On Location: The New String Theory High School.

On Saturday, April 27th, I had the pleasure of attending a media event (yes, I am part of the *media*!) at the brand new Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School (PPACS) Arts & Sciences High School that will open this September.

I have always found school rather exciting and being in a building that has not yet been transformed into a school, where kids & teachers will work and learn together, was a whole new experience for me. There was so much positive energy from the people I was with and the place we were in, I have no doubt the first class of 9th graders who enter in the fall will feel it then, too!

 It was an absolutely beautiful day to be in Center City!

The Arts & Sciences High School is a String Theory School, co-founded by Mr. & Mrs. Joseph & Angela Corosanite, with their son, Dr. Jason Corosanite serving as Chief Operating Officer.  Angela & Jason lead an intimate tour for the media prior to an Open House for prospective students.  We got lots of info, were able to ask questions, and discuss some key points of the school's inception.

Students who attend the PPACS Arts & Sciences High School will be able to choose a major around which their course work will revolve.  There will be offerings in dance, music, theater, as well as math, science, social studies, English, & foreign languages.  A STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) model will be followed, as opposed to a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) model.  The all important "A" - ARTS will be uber-present, and made necessary in the new school.  STEAM is an acronym this Mama can support without hesitation.

In addition to high-tech facilities to foster arts education, the Arts & Sciences High School will also host an aquaponics lab where Tilapia will provide not only fertilized water for vegetables growing nearby, but also sustainable, organic cuisine for the school's three cafeterias!

The building itself is over 200,000 sq. ft., which is the ultimate blank slate for a new school.  Only 9th graders will start in the fall, allowing them to really develop an ownership of the school before they graduate in 2017.  Mrs. Corosanite emphasized her desire for the students to take an active role in the development of the school as a whole, during their tenure there.  The first 350 students will truly be able to make the new high school, their own.

This expansive room will become 3 separate studio/theater areas...hard to imagine!

This video was taken with Vine on my iPhone4.

Because the school is a charter school, only students who reside within the School District of Philadelphia may apply to attend, but the school is recruiting all over the City.  Being centrally located at the corner of 16th & Vine Sts. in Center City makes the Arts & Sciences High School an attractive option.  One of the driving philosophies behind Mrs. Corosanite's passion for education is to give children a "big world," and attending a school outside of their neighborhood would do just that.  From the 8th floor of the school, we could see The Franklin Institute, Museum of Art, and the ABC 6 Zoo Balloon (at the Philadelphia Zoo!), among other things.  Looks pretty centrally located to me!

As our tour was coming to an end, the lobby of the school was jam-packed with prospective students and their families read for the Open House to start...

Before I left, I took a peek at the artists' renderings of what the school will become over the summer, and I especially loved this one of the entry way and the quote at the top.  It applies to all of those who have a hand in creating the new school, and the students who will attend.

"Artists go beyond what is...EASY...EXPECTED...ORDINARY..."

Do you live in the boundaries of the School District of Philadelphia?  Interested in having a family member attend the PPACS Arts & Sciences High School...or interested in attending yourself?  A lottery system is being used to form the first class of 9th graders that will enter the school this fall.  The deadline for applications is May 24, 2013.

Get social with String Theory Schools on Facebook and on Twitter @StringTheoryEd.  Search #STEMtoSTEAM and #ppachs also.  

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was not compensated for this post.  All thoughts, assessments, and opinions contained herein are my very own.