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UNIVERSITY
PENNSYLVANIA
School of Arts and Sciences
Penn Program for Public SerVice (PPPS)
WEPIC Replication Project
3440 Market Street, Suite 440
Philadelphia, PA 19104·3325
Tel. (215) 898-0240
Fax: (215) 573-2096
. August 7, 2000
Mr. Randy Quezada
Domestic Policy Council
The White House
Room 217
Old Executive Office Building
Washington/ DC 20502
Dear Randy: .
It was a pleasure,!p speak with youpn Friday. I have attached various materials
that I thought would be of interest to"You. We have not had a formal assessment of our
school-based work/ so the information I have is more general.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely/
.Q~
''4nn Weeks
a;sociate Director
.
Center for Community Partnerships & PPPS
Director
WEPIC Replication Project
�Raising Reading Levels in Inner City Schools: A Summary
of the Progress of University of Pennsylvania's
America Reads Tutors Implementing
the Individualized Reading Program
by
William Labov
Principal Investigator
labov@central.cis.upenn.edu
University of Pennsylvania
Linguistics Laboratory
3550 Market St:, Suite 250
Philadelphia, P A 19104
Bettina Baker
.Project Director
. bbaker@dolphin.upenn.edu
�The African American Literacy and Culture Research Project, under the direction of William
Labov and Bettina Baker, located at the University of Pennsylvania, carries out reading research in the
Philadelphia community. The project is linked with the America Reads federal work study program at
Penn. Over 100 Penn tutors work each semester during the day and after school in elementary schools
in West Philadelphia. Fifty of these tutors work one on one with struggling readers in grades 2 through 5
in two after school programs using the Individualized Reading Program, developed by Labovand Baker.
The work of Baker and Labov's research is focused on the question of how knowledge of the language .
and culture of children in the inner city can be applied to improve the reading and writing of standard
English. For a number of years, they have been working in the elementary schools of West Philadelphia
towards that end. In the first year of the project, they analyzed the reading errors of children in the 2nd to
51h grades, developed methods of instruction to correct those errors, and carried out pilot projects to test
the effectiveness of those methods.
ANALYSIS OF READING ERRORS
A database of reading errors was compiled, with the help of student tutors in our service
learning courses. These errors were noted as 2nd , 3rd and 4th grade children attempted to read the range of
books that we~e routinely available in the classroom. Each error was analyzed for which part of the word
structure was misread: the initial consonant or consonants, the vowel or vowel combinations, the set of
consonants that follow the vowel, or the grammatical endings at the end.
Figure 1 displays their initial analysis of these reading errors. The input data are 453 reading
errors of children in the "Woodrow" School in West Philadelphia. The diagram first confirms the
conclusion of earlier work in Harlem. Despite the fact that all of these children are one to two years
behind in reading levels, their problem does not lie in the recognition of individual letters or their
alphabetic value (Labov et a11968). The number of errors that occur with initial single consonants is
quite small-less than 3%. But whenever that single consonant is replaced by a digraph-as in chat-or
a consonant cluster-as in stop or strap-the percent of errors rises precipitously. The same pattern
repeats for the vowel nucleus of the word. Errors for a simple vowel are moderate, less than 30%, but
when the nucleus is a pair of letters, as in pain, the error rate for the vowel nucleus is double or more. A
similar pattern appears for the coda-the consonants at the end of the syllable--and the addition of
grammatical suffixes -s, -ed and -ing. The pattern shown in Figure 1 analyzing 453 reading errors is
replicated in all of their studies to date.
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Figure 1. Distribution of 453 reading errors by word and syllable structure for children in grades 2 to 5
in the "Woodrow" School who are 1-2 years behind in reading grade level.
THE INDIVIDUALIZED READING PROGRAM
The instructional materials used in the Individualized Reading Program consist of The
Individualized Reading Manual: A Textfor Tutors and Children (Labov and Baker (1999), the RX
Diagnostic computer program, and a Tutorial for Tutors
In the Individualized Reading Program, an individualized program of instruction for each child is
determined in the first session between tutor and subject. The subject is asked to read a diagnostic story
including specific numbers of sound to letter correspondences, which is then analyzed bya computer
program entitled the RX Program, in order to obtain aD. the child's accurate decoding profile. The
sequence of instruction is then based on the profile of each child's reading abilities. Two children with
identical SAT-9 scores or reading grade levels may show radically different reading profiles: some
children who have difficulty with long and short vowel sounds show good performance on final
consonant clusters, while other children show the reverse pattern. Therefore, the planned program of
individualized instruction would vary for each of these children, although their SAT-9 scores or reading
grade levels may be identical.
