Lefferts Gardens Charter School

The Lefferts Gardens Charter School (LGCS) is an environmental science school with a curriculum geared towards developing academically motivated and civic-minded students to succeed in competitive high school and college programs. The proximity of several community-based environmental institutions provides a unique opportunity for learning that extends beyond the classroom. Graduates of LGCS will leave with an understanding of the relationship among science, the environment, and the everyday world.

The interdisciplinary environmental science curriculum fosters students' capacities to think critically about their environment both locally and globally. The use of the scientific method of inquiry complements our research-based reading/language arts and math programs. LGCS draws heavily on local resources such as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Prospect Park Zoo to create on-site experiential learning opportunities. We believe children will best succeed in a school environment that brings together parents, teachers, and community resources. Significant staff planning and professional development is necessary to build connections among reading, writing, math, science, social studies and the arts to create a truly interdisciplinary curriculum that will benefit children across the learning spectrum. Intensive training on administration, analysis, and follow-up of classroom assessment will be a significant part of summer professional development and supported year-round with allocated staff time. The science curriculum and assessments will be aligned with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) standards as well as New York State standards. We support the core philosophy of the AAAS: The first priority of science education is basic science literacy for all students, including those in groups that have traditionally been served poorly by science education, so that as adults they can participate fully in a world that is increasingly being shaped by science and technology.