5/18
West Philadelphia
A shared passion for community engagement
The Graduate School of Education helps students put their knowledge into practice through community engagement. Three soon-to-be graduates speak with Penn Today about how their service enabled them to deepen their connection with West Philadelphia.
The multifaceted Mya Gordon
With a passion for community engagement, Mya Gordon balances her drive with hobbies, friends, and finding beauty in imperfection.
Educate to Empower aims to break down barriers to breast cancer screenings
With the President’s Engagement Prize, fourth-years Simran Rajpal and Gauthami Moorkanat plan to deliver education and resources directly to community centers in Philadelphia, tackling medical mistrust, health literacy, and more.
Who, What, Why: Ariana Jimenez and the High School Voter Project
As part of a student-run, nonpartisan, Netter Center initiative, Ariana Jimenez focuses on youth voter registration, civic engagement, and education in West Philadelphia.
Penn students, staff work the polls on primary day
Penn’s campus played host to eight polling places where students and community members cast their ballots, with a team of trained poll workers keeping the action running smoothly.
Bringing cognitive science in action to young minds
Penn Upward Bound high school students from West Philadelphia got a tour of the Penn Smart Aviary, GRASP Lab, and the Penn Vet Working Dog Center during a visit to Pennovation Works.
37th annual Women of Color Day at Penn
The annual Women of Color at Penn awards honored students, staff, faculty and community members for their research, leadership, and service.
The West Philadelphia Collaborative History Project chronicles a community’s past
Sponsored by Penn’s Graduate School of Education, the project is a digital repository of neighborhood, institutional, and community histories.
‘The Illuminated Body’ fuses color, light, and sound
A new Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition of work by artist Barbara Earl Thomas features cut-paper portraits reminiscent of stained glass and an immersive installation constructed with intricately cut material lit from behind.
Who, What Why: Om Manghani
With MathMates, an after-school tutoring program at Andrew Hamilton School, Om Manghani has started a program to help middle school students succeed. But it’s about more than fractions and decimals, he says.
In the News
Here’s what these youth advocates have to say about Philly’s truancy problem, and how they would fix it
The Netter Center for Community Partnerships has more than 30 years of investment in connecting resources that address truancy, such as establishing after-school programming.
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Event recognizes legacy of Judge A. Leon Higginbotham
A West Philadelphia mural has been dedicated to the late Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, formerly of Penn Carey Law, with a quote from Osagie Imasogie.
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Education power players—Lauren Overton, Principal, Penn Alexander School
In a video interview, Lauren Overton, principal of the Penn Alexander School and a doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Education, discusses how she and her staff at PAS have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The West Philly housing crisis that was utterly avoidable
An in-depth examination looks at the solution that might have put a stop to the UC Townhomes housing crisis, with a glimpse at what President Liz Magill and her office are doing to help.
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Penn to build new Stuart Weitzman performing arts center in the heart of campus
Christopher Gruits of Penn Live Arts says that the new Stuart Weitzman Theatre will give artists more flexibility and completely transform the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
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After 50 Brutalist years, the Annenberg Center plans to stretch out, open up
Penn Live Arts plans to transform Annenberg Plaza into a new performance space, the Stuart Weitzman Theater, expanding the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for the first time in 51 years.
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