Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program

People in masks talk about an exercise in listening

Learning to listen in troubled times

The SNF Paideia Program and partners featured Ernesto Pujol and Aaron Levy, an artist and an interdisciplinary scholar who have transformed both what it means to listen and what the act of listening can achieve as part of a lecture and workshops.

Three students with backpacks walk across a foot bridge with high fences and graffiti on the low walls in Philadelphia.

Exploring along the edges of Philadelphia reveals the essence of the city

The SNF Paideia Program teamed up with Penn alumnus and artist JJ Tiziou for “Walk Around Philadelphia,” a fall retreat for student fellows.

three women wearing mask smiles at each other in front of an old stone building

Inaugural SNF Paideia fellows reflect on an inspiring first year

The fellowship program for undergraduates connects their general education and major requirements to public engagement and community building through dialogue across differences.

Seated rows of workers with "CASA" shirts on hold signs saying "I deserve $15/hr"

New seminar series addresses racism and anti-racism in contemporary America

A new series organized by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program at Penn includes 13 conversations focusing on inequalities across on economic, political, social, and cultural systems. (Pre-pandemic image)

This year’s Silfen Forum, moved to a live, online format due to COVID-19, featured Ashley Parker, Julián Castro, Donna Brazile, Peggy Noonan, and Jeb Bush, in conversation with the Paideia Program’s inaugural director Michael Delli Carpini. President Amy Gutmann kicked off the event, which engaged the theme “Civil Discourse in Uncivil Times.”

Panelists ‘lay out the stakes’ of civil discourse

At the 2020 Silfen Forum, hosted by President Amy Gutmann, students, faculty, staff, and alumni tuned in to hear from a group of distinguished experts—Ashley Parker, Julián Castro, Donna Brazile, Peggy Noonan, and Jeb Bush, with Michael Delli Carpini of the Paideia Program serving as the event’s moderator.

Chris Satullo, Lia Howard, and Surayya Walters in class.

Cultivating robust civil dialogue during times of unrest

Through the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program, Penn students are learning how to reflect on and engage with subjects like the coronavirus pandemic and the criminal justice system.

A group of students sit on the lawn under a cherry blossom tree on College Green.

Paideia’s spring course offerings highlight wellness, service, and citizenship

The first four courses offered to Penn undergraduates as part of the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program will focus on passion, civility, effective communication, and a deep dive into American Chinatowns.

Leadership named for Paideia Program at Penn

Michael X. Delli Carpini has been named the inaugural faculty director and Leah Seppanen Anderson the inaugural executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program for Penn undergraduates.

University of Pennsylvania receives $6 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation gift to launch Paideia Program

Penn announced a $6 million gift to launch the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program, which will reimagine the ancient Greek ideal Paideia—or “education of the whole person”—with courses focusing on wellness, service, and citizenship.

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