Instruction is delivered through the Individualized Reading Manual [IRM]. The manual begins with
a diagnostic reading that includes 5 to 15 instances of each of the orthographic structures that produce
the increased error rates of Figure 1. Reading errors in this passage are entered into a computer routine
specific to the program that analyzes the orthographic structure of each error, and reports the percentage
of errors for each structure.
RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY
The Individualized Reading Manual (IRM) and the RX analysis program have been used in
extended day and summer programs with Penn America Reads work study tutors in two West
Philadelphia schools starting in September 1998. The summer program of 1999 involved children from
five schools in the district who were mandated by the Philadelphia Board of Education to enroll in
summer school after failing 3rd or 4th grade. the great majority of children in the program were African
American. The summer program involved only 21 half-hour units of instruction, and involved the use of
�a quarter to a third of the sections of the IRM. Figure 2 shows the effect of instruction on the over-all
rate of reading errors at the "Davis" SchooL
The mean error rate dropped from 28.5% to 15.3% in the posttest (p < .0001). All but four
students showed impro'vement, and those with the highest initial error rates showed the greatest
improvement. Figure 3 shows comparable results for single final consonants, which wa~ the topic most
consistently taught in this summer program. Though error rates were much lower to begin with,
improvement was even more consistent and mean error rates dropped from 10.1 to 4.8% (p < .00001).
On the other hand, topics that were not taught in the summer program showed only marginal
improvement. The mean error rate for irregular vowel pairs dropped from 22.5% to 17.5% (p < .05).
Results ofwork done so far involving the implementation of the Individualized Reading Manual
by Penn America Reads students are encouraging. They indicate that the Individualized Reading
Program was effective in its primary goal of improving decoding skills. In its initial stages, the program
succeeded in bringing 85 percent of thirty-three children up to Basic or Proficient levels in SAT-9
reading scores who were enrolled in an extended day program in the "Davis" Elementary School during
the 1998-1999 school year. In the summer program, results indicate that the decoding skills. that were
taught were learned at a statistically significant level, and those that were not taught were not acquired at
the same rate. Acceptance of the method in the public school system was at a high leveL On October 2,
1999, it was announced that the "Davis" School had the highest degree of improvement in reading scores
of any school in the state of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/2/99), and the school's principal
and teachers who worked in the extended day program acknowledged that this program was a major
contributor to this result.
�.
"
.
Currently, the Individualized Reading Program is being used with 60 children in 2 Philadelphia
elementary school after school programs, and will be implemented with an additional 40 children
deemed at risk of failure in a Philadelphia summer school program. Results of this cycle of research
will be published in September, 2000.
Figure 2. Effect of inst~ciion on over-all rate
Figure 3. Pre-and post-test errors for single
of reading errors in Davis summer program. . final consonants in "Davis" summer
program. Dashed line: regression of postDashed line: regression of post-test
on pre-test.
test on pre-test.
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Referemces
Labov, William & Bettina Baker (1999). The Individualized Reading Manual: A Text for Tutors and
Children. Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Linguistics Laboratory.
Labov, William, P. Cohen, C. Robins and J. Lewis (1968). A study of the non-standard
English of Negro and Puerto Rican Speakers in New York City. Cooperative Research
Report 3288. Vols I and n. Philadelphia: U.S. Regional Survey (University of Pennsylvania
Linguistics Laboratory.)
�-'
University of Pennsylvania's America Reads Partnership with Drew Elementary
and W!lson Elementary Schools, Philadelphia, PA
I
The collaborative Wilson Elementary School and Drew Elementary School school day and
extended day literacy promotion activities are examples of university student initiated, community
school managed and supported programs. They are coordinated by Bettina Baker, a doctoral
candidate in Penn's Graduate School of Education, collaboratively designed with each school's
principal and teachers, and link the resources of the elementary schools, local high schools, Penn's
America Reads Workstudy program, and Penn's Linguistics department, including the work of
Bill Labov and his four academically-based community service courses.
