Why Salk?

The Salk School is one of a handful of collaborative schools started in 1995. The school opened a few months after the death of Jonas Salk, M.D., developer of the first polio vaccine. A graduate of the NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Salk endorsed the school by granting NYU and District 2 the use of his name.

 

Our academic program – with an enriched science education program that emphasizes inquiry and writing –is rigorous and engaging. We work with a number of professionals in the field of science and take advantage of the numerous cultural institutions in New York City in order to empower students with the knowledge and practice to behave and think like scientists. According to Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine, “scientists share a common way of reaching conclusions that is based not only on evidence and logic, but also requires honesty, creativity, and openness to new ideas. ”Students leave Salk understanding that science is a way of making sense of the natural world through observation, experimentation, and an open and critical exchange of ideas. Additionally, students leave appreciating that science ideally is humanity’s attempt to make the world better for all living things and to ensure the health of our planet. We work to foster the skills and habits that ensure this mindset, which include:

• Being open to new ideas and continuous learning
• Questioning and posing problems
• Creating, imagining, innovating
• Responding with wonderment and awe
• Formulating hypotheses and making predictions
• Collecting and organizing evidence
• Using logic and evidence to support claims
• Maintaining a skeptical attitude
• Synthesizing, analyzing, and evaluating information
• Considering and evaluating alternatives
• Communicating conclusions effectively through writing and speaking
• Finding humor
• Being reflective