In the Caster Building at 3701 Locust Walk, the Penn School of Social Policy & Practice is one of the oldest social work programs in the world. For more than a century, the School has contributed to the advancement of more effective, efficient and humane human services through education, research and civic engagement.

In this edition of By The Numbers, we socialize with the School of Social Policy & Practice.

1908 Year when the School was founded. A “Course of Training in Child Helping” was developed that year under the direction of the Children’s Bureau of Philadelphia.

54 Number of students in the School’s first graduating class, which celebrated its commencement on June 1, 1911.

5,321 Total number of alumni from the School.

1916 Year in which the School was incorporated under the name, Pennsylvania School for Social Service hired a full-time director and introduced a program of instruction led by agency administrators.

266 Number of students currently enrolled in the Master of Social Work program. Two hundred and forty-one are female, 25 are male.

240,000 Hours of community service contributed by master’s students in their field placements each year.

1966 Year in which the School moved into the Caster Building. It was previously near the corner of 24th and Pine.

$33 Goal, in millions, for the School’s Campaign for Social Change Leadership, part of its mission to produce social work and nonprofit leaders who will truly make a difference in the world.