Initiated by Penn undergraduates as a way to address local afterschool programming needs,
this program is now linked to Labov and Baker's research in collaboration with California State
University Hayward and the Oakland School Board, funded by OERI. The design of this research
on the improvement of reading skills was informed by Labov's two-year membership in the
National Research Council Committee on the Preventing of Reading Difficulties in Young
Cl1ildren, whose report was published in 1988. The Penn component of the research is aimed at
the problem that none of the instructional methods developed so far have materially reduced the
differential between mainstream and minority achievement in reading. The Penn component uses
knowledge of the cultural and linguistic characteristics of African American children to reduce the
conflict between the children's home culture and the instructional program of the schools. The
program begins with a standard assessment of the children's reading skills combined with a
linguistic analysis of decoding errors to define the cognitive problems involved in the learning of
sound-to-Ietter correspondences. Texts and instructional materials are then prepared within a
cultural framework that is strongly motivating for African American children. Phonemic
awareness is developed and tested through reading of texts, rather than isolated words, as an
effective way of realizing the NRC's committee's recommendation that insights of both phonics
and whole word approaches be integrated. Instructional materials are designed for individual
tutors and as computer governed programs developed with Macro Media's Authorware, to provide
elf-administered instruction and integration of text, graphics and sound for those schools that have
adequate computer facilities. Instructional manuals for teachers will be provided to make teachers
fully conversant with the linguistic features that are the basis of the African American English
(AAE) set of programs. The effectiveness of the AAE-oriented instructional Il!aterials will be
tested against control groups in extended school day literacy tutoring programs in Philadelphia and
in Oakland, California with approximately 160 randomly selected students and matched control
groups.
The Wilson Elementary and Drew Elementary Extended Day Programs
The 1998-1999 academic year extended day programs enroll· a total of 80 elementary
students in grades 2 through 5. Students and their parents are offered to participate in the program
based upon being one or two years behind grade level in reading as determined by Jerry Jons
Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) testing.
The extended day programs run four days a week, Monday through Thursday, 3:00 to 4:30
p.m., with 81 instructional meetings.per school year. The two programs are staffed by 50 Penn
America Reads work study students and 12 volunteers, 16 school-to-work and service learning
students from'West Philadelphia and University City High Schools, and nine elementary school
teachers. Staff work at one particular school throughout the program. Typically, one tutor works
with three tutees. Activities include literacy tutoring, help with homework; and literacy-based
enrichment activities.
�Recreational components and field trips run during the last half hour of programming two
days per week, and on occasional Saturdays. Recreation inCludes an organized intra and
intermural soccer league, visual arts projects, and modern dance. We expect to extend the
recreational component to 5pm at least one day per week in the near future.
The Wilson Elementary and Drew Elementary School Day Programs
Penn America Reads workstudy students are placed with every classroom teacher, grades
pre-k through 8, at both schools at least once per week in order to help lower the student-teacher
ratios during literacy instruction. This is 32 classrooms and 44 work study students.
This school day component is an important vehicle for linking lessons learned in the
extended day program to the curriculum of the school day.
Note: Many of the school day workstudy students also work in the extended day program;
there are a total of 70 workstudy and 12 volunteers in both schools. America Reads workstudy
tutors work at the schools approximately eight hours per week; America Reads volunteer tutors
work approximately 2 hours per week.
Needs Addressed
The programs were designed to provide: 1) the promotion of literacy, tutoring, and greater
academic achievement for children whose. test scores and reading levels are behind the national
average; 2) experience for high school students working with children and in education careers
through a school-to-work program, expanding opportunities for these students to obtain jobs or
entrance to and funding for higher education programs; 3) incentives for high school students to
stay in school and stimulate creation of education careers programs in the high schools; 4)
academic success and trust in the school environment for children of all ages in West Philadelphia
by providing safe, alternative, educationally-based activities through an extended day school
program utilizing elementary and high school students; 5) no-cost, safe, quality extended day care
for children of low-income working parents and parents who are forced to work or into job
training programs due to changes in welfare legislation, children who otherwise would have no
alternative but to become "latch-key children;" 6) practicum experience for early childhood and
elementary education majors, and experience working with children for Penn students from a
variety of academic disciplines; 7) intergenerationallearning experiences involving senior citizen
volunteers from the West Philadelphia community [to be added this year]; 8) new, collaborative
education partnerships with community service organizations in West Philadelphia that will serve
additional children in the neighborhood [new partnerships stimulated by this program are serving
an additional 60 children in literacy programs at three other sites].
Academically-based Community Service
This year Dr. William Labov, Penn Linguistics Professor and member of the National
Academy of Science, is focusing the work of his students in four of his linguistics classes
(undergraduate and graduate) in support of the project, including the analysis of reading errors of
inner city students, the development of texts for the collaborative reading research project with Cal
State Hayward and the Oakland School Board, the testing of reading motivation of students, and
the tutoring of students in the Wilson and Drew school day and extended day programs.
This approach to teaching linguistics is adding to the Penn students' knowledge of
linguistics, the quantity and quality of the research, data collection and data analysis on the project,
the development of the instructional materials, unleashing the creative talents of university students
to solve a real, pressing problem in the local community, and it is providing needed assistance to
teachers and students in the local schools.
