Leadership and Service

Academically Based Community Service Courses (ABCS) are service courses rooted in, and intrinsically linked to, teaching and research. With an emphasis on student and faculty reflection, ABCS is committed to linking theory and practice through activities that make a significant difference in the community of West Philadelphia and at Penn.

Supported by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses involve hands-on, real-world problem solving and work to build a sustained engagement that transforms students into active community members and citizens. Through their work with West Philadelphia public schools, communities of faith and community organizations, ABCS faculty and students work to solve critical community issues in a variety of areas, such as the environment, health, arts and education. Over 160 ABCS courses from diverse schools and disciplines across the University have engaged in work in West Philadelphia through the Netter Center for Community Partnerships.

Civic House is the University of Pennsylvania's hub for student-led community service and social advocacy work. Civic House promotes mutually beneficial collaborations between the Penn and West Philadelphia communities, and beyond.

Penn Civic Scholars commit to a four-year experience in civic service and scholarship with close faculty mentorship that achieves certification as a Penn Civic Scholar at graduation. In a sustained and connected approach, Penn Civic Scholars engage in community service or social advocacy work, special proseminars, summer internships, selected courses, and capstone research projects aimed at public policy recommendations. They seek to serve, investigate, inform and lead the way to societal change.

Led by a dedicated group of student volunteers, the College Cognoscenti give daily presentations to families in groups of three about what it means to be at Penn from an academic perspective. For further information, contact Justin Mazur in the College Office.

The Robert A. Fox Leadership Program is to enrich the 21st century Penn undergraduate educational experience in ways that excite and equip students for present and future leadership roles in whatever realms of human excellence and endeavor may call them.

The Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center was established in 1984 and welcomes all students interested in fostering intercultural understanding on campus. The center does this through cross cultural activism, reflection, and dialogue. Some of the many groups that find support at the GIC include the United Minorities Council, the Race Dialogue Project, Natives at Penn, the Assembly of International Students and the Penn Arab Student Society. The GIC, as it is fondly referred to, is also home to popular cultural awareness courses and programs.

The Intercultural Leadership Program (ILP) has been designed to foster an intercultural community of leaders who are ready to take on issues they are passionate about, learn more about communities different than their own, and make a lasting impact at Penn and beyond. See the website for application and selection information.

Penn makes a substantial investment in its surrounding community and offers ways for students and faculty to make service part of their educational experience. The Netter Center for Community Partnerships oversees a powerful array of projects and programs with multiple initiatives to improve education, including the development of early-childhood reading and math skills, raising interest in science, and bridging the digital divide. Other programs include the Community Arts Partnership, which places an artist-in-residence in the West Philadelphia schools, supports after-school programs, and funds a Penn-West Philadelphia arts exchange called the Foundation.