New York City Department of Education
On the roof of Carnegie Hall, Manhattan, Creating 350 immersive performances with students from schools from across the city.
A central aspect of the partnership has been empowering teachers to become creators rather than simply consumers of educational resources. Using Prospero, teachers have developed and adapted their own interactive learning experiences, enabling them to respond directly to the needs, interests and cultural contexts of their students. This approach places creativity and professional agency at the centre of educational practice while creating opportunities for innovation that can be shared across a wider network of schools.
One notable example was developed in response to Little Amal, the internationally recognised giant puppet representing the experiences of displaced children and refugees. Working with schools across New York City, students explored themes of migration, identity, belonging and community through a participatory storytelling project. Young people shared personal and family stories, reflected on experiences of movement and cultural heritage, and contributed to a growing collection of narratives that connected local experiences with global issues.
The project demonstrated how storytelling can create opportunities for empathy, dialogue and cultural understanding while helping young people recognise the diversity of experiences that shape contemporary cities. Through digital participation, schools were able to share ideas, creative responses and reflections across neighbourhoods and communities.
Building creative learning communities at scale
C&T has developed an ongoing partnership with the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), one of the largest and most diverse education systems in the world. Through this collaboration, we have explored how storytelling, participation and digital technology can support creative learning, teacher development and international collaboration across schools.
The partnership began through shared interests in drama-based learning, digital participation and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Working alongside teachers, school leaders and education specialists, C&T has used the Prospero platform to support classroom projects, professional development and collaborative resource creation.
This ongoing collaboration demonstrates the potential of Story Systems and digital participation to connect classrooms, support teacher creativity and foster meaningful international exchange. It reflects C&T's commitment to developing partnerships that combine educational innovation, research and participation while creating opportunities for young people and teachers to learn from one another across borders.
Project Overview
Project Title
New York City Department of Education Partnership
Programme
Projects
Story System
Place Stories, Signal Stories, Prospero Research
Status
Ongoing
Lead Partners
New York City Department of Education • C&T
Participants
Teachers • School Leaders • Young People
Location
New York City • United States
Themes
Creative Learning • Teacher Development • Migration • Storytelling • International Collaboration • Educational Innovation
Outputs
Teacher-Created Learning Resources • Digital Storytelling Projects • Professional Development • Participatory Research
Digital Infrastructure
Prospero • Prospero Research
Featured Project
Little Amal: Migration, Identity and Belonging
Current Development
Expansion of teacher networks, collaborative resource creation and the use of participatory research and Theory of Change evaluation tools to understand the impact of creative learning programmes.
Related Sectors
Education • International • Research
Related Programme
Research & Development