Page 2
�Penn's America Reads Tutor Training Model
Part of the materials incorporated in Penn's tutor training model are based on the analysis
of reading errors of inner city children (Labov and Baker, 1998). The fIrst and most important
finding of this analysis is .that the 3rd and 4th grade readers studied, who are one or two years
behind in reading level, do not have any problems with letter recognition or with the basic
functioning of the alphabet. Their accuracy in identifying the fIrst consonant in a word is very high:
at least 96%. They extend this ability to a single consonant at the end of the fIrst syllable, where
they show almost 80% accuracy. Their ability to identify the first vowel is also good, though not
as good as for consonants; this is understandable, since none of the vowels have as regular a
sound correspondence as the consonants do. Their reading errors are concentrated in the more
complex spellings that differentiate long and short vowels, and in the recognition of consonant
clusters before and after the vowel nucleus. Therefore, the tutors are trained to understand these
phenomena and to concentrate on the errors the majority of this population of students makes,
including review of the silent e nile, and CVVC, CVCC combinations.
In practice, Penn's tutor training model includes a series of intensive workshops for all
incoming tutors in the program. These sessions are followed with regularly scheduled, mandatory
training and discussion sessions every week throughout the program. Topics covered during these
workshop sessions include: 1) Goals of Tutoring; 2) History of the Reading Problem; 3) Phonics
and Whole Word Approaches; 4) Decoding and Comprehension; 5) The Alphabet: Session I; 6)
The Alphabet: Session II; 7) How to Collect Data on Reading Errors; 8) Keeping Tutoring
Journals: Opportunities for Research and Reflection; 9) Reflective Discussion of Tutoring
Experiences (multiple sessions); 10) Selecting and Implementing Reading Research Projects; 11)
What you Should Know About African American Kids; 12) The Culture of the School; 13) Review
of Reading Research (multiple sessions); 14) Optimal Tutoring Techniques; 15) Behavior and
Classroom ManagementTechniques; and 16) Emergent Literacy: Theory and Practices. More
sessions are being developed and implemented. In addition, all tutors will be directed to an
America Reads tutor training web page being planned and developed in collaboration with Penn's
National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) for obtaining more literacy tutoring information.
Especially important to the process of tutoring is the provision of opportunities for
reflective discussion and follow up on problems and suggestions presented by tutors and members
of the community organizations they serve. Each weekly training session will designate a
percentage of its time to this purpose.
A key role of the tutors, for which they receive extensive training and support, is the
collection of reading errors. This data is analyzed by Dr. Labov and his students and incorporated
into their development of instructional materials to be tested in the program. •
Evaluation of Literacy Rates of Elementary School Participants in the Program's
Spring 1998 Activities
This program assessed the pre- and post-intervention Jerry Jons Informal Reading
Inventory (IRI) scores of 40 randomly selected subjects and a matched control group. The
subjects were in grades 2 through 5, and were one to two years behind in reading grade level
before participating in an extended day program in a West Philadelphia elementary school (Wilson)
staffed by Penn work study and volunteer America Reads students, high school students, and
school staff members, resulting in a 1:3 tutor-student ratio. All of the 40 subjeCts' IRI scores
increased by one grade level after 3.5 month's enrollment in the program, which met 4 days per
week for 1.5 hours per day. 33 of the 40 subjects were caught up to their classroom .reading grade
level (approximately 2 grade reading levels). Three of the seven subjects who were not caught up
to their grade levels were recently from Ethiopia (ESL students), and one was in a learning support
Page 3
�(IEP) program. There was a statistically significant increase in average IRI reading scores of
special education participants. The 4th grade participants had statistically significant gains in SAT
9 reading scores. The students' average SAT-9 achievement test scores increased from "below
basic" to "basic" levels on the test.
(Documentation of this information is in progress: Baker, Bettina (1998). Effects of a
University-Assisted, Community School-Based Extended Day Program on the Literacy
Acquisition Rates of Inner City Children.)
Monitoring of Tutors and Evaluation of Literacy Rates for Academic Year 1998
1999 program
An evaluation for the extended day program's impact upon the literacy of the elementary
school students is being done in both schools similar in design to the one done in spring 1998 at
Wilson Elementary.
Monitoring and evaluation of tutors includes monthly written evaluations based on
interviews of school staff, interviews of the America Reads tutors, and observation of tutors.
