Signature Programs
	Senior Assemblies One of our treasured traditions at Agnes Irwin is the Senior Assembly. Each senior is required to prepare and present a 10-minute speech before the Upper School student body and faculty (approximately 300 people) on a topic of her own choosing. Generally the topics are consciousness-raising, and often are discussed afterwards by both students and faculty. Our students prepare for this moment starting with "show and tell" in Kindergarten, with class projects, and in public speaking classes in seventh grade. During the seniors' presentations, virtually all of which include multimedia, it is remarkable how poised and articulate the speakers appear - portraying a confidence and ease that belies the nervousness they might feel. Special Studies Program Special Studies Program (SSP) offerings are as distinct as the girls’ personalities. All sophomores and juniors participate in one-week and two-week school-sponsored programs, as well as Independent SSPs. Students can stay with a single SSP the entire time or try a different program each week. We offer a variety of both local and global experiences. Students naturally gravitate toward the community service projects. Whichever SSP they choose, Agnes Irwin students have long believed the program is one of the most rewarding experiences of their school careers. “We check in every year with our students to find out if SSP is worth it,” shares the program director. “Every year, without fail, the girls say it is.” Robotics The Robotics Team, Femme Tech Fatale, composed of a large group of Upper School students, along with faculty advisors Dr. Thomas Weissert and Greg Scott, spent six intensive weeks turning sheets of metal, spools of wire, pieces of wood and lengths of plastic tubing into a working robot. All of this work occurred in the recently-opened Arts & Science Center, which features a room specifically designed for robotics. Agnes Irwin’s robotics team finished 5th out of 64 groups in a competition at The Naval Academy in Annapolis. They were the only all-girl team, and they also went on to win the Creative Design award. This AIS group will also participate in the regional  F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) competition at Drexel University.     C21 The C21 Challenge is a two week immersion program in interdisciplinary problem-solving. The 9th grade is presented with new challenges each day that draw on the curricular work the students have mastered during the year. The program focuses on 21st Century Skills, implemented through small and large group work. Each challenge draws on creativity, reasoning, communication, collaboration, time management, technology, adaption to change, setting goals, guiding and leading others, and working effectively in diverse teams. At the end of each day, there is a guided reflection on how the students managed to reach their goals. Outcomes have included understanding the application of academic work to real world problem-solving, managing group dynamics, class bonding, knowledge of career choices, public speaking and project presentation, and the ability to look critically at one’s own performance.   Consortium Class Each year, four juniors are chosen to participate in the four-school Consortium Course developed around an interdisciplinary theme agreed upon by Agnes Irwin, Haverford, Baldwin, and Shipley. The course challenges students through rigorous reading and discussion expectations and collaborative work during each of the four evenings hosted over a period of a year. Past topics have included the influence of the classics on the development of math, the interactive relationship of literature and art in wartime, and the impact of scientific discovery on the making of history. The course’s intention is enrichment and an application of the 21st Century skills of problem solving, collaboration, and interdisciplinary understanding.