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> Summer Insitute 2002

As they explored, drew, designed, built and discussed, the 20 teachers in attendance at our 2002 Summer Institute called to mind the students who would soon be the beneficiaries of their experiences. Their eight days of immersion in project-based learning prepared them for a year of co-teaching through the built environment.


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Every August, our Summer Institute brings teachers together for two intensive weeks of learning and dialogue. The first week, designed for new teachers, introduces our philosophy and methods. Led by the architect-educators who will be mentoring them all year, teachers participate in a series of workshops that introduce the principles of the design process, architecture and structures. They experience these ideas firsthand, walking the Brooklyn Bridge and exploring our Harlem neighborhood. In the second week, they are joined by veteran teachers to conduct deeper investigations into using the built environment as their classroom. This year, groups of teachers delved into activities from our Project Book.

Teacher Journal - For me, the experience as a whole was valuable since I strongly believe that young people should be guided to explore, understand and ultimately change/affect their environment. The city should belong to its citizens and our youth should be prepared to make of it what their minds and imaginations desire. I am full of passion for this program and I am committed to using the city as my students’ text, classroom, playground and audience. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stretch my mind further around this mission. - Marianne Rossant
>> Read more from Marianne’s journal

Now in development, the Project Book will include two volumes of theme-based Salvadori lessons to be disseminated to teachers nation-wide. Both the book and the Summer Institute are organized according to two sets of categories.

We’ve distilled the approach engineers use to solve problems into a child-friendly four-step process--"Explore,” “Pull Apart,” “Put Together,” and “Go Beyond.” Within each of these categories are lessons in the five areas that make up our SSLAM (Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Art and Math) curriculum. Our lessons encourage kids to investigate, analyze, re-envision and eventually affect change in the world around them.

>>Read more about the Project Book

As they tested the lessons from the first chapter, "School," teachers exemplified the philosophy expressed by the traditional Chinese proverb, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Join them on their two-week journey!

>>Participating districts and schools

Week 1: Foundation >>Next

Intro | Week 1: Foundation | Week 2: Explore - Pull Apart - Put Together - Go Beyond | Conclusion
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