Records on tutors' training sessions, attendance, their times and activities spent with
elementary student and collection of elementary student's reading errors are kept in a database and
reviewed regularly. Tutor feedback sessions are recorded and transcribed in order to analyze the
impact of their on-site experiences, on themselves and on the community organization they serve.
An instrument to measure reading motivation in students is being developed and will be
used to assess new instructional materials created to aid their literary achievement.rates.
.
A report of these analyses will be completed in late spring 1999.
Revised 11/10/98
Page 4
I
�Turner Middle School
59th Street and Baltimore Avenue
Grades 6-8
900+ students
84 percent of pupils from low income families
99 percent of pupils are African-American
1992/93
93/94
94/95
. 95/96
96/97
86.4 %
86.5%·
87.2%
89.3%
89.3%
1992/93
93/94
94/95
95/96
96/97
53%
58%
65%
69%
75%
1992/93
93/94
94/95
95/96
96/97
302
252
226
124
102 ,
1992/93
93/94
94/95
95/96
96/97
23
31
37
62
64
1992/93
93/94
94/95
95/96(~ay)
96/97
78%
79%
79.5%
Not Available
81%
1992/93
93/94
94/95
95/96 .
96/97
4
12
18
19
19
�Shaw Middle School
54th -Street and Warrington Avenue
Grades 5-8 .
800+ students
85 percent of pupils from low income families
98 percent of pupils are African-American
94/95
95/96
96-97
85.13%
85.41 %
88.98%
94/95
95/96
96-97
16.0%
85.4%
94/95
95/96
96/97
1,000-1,200
353
176
Reading Proficiency: percent reading at or above grade level:
Grade 5
33%
63%
30%
Grade 6
39%
57%
18%
Grade 7
11%
28%
17%
Grade 8
32%
- 51%
19%
Failure Rates for Major Subjects:
English:
Grade 5
9.5%
1st report period 95-96
3rd report period 95-96
8.9%
+0.6%
% Change
Grade 6
19.0%
4.0%
+15.0%
Grade 7
21.7%
14.7%
+7.0%
Grade 8
10.8%
11.1%
-0.4%
1st report period 95-96
3rd report period 95-96
% Improvement
��.
..
University City High School
36th and Filbert Streets
Grades 9-12
2000+ students
86 percent of pupils from low income families
92 percent of pupils are African-American '
In the last three years, UCHS has experienced a dramatic turnaround. An
indicator of this turnaround is the nearly doubled graduation numbers--185
in 1995, 240 in 1996, and 320 in 1997.
�'.
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. February 2000.
Center forCoJ?1munHy Partn~rships'
.>.,1' . '
,•University of .Pennsylvan~a
'I"
Founded in 1992, the Center for Community P~rmerships is Penn's primary vehicle
for' bringing to 'bear the broad range of human knowledge needed, to solve the:
complex, comprehensive, andinterconnecte~problerris of the American city so that
. West Philadelphia .. (Penn's local" geographic community), Philadelphia,' the'
University 'itself, and society benefit. The C~nter i~ baseq on thre~ c~re prppositions: .
1. Penn's future
and the'
.int~rtwined.
futur~
.
.
of West Philadelphia/Philadelphia
'
are
. .','
'2. Penn can' make a significant contribution to impr~vingthe quality of life in
West Philadelpl)ia/Philacielphia. : '
.
3. Penn can enhance. its overall mission' ,of advancing and transmJtting
'. knowledge by helping to' impr,ove 'th~. qualify of life in ,.. West
Philadelphia/Philad~lph.ia.
, . The Center, a university-wide initiative, is an outgro,wth oLthe Penn rrogram 'for:
Pl,lblic Ser,vice, whi~h was created in 1989 to ~eplace and expand the Office of
Community-Oriented Policy Studies in the Schoo!·. of Arts and Sciences. The·
.Center's director; Ira Harkavy~ reports to the Office' of the Vic'e President for
Government, Community and Public Affairs and to the Provo~t.· The· Center works
,to achieve the following objectives:
" ,,"
...
,. Improve ,the· internal coordination and collab6ratior:t of,all.. university-wide
community service programs
• .Create new and' effective partnerships betw.een 'the University .and the
C;0Plmunity
• Encourage new and creative initiatives linking Penn and the co~munity
• Strengthen local and national 'networks of institutions of higher education'
committed to engagement with their ~ocal communities;, .
