How the Allentown School District will use the new Da Vinci center to transform learning

LehighValleyNews.com | By Jenny Roberts

Published May 21, 2024 at 6:00 AM EDT

Da Vinci Science Center Preview Day — The Da Vinci Science Center at 815 Hamilton Street, Allentown, held a preview day on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The new downtown center will hold a grand opening on May 22, 2024. Photography by Donna S. Fisher

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Rebecca Bodnar, principal of Central Elementary, said students at her city school “love everything science.”

“It's just that we've never been given the green light, the go-ahead to just completely flip the way that we do things and have that focus on STREAM,” Bodnar said.

But luckily, that's no longer the case.

Starting in 2024-25, Bodnar’s school will be reimagined as the Central Elementary STREAM Academy, focusing on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math.

Thanks to a six-year contract with Da Vinci Science Center, students will regularly visit the nearby nonprofit museum at its new 815 W. Hamilton St. location, which will serve as a secondary campus for the STREAM academy.

“The level of real-world experiences for our students is going to be second to none,” Bodnar said. “It's very exciting work.”

Through the partnership, Allentown School District families will have free access to the museum. Additionally, Da Vinci will run a paid internship program for ASD high school students, connecting them with local companies for hands-on job experiences in the STREAM fields.

Superintendent Carol Birks said the partnership with Da Vinci is part of a district strategy focused on leveraging the “collective community.” By tapping into the resources of local nonprofits and companies, ASD can create “authentic" experiences for students to put learning into action.

“Let me tell you how exciting it is to actually create something after you learn about the theory, and see it used by someone, and hopefully, to make your community better,” Birks said.

STREAM program structure

Matthew Perez, a fourth-grade student at Central, was captivated by the animatronic dinosaurs on display when he recently visited the new Da Vinci Science Center ahead of its opening Wednesday.

“It was so cool,” said Matthew, 10. “My favorite thing I did when we were at Da Vinci was when we were talking about the dinosaurs — [the] Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods, how they lived on Earth and the mass extinction.”

Matthew said he wants to work at Da Vinci when he grows up. But for now, regular class trips to the museum will suffice.

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Beginning in the fall, students in kindergarten through second grade will spend one full school day each week at Da Vinci. Students in third through fifth grades will have regular visits to the museum in addition to hands-on STREAM experiences at their school, located at 829 W. Turner St.

Birks said older elementary students “will have a structured way to connect, they just won’t be at Da Vinci every day.”

Pre-kindergarten students will also spend days at the museum, but that schedule hasn’t been determined yet.

Through the partnership, Central teachers will co-teach with Da Vinci educators, who offer science expertise in areas like astrophysics, biology and geology. Da Vinci educators are trained in national science standards, too.

“My favorite thing I did when we were at Da Vinci was when we were talking about the dinosaurs — [the] Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods, how they lived on earth, and the mass extinction.”

Matthew Perez, Central Elementary fourth-grade student

Museum learning

No school day at Da Vinci will look exactly the same — Allentown students will have access to exhibits and exclusive makerspaces throughout the museum.

Students in kindergarten through second grade will have four-hour intensive labs during the school days they spend at the museum. They will participate in activities in their museum-based classrooms and take trips to see exhibits relevant to their learning.

The museum spent $17 million on exhibits, which are comparable to the offerings at museums like The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, according to Lin Erickson, executive director and CEO of Da Vinci Science Center.

Exhibit spaces include those focused on manufacturing, the human body, artificial intelligence and the Lehigh River Watershed — this area is home to four North American river otters who’ve already become a fan favorite.

There’s also a science theater that will have an electricity show and a gallery for visiting exhibits, such as the current Dinos Alive: Immersive Experience. Career kiosks throughout the center help students discover which STREAM jobs may best fit with their personalities.

1 of 46 — Da Vinci Science Center Preview Day

Students learn in Curiosity Hall. The Da Vinci Science Center at 815 Hamilton Street, Allentown, held a preview day on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The new downtown center will hold a grand opening on May 22, 2024. Photography by Donna S. Fisher