Outreach | Penn Today

Aiming to build community on campus, new Presidential Commission takes shape

Reporting to Interim President J. Larry Jameson and co-chaired by deans Vijay Kumar and Katharine Strunk, the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community unveils its charge and members.

Volunteers dance during a kickoff breakfast on MLK Day

A day to ‘love the service that we’re giving’

Penn’s MLK Day of Service featured a robust kickoff with speakers and performances, followed by volunteer initiatives on campus and in the community.

Boura Zerbo Reads a book to her newborn in the ICU.

Books, babies, and bonding: How a passion for literacy benefits the hospital’s smallest patients

Whitney Zachritz, an intensive care nursery clinical practice leader at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, spends part of her week in the 38-bed neonatal intensive care unit curating books for parents to read to their newborns.

When young people seem to make threats on social media, do they mean it?

A new app from SAFELab helps teachers, police, and journalists interpret social media posts by BIPOC youth and understand which threats may be real.

(from left to right) Yidi Wang, Yi Wang, Deependra Singh, and Marielle Ong.

Getting creative to communicate science

Across Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, students and professors are devising imaginative ways to bring their scientific work to the public.

Two college students lean over a table to talk with elementary school students

Netter Center holiday book parties

At annual events hosted by the Netter Center’s Community School Student Partnerships, Penn students partner with K-12 West Philadelphia students.

Dedicating time to side gigs for good in the community

The 11th piece in this series highlights a museum educator who also teaches people through an Afrocentric storytelling group, a research coordinator volunteering with an LGBTQ+ band, a nurse collecting children’s books, and a Spanish lecturer picking up trash.

Students line up to receive food after the Kwanzaa ceremony

Kwanzaa at Penn

Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday celebrating the cultures of Africa and the African diaspora, was celebrated at Penn with a ceremony and feast, offering sustenance and support for students.

brian peterson and team for projects for progress

The Economic Justice Partnership focuses on creating an equal financial playing field

From the basics of setting up an investment account to giving a play-by-play on how interest accrues, the partnership—a Projects for Progress winner—hosts financial literacy workshops with middle and high school students around Philadelphia, as well as Penn and other college students.

Isabel Sampson-Mapp sits on a table piled with colorful knitwear

Holiday giving at Penn

From shoes and coats to Hot Wheels and Paw Patrol, the Netter Center’s Isabel Sampson-Mapp coordinates holiday giving.

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