. ,Through the C~nter, the Universitycurrehtly engages in three types of activities:
" a~adetnically'based community service, direct traditional service, and community,
development. Acad~mically based community service is at the core of the Center's,
work.' It is service' rooted m and intrinsically linked to teaching arid/or' research,'
'and encompasses problem-oriented research and teaching,as . well as service,
�:
"
""
,
I,,'
I'.,
"'1'
'learning emphasizi11g student a~d fa~ulty reflection on the~ service 'expe~ience. Over:
ninety-f~ve courses (from a wide range 6f.disciplines and Penn schools) link Penn"
students, to work in thec6inmunity'~', (A steady, increase : in, the: number, of
, academically based community seryice has, occurred sinc~, 1992 when, only eleven,
such ~ourses w~re o f f e r e d . ) '
,
,
.'
,I.
I',
Much ofthe Center's work has focused on the public school as the~ducational and
neighborhood institution that can, if effectively transfQrmed, ,serve as the concrete
vehicle of community change and innovation. r,he Center has helped to create "
university-assisted community schools, that function as centers oied ll cation"
serVices, engagement and a~tivity for students, their parents, and other community,
members within' a' spec'ified geographiC area. With' its community and.. school
collaborators, the Center' has developed significantserviee-Ieariling programs that
engage' young people in <;:reative work designed to' advanse, skills and ' abilities
, through service; to their school, farriliesan~ community. Penn' students, and 'faculty"
are' also engaged in, service lea~ning thatreqtiirel? the development' alld applica~ion,
,of kno'Wledge' to solve, problems' as ,well, as active and serious reflection on the,
".service experience and Its ll:!tpacts.'
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The mediating structure for on-site delivery of academ,icresources is the West
" Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC)" a school-based schoof and community' ,
revitalization program f~unded i~ 1985. WEPIC's goal,is to produce comprehensiye ,
university-:assisted community schools th~t serve, ed.uca~e, and"activate all members,
of, the commUJ:i.itY, 'revitalizing the curriculum through a community.:.oriented,'
real:.world problem-solvirig" approach. ,VYEPIC is coord mated 'by the West'
Philadelphia 'Partnership, ,a,' community-based, organization composed, of
,institutions (induding Penn); ,neighborhood Qrganizations, and community leaders, '
in conj~.mction with the School' Distri~tof Philadelphia., 'While thirteen public
schools in' West' Philadelphia participate.in WEPIC,the most intensive work is
,occurring in 'six of these schools, (one elementary,'three middle, and 'two high
schools). Penn'students support all aspectl? of the WEPIC program by assisting in its
evening and weekend, 'ext~nded-day, and, school~day.programs .
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The Center's work.is suppo~~ed, in various ways: University support,; grant support,
,and endowment .funds. The following 'highlights key Center programs that support
the,work in West Philadelpnia; especially in the public schools.' ',' ',,'" ,
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Penn VIPS (Volunteers'in Public Service)
, Penn VIPS develops, implements and coordinates th~volunteer efforts ofPenn
Jaculty, staff and alumni. I! aims to centralizethe ,volu l1 teer' Cictivities performed
by the.'Penn community. Penn VIPS has been effective in i,ts'useo£' a "Volunteer
Opportuni(y" list that is publlshed- each month and members of the Penn
community select activities' in which they want to become involved. :
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The listing is varied ~nd 'as a result ifmaking, the opportunities ava'ilable" there
,has~een a :rr,tajor inqease in th~ number of volunteers. Activit~es include, but
'are' not limited' to a variety of mentoring pr~grams," building playgroun<;ls,
partiCipating in a scholarship'program to benefit high school"students headed to
college, supervising studentsdomg community seryice,' providing toys, foodi.
books, 'school supplies through .various c:irives and teaching at several
community schools.- .
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. A major foeusof Penn VIPS, is the 'Wor~place Menforing' Program. Each year
the Penn Workplace Mentorirtg Program' invites. 8th ' gra,ders from, 'now three,,'
West Philadelphia public ,?1iddle schools to ,participate.in .amerttodng .program..
The program has been in existence for 5 years. Teacher!:l'r~port tha,t children in
the program improve ,their' behavior· and display a deeper respect for their
academics. Students tend to improve their perception '. of what an 'education
means for them and display a greater iIiterestinattendi~g college. ;
'Publi~ Se~vic~
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Summer Internship
Pr~graIl1,
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The Public Service 'Internship Program is a 12:-week multifaceted summ'er .
program that engages undergraduates in a seminar with the Center director:," .
'~Action' Seminar,.in Faculty-Student Collaborative Learning· and ..Research:
Toward Overcoming the 'Savage'" Inequalities' within' America's. Schooling
System; What Should Urban'Universities, Public Schools and Communities Do?'
