Special Programs: SENSES
The Academy of Natural Sciences has partnered with six schools in the School District of Philadelphia through the SENSES program (Supporting and Enriching Natural Science Education in Schools).
The SENSES program currently has two major components:
- An intensive “wrap-around” program with the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School
- An environmental/watershed education program for grades 4-7 at five South Region elementary schools
Grover Washington Jr. Middle School
The "wrap-around" component at the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School targets the entire school community (students, teachers and families) and is designed to give them a sense of belonging to, and ownership of, the Academy and our education resources.
This SENSES track includes:
- outreach lessons performed at the school
- student field trips and programs at the Academy
- professional development for teachers
- limited Academy family memberships for select students and teachers
See this program's collection of useful internet links and pdf downloads.
Environmental & Watershed Program
The environmental /watershed education track of SENSES is geared to grades 4-7 at five South Region elementary schools (Eliza Kirkbride, William Meredith, John Taggart, Abigail Vare, and George Washington). This track includes lessons at both the Academy and the schools, along with several teacher workshops. A special emphasis is placed at the sixth grade level, to align with the ecosystems-related core curriculum requirements. Additionally, these students will be exposed to behind the scenes experiences with Academy scientists and a field research trip to a Philadelphia-area stream.
