A major asset seen during our neighborhood walk was the Franklin Institute, which has a longstanding partnership with SLA, having helped found the school. The ninth-grade students spend the afternoon here once a week for class, so the partnership allows for students to experience their academics in a different environment that is still close to the main school building. In itself, the Franklin Institute offers educational opportunities to the city of Philadelphia as a whole with interactive exhibits for all ages.
SLA Center City is structured so that Wednesday afternoons, students have an opportunity to engage in out of the classroom education experiences. These experiences include collaboration among students on science projects, such as designing a video game or building a robot. After their first year, students are expected to get an internship on their own for which they will be graded. Many students choose to complete these internships at the Franklin Institute.
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Image courtesy of Swetha Narasimhan.