Wissahickon Charter serves as a demonstration "learning lab" for the School District of Philadelphia through its development of effective practices in hands-on environmental education for K-8 students, within a challenging academic framework. The school aims to share these resources with area teachers requiring additional training to teach environmental science. The school's facility also offers 8,000 square feet of unused space that could more effectively serve its middle school grades.
Wissahickon Charter will create a model Collaborative Eco-Learning Center to provide support to Philadelphia middle school students through state-of-the-art resources and heightened opportunities for student learning and teacher professional development. Once developed, this Center will enable:
- A new middle school library and computer laboratory with advanced student resources.
- Collaborative space for group projects with students from multiple grades.
- An annual summer Teacher Training Institute through a University partnership, offering credit-based support in the design and delivery of quality environmental education curricula.
- Opportunity to collect best-practice data in charter school education to inform future School District curricula.
The Center will significantly enhance engaged learning and achievement by providing dedicated resources for Wissahickon Charter students grades 6-8. Teachers will collaborate professionally to develop replicable curriculum models for other educators in the region, thereby benefiting thousands more Philadelphia students annually.