Editing Science Leadership Academy (section)

== History ==

Science Leadership Academy opened in 2006 under founding principal Chris Lehmann, whose educational philosophy emphasized inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection as core values. The partnership with The Franklin Institute provided not only the school's name but also access to museum resources and science education expertise. SLA represented an attempt to reimagine high school education around student-centered, project-based approaches rather than traditional lecture and testing formats.<ref name="sla"/>

The school's success generated significant attention within education reform communities, with Lehmann becoming a nationally recognized voice for progressive education and technology integration. SLA's model influenced other schools and contributed to broader discussions about secondary education's purposes and methods. A second campus, SLA@Beeber, opened in 2013, extending the model to another Philadelphia neighborhood.<ref name="sla"/>