City & Country

At the Philadelphia School, learning is not confined to the classroom. The rich resources of our city and the natural environment of a nearby nature center, serve as primary sources for our learners. They may interview a local shopkeeper about her business and her customers, they may visit a medieval courtyard at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or they may observe and sketch a fawn awaiting the return of its mother in a meadow.

From the local shopkeeper to world-class museums, the resources of Philadelphia are ready at hand, indeed often just a short walk away. Our students can learn about the complexity of modern urban life by studying their own neighborhood. They can also connect directly with the America's past by walking the city's streets and visiting its museums. For instance, the Rosenbach Museum, located a few blocks from school, houses one of the first printed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation.

We are grateful that our founders were early environmental educators. From the beginning, our program has been committed to empowering students as stewards of the natural world. Each week in the fall and spring, students travel to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to spend meaningful time in nature. Our students experience their science classes in the woods or along the creek, with hands-on activities in the "real" outdoors.

Students bring their outside experiences into the classroom, enriching their basic work as learners: mastering skills, analyzing information, and constructing meaning. Teachers work closely with students throughout their busy days, helping them to integrate their experiences. What a powerful learning experience it is when children see the connection between the Magna Carta studied in the classroom and the medieval art at the museum!