception and evolution of City and Country School.

The reimagined 2019 hardcover edition features new photography from the C&C archives, as well as a beautifully redesigned hardcover and interior pages. C&C Trustee and alumni parent Barry Munger oversaw the production of the new edition. “One thing that often gets lost when we talk about I Learn from Children is what a pleasure it is to read. It’s really a beautifully-written work,” said Munger. “I hope that a future educator will find it in a library at their school, pick it up, and be inspired. That’s the dream.”

In honor of the hardcover republication, we brought together a panel to reflect on the book’s lasting impact on progressive education, including C&C alumni parent Judith Foster, an artist, early childhood educator, and former principal of The Neighborhood School (PS 363); C&C Principal Scott Moran; Jonathan Silin, fellow, Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, and former editor-in-chief of Occasional Paper Series, Bank Street College; and C&C alum Afi Yellow-Duke ‘07, associate producer of WNYC’s podcast Death, Sex & Money. The panel was moderated by journalist and humorist Ian Frazier, who wrote the new edition’s introduction.

We invite you to watch the short video below, which contains highlights from their lively, engaging, and thought provoking discussion of the book’s enduring impact.

To watch the full video of the event and panel discussion, click here.

An audiobook version of I Learn from Children, read by Becky Ann Baker, Ian Frazier, and Kate Turley, released in 2019, is also available.

More information about purchasing the book or downloading the free audiobook can be found on the I Learn From Children page of our website.