Penn-West, Philadelphia as an Experiment in 'Progress." 'Additionally, the
students work 'as assistantteachers"helping to develop and teach a community:",
focused, problE7m solving curriculuIp to middle.school students at one o~ several
Summer Institut~s in West Philadelphia public schoqls .
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Cluster, Resource' Boards
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In June'1998, .the University of Penns'Ylvania,elected"to.serve as Lead Partner for:
two Cluster Resource Boards, 'fo'r the University ,City and West Philadelphia,
clusters. President Judith Rodin named Ira' Harkavy, Director of the Center, and
Susan Fuhrman, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, as 'Co-Chairs for
these bpards. In September 1998, Josephine Robles was. hired as the full-time:,
Coordinator for these boards. On Novemper 23,1998, th~ first 'meeting ,q£ the
. University City and West ,Philadelphi~ Cluster Res()urce Boards \Vas held tq kick.. , .
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off the initIative; "
The focus. of the CIl,lster Resource Boar~s is' four-fold:
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Professional. Devel9pinent·
Curriculum' Development
School-to,,:,Career Opportunities.
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Expanded Services to Children, and t~eir Families
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'A Cluster Resource Board is an initiative developed fro:rntheSchciol District of "
Philadelphia Children Achieving Program: The School District' is divided into 22"
Clusters, consisting of one high school "and 10-.12 feeder schools, whi~h.are·
headed by 'a Cluster Leader. ':, The Clust,er Resource Boards are collaborations·
among· the Cluster, a Lead ParfI:ler; local businesses,. community. and civic
, ,associations, and Cluster I School Staff. The mission of the$e resource boards is to,.
coordinate, leverage, and advocate for'the needed services and supports that ,will
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• .Program in ,Nonprofits, 'Universities, Communities 'and Schools (PNUCS);,
,Supporte~ by the W~K. Kellogg Foundation
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PNUCS develops 'academically based community servke to'improve theory ~nd:
practice in the nonprofit field. The program activities engage the community in
active, full participation ,at ,all stages and incorporate. joint problem 'solving. '
Faculty. members from five of Penn's schools ha:veagreed to take·a leadership'
role in developing the program within th,eir schools.
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The key project activities'include: (1) community: asset mapping project; (2)
restructuring current courses and development of three new academicallybasec:i
community service ,courses eachyearto support the initiative'; (3) dev~lopmenf,
of two new programs in' the, School of Social Work, including a certificate
program in' nonprofit management' and an interdisciplinary Mastersprognlm in
'Community-based ,Nonprofit Administrati6n.(4) technical assistance from
Perm VIPS (Volunteers in Public Servic~) and Penn faculty teams, particularly',
from Sodal :Work ~nd ~ity PlanniI"lS' to small West Philadelphia :nonprofits to.
address short-term needs (grant writing, computer training), and longer-ter~:
needs on issues ofpublicpolicy and program development; '(5) development of a
public school based youth leadership. development program to foster the next
generation of community leaders for West Philadelphia; and (6)' creation by the
Graduate School
Education of classes for· West Philadelphia teachers and:
administrators on issues of effective ,engagement with the community and year.. ,
,round'support activities for these teachers and, administrators. A community
advisory board guides,the program and helps define needs.,
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• Program in Universities, 'Communities of Faith, Schools and Neighborhood
Organizations. Supported by the Jessie Ball duPonfFund.'
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The Program in Universities, Communities
Faith, Schools and Neighborhood
Organizations brings the Penn community into dialogue. with religious leac;lers
of all fait~s in West Philadelphia together with the lej;\ders of West, Philadelphia'
schools' and neighborhood organizations. Through, this dialogue" program'
leaders seek to break down long-standing barriers'. The program will also draw'
these groups into jointly determined and mutually beneficial action· that'
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address~s~ommunity. needs. Other relat~,d activities include the ,qevelopment. of
new Penn courses that will engage Penn faculty and students in .the work of the .
Program. . Project leaders will have, the opportunity to visit other programs
. across the country that are engaged in similar' di'alogue and action. Penn will'
· also host several conferences on these issues~
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• .Community Arts Pa,rtners~ip .(CAP). Supported by.the Rockefeller Fouridatibi1.
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. Th~ . Community Arts Partnership. (CAP). CAP advances '. acadefnicaJly. ba~ed
community service by Penn humanities faculty and students incolliiboration '..
'. with West rhiladelphia community:-based organizations .and' cQmmunity artists,"
t9 createan~expand community arts programs at five West PhiladelphiapubIlc
schools.
