Our Teaching Philosophy

At SNP, we approach science as researchers do: by asking big questions about the world, looking at experimental data, and formulating new questions. Our philosophy is that science is not a collection of facts but rather a process of examining the world with intrigue and thoughtfulness. We encourage students’ curiosity, self-confidence, cooperativity, and imagination so that they leave SNP with an adventurous approach to learning, confident in their own ability to seek answers to the questions that most fascinate them.

In our experience, the brain is a wonderful way to get students interested in science. Nearly every aspect of our experience is shaped by our brain. Even students interested in poetry, music, sports, or philosophy will find an immediate relationship between their passion and neuroscience.

Scientists challenge the assumptions and biases we all hold about the way things work — “how can we be sure that genes are made of DNA, if we can’t even see the stuff?”. We believe, therefore, that even beyond the lab science training empowers people to identify problems and work toward solutions in their own unique ways. We love science and are always excited to see our students continue to pursue it, but we’re just as excited when they apply aspects of scientific problem solving to their other passions.