Combining the Penn Museum’s Juneteenth celebration with Wharton’s Wellness Empowerment Project (a collaboration with Penn Medicine), this indoor/outdoor festival is inspired by Penn & Philly 250’s campus-wide semiquincentennial programming throughout 2026. Bringing University Schools and Centers together with neighbors and local organizations, the summer event honors Philadelphia’s history while centering vibrant communities whose voices keep its stories and heritage alive.
This festive community celebration offers a vast range of live cultural performances and activities, access to health and financial literacy resources, conversations with Philadelphia artists and Penn faculty, as well as pop-up community exhibitions, a marketplace, and food trucks.
“The Penn & Philly 250 event reflects a shared commitment to listening, collaborating, and aligning Penn’s resources with the priorities of our Philadelphia neighbors. I am delighted to see the Wellness Empowerment Project integrated into this effort, underscoring that financial wellness and health are inextricably linked,” says Renita Miller, executive director of Wharton Community Engagement and co-organizer of the event. “Wharton’s partnership with Penn Medicine’s Department of Neurology has been critical in advancing this holistic approach and expanding access to meaningful resources for our community. At its core, this day is about intentional collaboration that strengthens our community. I am honored to help bring it to our Philadelphia neighbors.”
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
