Help students learn with the tools of the modern world.

The Big Ask:

Science Leadership Academy is a 1:1 laptop school where every student receives an Apple MacBook as their primary learning tool. As of 5/25/12, we are $80,000 short of our goal of $180,000 necessary for the laptops of the incoming 9th grade class.

Funding Goal: The minimum goal for this project is $20,000, which will need to be reached for any of the funds to be collected.

About SLA:

Developed in partnership with The Franklin Institute and its commitment to inquiry-based science, SLA provides a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum with a focus on science, technology, mathematics and entrepreneurship. SLA adheres to the philosophies put forth by John Dewey by emphasizing social justice, community activism, and democratic participation by teaching students to answer the following questions as part of the school’s mission:

• How do we learn?
• What can we create?
• What does it mean to lead?

Students at SLA learn in a project-based environment where the core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation and reflection are emphasized in all classes, and the school was designed to truly maximize the strengths of technology and twenty-first century tools for student learning. Instead of textbooks, our students use Apple laptop computers for use in home and school. They use tools such as blogs, podcasts and digital films to learn the tools of 21st century literacy and establish their voice on the web, collaborating with the world beyond the school’s walls. Utilizing their laptops, SLA students interact with a volume of data and information unimaginable only a decade ago. More than that, they work on real-world tasks in all of their classes, collaborating with business and community mentors/partners outside of school, and sifting through primary source materials for real-world information that is meaningful – leading to constructive interpretation and application of ideas and the passionate creation of original and powerful artifacts of learning. This innovative one-to-one laptop learning program gives these young people the tools to fulfill their potential and equips them to be leaders in our technologically-forward and ever-changing society.

The Science Leadership Academy is considered to be one of the leaders of the “School 2.0” movement. At the heart of the notion of School 2.0 is the idea that schools can leverage the modern tools at our disposal to allow students to learn deeply and create powerful artifacts of that learning, engaging in real-world work that allows students to see themselves as authentic agents and empowered citizens of their world. As a leader of that movement, SLA has been recognized in 2009-2011 as an Apple Distinguished School, was named one of the Ten Most Amazing Schools by Ladies Home Journal in September 2010, was recently featured in the PBS documentary, Digital Media: New Learners for the 21st Century and was named as one of Philadephia’s Best Schools in the September issue of Philadelphia Magazine.

The students: This year, over 900 students interviewed for the 125 spots in Science Leadership Academy freshman class of 2016. SLA students come from over 70 different schools comprised of School District of Philadelphia middle and elementary schools, independent, charter and parochial schools.

SLA has graduated two classes of students. In 2011, 95% of the students who started at SLA as 9th graders graduated from the school. 97% of SLA graduates enrolled in post-secondary education with over 85% of the students enrolling in a four-year college. On average, SLA students earn over $3 million in scholarships for college, and the school has had a Gates-Millenium Scholar in each of its first three years. SLA students have been accepted into over 120 colleges including Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie-Mellon University, the University of Wisconsin, Morehouse College, Drexel University, Penn State University and Syracuse University. SLA averages over 94% student attendance, boasts a 98% course passing rate, with over 98% of its students on-track to graduate on-time. In its three years of taking the Pennsylvania state PSSA tests, SLA has scored above the state average on all tests, most recently scoring 86% proficient in Reading and 76% proficient in Math in 2011.

Science Leadership Academy is a special admission high school, and while students’ grades, attendance, punctuality, behavior and standardized test scores are all considered in the admission process, the most important part of the admissions process is the interview. Prospective students sit down with an SLA student and an SLA teacher and present a piece of their work from 7th and 8th grade and discuss themselves and their academic vision with our community, allowing the admissions team to gain a better sense of who students are, and to identify those students whose learning style was a match for SLA.

More Info @ http://www.scienceleadership.org/

$20,761 PLEDGED OF $80,000 GOAL

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