As part of the Philadelphia School District’s Facilities Master Plan Lankenau High School in Roxborough has been scheduled for closure.

The Guild supports the School District and its efforts to reduce costs and right size its facilities footprint but we respectfully submit that closing one of the only Magnet Schools in the country focused on Environmental Science is not the best way to do this.

The Guild, through its members, have deep connections with Lankenau where the staff and students are undertaking numerous projects that will directly benefit our local beekeeping community. One of these that is underway now is developing a method to test honey for antibiotic properties. If successful this will let local beekeepers understand whether their honey has these properties. This has worked out very well for the beekeepers in New Zealand.

But there’s more to Lankenau than helping beekeepers. It’s a magnet school and provides unique opportunities for its students to engage with nature and develop skills and careers in environmental science. It’s important.

If this is at all persuasive to you, please join the meetings below. You can register for the meetings by clicking on the graphics below. Some of these sessions are virtual and you can find them on the registration page that will open when you click.