Science Programs for High School Students
The Academy offers multiple Out of School Time programs that provide long-term engagement for audiences over months and years instead of days. This allows our audiences to gain deeper knowledge through our STEAM and literacy programs and form relationships with other participants, staff members and community partners. The Academy also focuses on research with real-world impacts, which allows us to evaluate our programs and share our findings through publications and professional conferences.
For high school students, the Academy offers two programs: Women In Natural Sciences (WINS) and Development, Enrichment and Academics in Natural Sciences (DEANS). The WINS program focuses on high-quality STEAM education and relationship building and offers internship and employment opportunities, as well as college readiness. Development, Enrichment, and Academics in Natural Sciences (DEANS) aims to provide young men enrolled in Philadelphia high schools (grades 9-12, ages 14-18) with after-school and summer programming rooted in culturally informed approaches to mentoring, youth development and academic and career exploration.
What is WINS?
WINS is a free after-school and summer science enrichment program serving young women facing financial limitations within the Philadelphia School District. Since its founding in 1982, WINS has introduced hundreds of high school women to future careers in science and other professions by providing hands-on science workshops, career and college exploration and positive youth development.
WINS provides young women with the information, encouragement and confidence they need to shape their futures. The program’s mentoring and support has resulted in 100% of WINS students graduating high school and over 96% attending college. Approximately 63% pursue careers in STEM, many accrediting their experience in WINS as the inspiration for considering careers in environmental sciences and engineering.
In addition to a strong emphasis on academics and science, WINS also provides a uniquely nurturing environment, a community of like-minded friends and experiences not typically found in school. For most alumnae and students, WINS is a network and a sisterhood, and the Academy is considered their safe haven and second home.
Learn more about WINS opportunities
What is DEANS?
Modeled on WINS’ more than 40 years of success, DEANS is a pilot project that will create novel educational experiences among high school boys while focusing on outreach to students from low-income households who are poised to become first-generation college students. Through focus on mental, emotional and social skills needed to thrive, DEANS students will grow in their ability to persist when problems arise, to think critically when issues need to be solved and to work collaboratively to create positive change.
As with WINS, DEANS is a program for students who lack the opportunities afforded to more resourced peers. Our proven, informed mentoring and STEM immersion has resulted in higher high school graduation rates, higher college acceptance rates and higher attachment to STEM internships and careers. DEANS has a dedicated focus on mentorship, positive reinforcement, social-emotional support, trauma-informed care and activities that focus on building self-efficacy within participants (i.e. confidence, self-esteem, teamwork, problem-solving, agency and motivation). The academic outcomes they achieve are an organic offshoot of the highly welcoming and nurturing environment created by program directors. Ultimately, DEANS will create a path for young men in Philadelphia to build their self-confidence and excel academically from high school through post-secondary education.