Museum’s a trouper

The University of Pennsylvania Museum and the Vagabond Acting Troupe have been honored with a prestigious Barrymore Award for theater excellence. The organizations received the newly established Ted and Stevie Wolf New Approaches to Collaboration Award, which encourages partnerships between theater companies and non-theater artistic organizations. The acting troupe’s award-winning production, “Three Worlds Intertwined,” was performed in the spring in conjunction with the opening of the Museum’s new permanent suite of classical world galleries.

Not snowed in

There’s no need to stay at home on inclement weather days when your child’s school is closed. Penn is offering Snow Day Child Care for children ages 12 weeks to 12 years. The service will be available whenever schools are closed but Penn is open between Dec. 8 and March 26; space is allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees for this service vary, depending on your salary at Penn and the age and number of children enrolled. You must pre-enroll for the year by faxing or mailing the Enrollment Request Form to the Penn Children’s Center. More information is available at www.hr.upenn.edu/quality/worklife/snowday.asp or by calling 215-898-5116.

Bennett makeover

The University has given the go-ahead for a $16.4 million renovation of Bennett Hall, set to begin next summer. The project will completely rebuild the basement and first three floors of the building, which opened in 1924 as the home of the College for Women and now houses the English Department. All building systems will be replaced and improved as part of the project, which should be completed in time for the start of the 2005-06 academic year.