About SLA

The Science Leadership Academy is a partnership high school between the School District of Philadelphia and The Franklin Institute. SLA is an inquiry-driven, project-based high school focused on 21st century learning that opened its doors on September 7, 2006.


SLA Fall Athletics Pre-Season Information

Posted by Sunil Reddy on

All players are required to have the completed medical paperwork on hand to give coaches. Access the medical paperwork linked here.

All incoming 9th graders will have the opportunity to sign up for sports on noon following the end of Summer Institute on 8/24. More details on other pre-season activities can be found below.

  • Girls Volleyball – Coach: Karina Hirschfield, khirschfield@scienceleadership.org

    Returning Student Tryouts: Tuesday, Aug. 15th, 3:30-6:00pm @ Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row. 9th Grade Tryouts: Wednesday, Aug. 23rd, 3:30-6:00pm @ Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row

    All students must bring required sports physical paperwork, knee pads and plenty of water to tryouts and conditioning. Conditioning runs from 3:30-6:00pm every day until the regular season begins.

  • Co-Ed Cross Country – Coach: Amal Giknis, agiknis@scienceleadership.org

    Pre-season practices begin on Monday, Aug. 14th, from 5:00-6:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays until school starts. Runners should meet at SLA.

    All students must bring required sports physical paperwork and should wear comfortable clothes and running shoes.

  • Girls Soccer – Coach: Zoe Siswick, zsiswick@scienceleadership.org

    Pre-season sessions on Tuesday, Aug. 22nd and Wednesday, Aug. 23rd @ 1:00pm and on Thursday, Aug. 24th @ 9:00am. All gatherings at 31st and Chestnut Street.

    All students must bring required sports physical.

  • Boys Soccer – Coach: Mark Johnson, majohnson2906@gmail.com

    Pre-season practices and tryouts are on Monday, Aug. 21st and Wednesday, Aug 23rd at 4:00pm and also on Friday, Aug. 25th at 10:00am. Practices are held at the Lee Rec. Center located at 44th Street and Haverford Avenue.

    All students must bring required sports physical.

  • Ultimate Frisbee – Coaches: Christopher Lehmann & Stephanie Sessa, clehmann@scienceleadership.org & ssessa@scienceleadership.org

    New student recruiting begins on Tuesday, Aug. 22nd following Summer Institute. The group will leave from SLA to travel together to Penn Park at 30th and Walnut Street.

    All students must bring required sports physical.

  • Students Run Philly Style – Coach: Jeremy Spry, jspry@scienceleadership.org

    New student recruitment does not begin until the spring 2018 season.

Girls Soccer Tryouts

Posted by Zoe Siswick on
​Girls soccer tryouts and practice begin next week!

We will meet Wednesday, August 23rd and Thursday, August 24th at 1pm and Friday, August 25th at 9am at 31st & Chestnut.

Please bring water, shin guards, cleats and an up to date PIAA physical (or plans to get one soon.) 

Contact Coach Siswick at zsiswick [at] scienceleadership [dot] org for more information.

Girls' Volleyball Tryouts

Posted by Aaron Gerwer on
Girls Varsity Volleyball tryouts will take place on August 15th from 3:30-6:00 pm at Lloyd Hall located at 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA 19130. For incoming 9th graders, tryouts will take place on Wednesday, August 23rd from 3:30-6:00pm at Lloyd Hall. 

Make sure to bring a PIAA physical, knee pads, lunch, and plenty of water. Conditioning will continue everyday from 3:30-6:00pm until the season begins. Contact Karina Hirschfield (khirschfield@scienceleadership.org) for more information.

Cross Country Season Begins!

Posted by Amal Giknis on
SLAXC
The 2017 Cross Country season begins this week! Practices will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 5-6:30pm until school starts.

Please come to SLA with your completed PIAA physical, comfortable clothes and shoes for running, and a bottle of water to stay hydrated.

Contact Coach Giknis with any questions: agiknis@scienceleadership.org

Class of 2021! Summer Institute

Posted by Marcie Hull on

Seeing Ourselves/Seeing the City
An Expedition into 9th Grade 

August 22rd – August 24th - 9:00 am – 12:00 noon - bring a lunch

At the Science Leadership Academy, we understand that the transition into High School can be a difficult one. We are pleased to offer a three-day Summer Institute this August, to ease that transition and allow our students and faculty to begin forging bonds together as a learning community – before the “hard work” of the classroom begins.

Led by faculty and upper-class students, this three-day orientation will have two goals, the first is to begin the process of bringing them into the unique, diverse SLA community. To that end, students will spend part of the time in their Advisory Groups, getting to know the students and teachers that will be a part of their community from their first day at SLA through graduation and beyond.

Second, the week will be built around our philosophy of student-driven, hands-on, project-based learning. We want to introduce our students to SLA’s core values of Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, and Reflection from the start, and get them acclimated to the high expectations we have for their high school careers. Using The Franklin Institute and other Philadelphia sites as their “classroom,” students will begin working to explore a variety of questions and problems relating to their surroundings and their place within it. Our students will practice the art of “seeing in new ways” as it relates to the process of observation, analysis, and interpretation.

During Summer Institute, students will work to ultimately create a collaborative project to present to their classmates, while, at the same time, establishing positive relationships and a sense of themselves as first-year SLA students. It will be an exciting, enriching, and energizing way to gear up for the year.

See you in August!

Calendar

Tuesday, August 22

Wednesday, August 23

Thursday, August 24