Professional Development: SENSES
In 1936, the Academy of Natural Sciences partnered with the School District of Philadelphia to provide science resources for the classrooms and natural history lessons. For over 70 years the Academy has been a leader in science education. In 2004, the Academy of Natural Sciences partnered with six schools in the School District of Philadelphia through the SENSES program (Supporting and Enriching Natural Science Education in Schools). The goal of the program has been, and continues to be, to assist schools, teachers and students in developing and implementing excellent science education.
The Academy works to achieve this goal by:
- Providing teachers with professional development opportunities modeling best practices in teaching science core curriculum topics
- Providing students classroom instruction and field experiences with real scientists providing not only in-depth study of the topics but also exposure to science as a career choice.
- Demonstrating ways to integrate the Science Core Curriculum into the Reading, Literature, and Math Core Curriculums
To read more about the program’s accomplishments, check out SENSES History.
