TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT VITAL “The three of us did intense work together during the summer of our VITAL project, but frankly, that opportunity to work together and have that dialogue, deepen our rapport and share our goals together planted a seed that’s continued to grow over the past three years. We’re always finding ways to work together.”
“There simply is not enough time in the school day to conduct this type of research. The gift of time in the context of VITAL is huge.”
V I TAL
“VITAL has been an invaluable opportunity to work with two exceptional colleagues. This was beneficial in several ways. Working with two folks from other disciplines and at different stages in their careers has been very enlightening and has influenced my thinking and problem-solving methodology. I am now better able to examine ebooks from other perspectives and purposes other than the library.”
VALUING • INNOVATIVE • TEACHING • AND • LEARNING
Outcomes of VITAL • Transformative Curriculum • Engaged Students • Time for Faculty Collaboration • Strengthened Collegial Relationships across Divisions and Departments
A Summer Grant Program that allows faculty to Create Innovative Curriculum Have Time to Collaborate Make Global Connections Do Interdisciplinary Work Strengthen Collegial Relationships
Transforming Teaching while Creating a Faculty of Lifelong Learners
What is
V I TAL
SOME VITAL PROJECTS: Science and Athletics: The Connection to Movement Faculty collaborate across disciplines, using advances in technology
VALUING • INNOVATIVE • TEACHING • AND • LEARNING
to track a multitude of metrics that record the workload on a student-athlete’s body and expand learning in physics and biology. Coaches use the data to reimagine practice schedules and workouts to improve safety and performance day-to-day.
VITAL is an exciting professional
Quaker Pop-up Book
development model
Stemming from cross-divisional coursework, Lower and Upper
that provides teachers with time during the
a children’s pop-up book as a modern resource focusing on
school faculty, with input from students, developed and created the common Quaker testimonies of simplicity, integrity, peace,
summer to transform their craft through
community, equality and stewardship.
research, collaboration, curriculum development and innovation. The ultimate goal of VITAL is to provide students with an outstanding, current and meaningful education. • Faculty are paid at median faculty salary for one to four weeks of VITAL project work. • Projects may include work focusing on curriculum, pedagogy, school life, or the development of student values, and may involve cross-divisional partnerships, interdisciplinary work and global collaboration.
Creating Music: Theory & Practice • Project proposals are rigorous and faculty-driven. • A committee, comprised of representatives from the PC community, uses consensus to select funded projects. • Penn Charter has funded projects that have transformed curriculum in all three divisions, promoted global connections and facilitated meaningful interdisciplinary and cross-divisional work. • Rooted in our Strategic Vision, VITAL supports summer work by teachers compelled to learn, improve, and stoke their students’ curiosity.
A physics and a music teacher collaborated to further their and their students’ knowledge about music theory and the physics of music by building musical instruments and experimenting with what gives different musical instruments their sound.
William Penn Charter School 3000 W. School House Lane Philadelphia, PA 19144 215-844-3460 ext. 335 https://tinyurl.com/y9627tqo