When Temple's General Education program (or Gen Ed) replaces the Core Curriculum for all undergraduates this fall, instructors will offer students unprecedented opportunities to explore Philadelphia and integrate the city and the region into their coursework.

The General Education Executive Committee (GEEC), the group of faculty and students that oversees Gen Ed, has designated "The Philadelphia Experience" as one of the official themes of the program. Nearly half of the courses that have been approved for Gen Ed will take students out of the classroom and into the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Professor Terry Halbert of Temple's Fox School of Business, a director of Gen Ed and chair of GEEC, says that students in Gen Ed classes will visit area museums, attend arts performances, work in city schools, investigate local non profits, observe battle re-enactments, photograph murals, study the engineering of Philadelphia bridges, visit community gardens and more.

"We know that people learn best when they can make connections between the material they are studying and their own real world experiences," Halbert said. "When the context for hands-on learning is the city and the region, our students are likely to reach higher levels of academic achievement — and as they uncover the quirks and particularities of Philadelphia, from 17th century alleyways to 21st century murals, they'll be developing skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives."

Among the approved Gen Ed courses with strong Philadelphia Experience components are "Sacred Space," which will take students to Laurel Hill Cemetery, the Japanese Tea House in Fairmount Park and the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul; "Criminal Behavior," which will examine the motivations of criminals by assessing potential high-crime locations in Center City and North Philadelphia; "Higher Education in America: Mirror to a Nation," which will explore diversity at American college campuses by taking students to many of the region's local institutions; and "Sustainable Design," which will visit local energy-efficient skyscrapers and green roof projects.

Local author and arts authority Kenneth Finkel, who joined the American studies program in the College of Liberal Arts as a distinguished lecturer last month, is developing "Philadelphia Arts and Culture," a course that will incorporate a range of student-led group explorations of Philadelphia's cultural assets. Students will keep online journals of their experiences.

"Walking around Philadelphia and witnessing events first-hand will be critical parts of the course's content," said Finkel, who came to Temple after eight years as executive direct of arts and culture service at WHYY. "I believe that when you connect ideas to geography, it enhances learning."

Temple's new Gen Ed program will require all bachelor's degree candidates to complete coursework in nine areas: analytical reading and writing, arts, human behavior, Mosaic Humanities Seminar, race and diversity, quantitative literacy, science and technology, U.S. society and world society.

About 670 sections of Gen Ed courses will be offered in the fall, with a total of more than 21,000 seats. More than 60 Gen Ed courses have been piloted in preparation for the program's fall launch.