Primary Education | Penn Today

A cartoon of a group of people including children watching a scene on the television.

How to explain war to children: Tips from Penn GSE

Marsha Richardson, director of Penn GSE’s School and Mental Health Counseling Program, says navigating disturbing current events is challenging, but can be done in thoughtful and supportive ways.

A young student looks out the window of a classroom with several empty desks.

How to encourage student attendance

From Penn GSE’s Educator’s Playbook, Michael Gottfried highlights approaches that schools and teachers can take to address absenteeism by identifying root causes and creating a supportive environment for all students.

Ashley Bryan holds up one of his books from a table in Penn’s Kislak Center.

The PZ project: Children’s and young adult literature on the rise

From picture books to 'The Poet X,' Penn Libraries are expanding and diversifying their holdings of books for young readers.

An elementary school student works on a large drawing on the floor of a classroom.

A new high-touch, low-tech approach to summer learning in West Philadelphia

The format of the joint pilot collaboration with the Netter Center and Penn GSE has been transformed to better focus on the needs of the young students.

Two people holding up children’s books written in Spanish.

A Book a Day inspires young readers with inclusiveness and representation

A Book a Day, a nonprofit run by Penn GSE’s Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova, has partnered with medical providers like the Puentes de Salud clinic to provide books to children, including titles in Spanish and other languages.

CalMatters

Schools in poorer neighborhoods struggle to keep teachers. How offering them more money and power might help

Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education says that giving educators more authority at their workplace makes them feel like respected professionals.

Four scientists speak in a dairy cow facility

Cross-disciplinary collaboration for a healthier planet

The Environmental Innovations Initiative announces a third round of funded research communities to catalyze interdisciplinary research at Penn, investigating issues from regenerative agriculture to project-based learning for global climate justice.

Suzanne McGraw smiling as an audience member.

Suzanne McGraw Foundation makes $5 million gift to Penn GSE around early childhood education

The gift is one of the largest ever to the School. It will support student scholarships, a cross-University graduate concentration, and cross-disciplinary programming.

The Irish Times (Dublin)

Lego, martial arts and dance classes: How one school tackled school absenteeism

A 2022 Penn study found a return of three dollars for every dollar invested in City Connects, a pilot project that links students with support for basic needs and enrichment activities.

Inside Higher Ed

How gross inequalities in institutional wealth distort the higher education ecosystem and shortchange the vast majority of middle- and lower-income undergraduates

Penn is noted for its pledge to contribute $100 million over 10 years to renovate decrepit Philadelphia schools, potentially assisting a more diverse student body.

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