SSP Local Courses 2012
	AIS GOES TO WALL STREET Spend a week exploring the world of business and finance. Whether a student is an aspiring doctor, lawyer, author, artist or engineer, she needs to understand the basics of the business world. This course’s hands-on approach to learning will be largely outside of the classroom and will include an overnight trip to New York City and Wall Street as well as several local trips in the Philadelphia area. Students will learn from some wonderful guest speakers including women leaders from major corporations such as Morgan Stanley, BET, Urban Outfitters, Deloitte and Citizens Bank. Mrs. Melvin. One week, 2nd week. Minimum 6, maximum 10 students. Cost $700. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE The Alternative Medicine SSP will introduce students to an intriguing array of therapies that are purported to improve wellness, alleviate pain, support childbirth and treat a host of conditions and illness. Therapies that are candidates for exploration during this SSP include acupuncture, reflexology, hypnosis, herbalism and functional foods. The Philadelphia area hosts a number of practitioners who use alternative medicine to support, enhance or entirely replace traditional Western medical practices. We will visit and be visited by practitioners who will share aspects of their knowledge and skills while giving the girls practical tips that they can incorporate into their daily lives. Readings and other resources will provide insight into the cultures within which these therapies originated. This SSP is a great choice for girls who are interested in medicine, human anatomy and physiology, psychology and cultural studies. Dr. Katz, Ms. Hoffman, Mrs. Shelton. One week. 1st week. Minimum 12, maximum 25 students. Cost $200. LAW AND ORDER Television and movies give you one view of the criminal justice system. How does it really work? Students in this SSP will get an up close look at the criminal court system in Philadelphia. Students will follow criminal cases from arraignment (when defendants learn of the charges against them) to sentencing. With the help of the Philadelphia Defender’s Association, students will attend arraignments, preliminary hearings, trials and sentencing hearings and learn from practicing attorneys how constitutional rights are protected in the process. This SSP is designed for students interested in social justice and law. Ms. Kahn was first a Philadelphia assistant district attorney and then a criminal defense attorney. Ms. Kahn. One week. 1st week. Minimum 6, maximum 10 students. $50. EDUCATION IN AMERICA Though education is something that all of our students have experienced, they may never have thought about how or why it operates the way it does in the U.S. In this course students will learn about issues in education in America, specifically how it functions in Philadelphia. Students will have hands-on learning and teaching experiences in Independence Charter School, a K to 8th grade charter school in Center City Philadelphia, and will discover how the public education system operates differently from independent schools. Independence Charter school is an innovative school that seeks to develop bilingual, interculturally-competent and high achieving students. All students study Spanish, either in the Spanish immersion program or in a program that includes daily Spanish classes. Additional information about the Independence Charter School can be found on the website at www.independencecharter.org. Students will take the R5 to and from Center City. Mr. Marshall and Sr Sevillano. One or two week course. Minimum 8, maximum 20 students. Cost $50. WRITING WORKSHOP This is a one week intensive writing experience, guided by professional writers from the Philadelphia region. With the expert guidance of four professional writers, students will hone their creative writing skills, and learn the fundamentals of structure, narrative, and style. Many genres will be covered, including fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and memoir. Students will read their work and receive feedback from the other students and the instructor. There will be daily writing exercises to stimulate your creativity and hone your skills. The group will meet with Ms. Diana and Dr. Wayland-Smith several times before the SSP begins. Meeting places for the class include The Gryphon Café, The Kelly Writer’s House on the Penn campus, or the AIS upper school library. Ms. Diana and Dr. Wayland-Smith. One week. 1st week. Minimum 10, maximum 15 students. Cost $150.