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CAP represents a broadening of facultye~gagement in theCenter'scommunity~
based ,efforts, dt>epening the engi!gement of,Theater Ar~s and Fine Arts.faculty. A
mo~thlyseries of Community Arts' 'FQrums .:,wiIJ expcmd further ,the,
involvement ,of, faculty, graduate students imd staff pS well as commu,.,nity .artists
· and community leaders." In' addition.to strengthening· academically based,
, ,community service at Penn, the CAP will be a keyvehicle for capacity building:
. among the array of artsorganizations in West "Philadelphia. Worldng' through
the West Philadelphia Partnership and the West Philadelphia C;ultural Alliance,.
; consortiums that serve a 'mediating function for theircot:lstituent groups, CAP .
will provide· opportunities for local artists to' participate'in arts resiqendes at'
local schools. CAP will also offer. training opportunities f9r local artists and.
· commun~ty leaders through a course developed by the· project director, Billy
Yalowi,tz, on the theory and practice of community arts.' Most important, the
CAPprbgram' will assist five .local sc:hools to develop quality art~ programs that',
.aresorelY'lacking in> these resource-poot schools .. '
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• .~ommunity Otitrea~h Partnership. Center.. S~pportedby the .0s.. Department of.
Housing and lJrbanDevelopment, Offi~e of Univers~ty Par~erships.. .
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The HUD-funded Community' Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) at' the':
University of Pennsylvania involv~s a,collaborqtion a'mong 'faculty, staff, .and"
students from Penn's School of Arts and, Sciences, Graduate School of Education, ..
Graduate School of Fine Arts, School of Social Work/'the' Wharton School, and
Penn'sMorri~' Arboretum. : Coordinated by the'Center/this interdisciplinary
team, is working ,in partnership with'PeI)l1's community in West'Philaqelphia, i·
particularly in the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone.. Penn's COPC.is
addressing issues defined by the. its. Comrrtunity ,Advisory: (1) minority
entrepreneurship, .(2) infrastructure issues such "as brownfields and urban.·.·
flooding, (3) education and job training for school age youth. as well as' adults, (4)
access ~o information about West Philadelphia, (5) use of technology to' develop
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'further community~initiated prograr,ns, and (6) ," capaCity" building of local
,nonprofits and community development corporations.',
• Access Science., Supported by the National 'Science Foundation
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"The D~partments of' Mathematics, Physics, Chem~str.y" and Biology . in'
conjunction with .the Center were awarded a grant to;place. 10 ~ndergraduate" and
10 graduate students in local schools to help implement,' hands-on science
activiH~s. Their, w~rk is l~nked where possNle to' the "Graduate, School of'
Education student teacher ,program, thus having an impact on both in~.service '
'and pre-service professional development- in'actiye science learning. $1.5M over
three years (renewable annually.) "
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• ..WEPIC Replication Project. Suppqrted by the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's, Digest
'Fund (the' Fund) 'and ,the Corpqration for: NationaISer~ice--Leam and Serve K..
'.12 (CNS). As of Janua'ry 2000"additional support is being provided by the, Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation.
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Significant national interest in Penn's university-assisted community· school
model resulted in s'.lpportfor a national replic!ltion of the model. In late fall:
1994, with 'DeWittWallace-Reade(s Digest Fund. (the ,Fund,) support, three.,
universities, University of Kentucky-~exington nJ,I<),lJn~versity of Alabama at,
Birmingham (UAB), and Miami University (work in Cincinnati) were funded,
for three years to' develop' WEPIC -:type programs. 'R~newed funding from 'the'
Fund as well as new support from the Corporation for National 'Service allowed
the selection of seven new adaptation.'sites:,in Spring 1998. The Fund's support is
developing three. new adaptation site~, namely, Clark Atlanta University,'
University of New Mexico at Albuque,rque, and Communi~y ,College of Aurora
(Colorado) as well as providing continued funding to UK arid UAB. The grant
fr9m the, Corporation for National Service-Learn and Serve America K-12 is
developing replication ,sites at Bates' Col~ege, \]niversity of Dayton, and the
University ofRho~e Island.. Additionally, the Fund and the Corporation jointly
,s.upport replication activities at the University of Denver. The C,orporation '
funded sites will develop K..:12 service-learning programs with the assistance 'of a I
university partner, and other community' organizations. Project staff prov.ide,
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technical assistance to the adaptation sites.'
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.The· WEPle ,Replication'"Project hosts yearly national;,conferences' on
university/school!community, collaboration and, publishes:, a, journal,
Univers'ities ' ~ndCommuni~y, Scho~ls. :',': '
• Training 'and Technical Assistance Progra~. Supp~>:rted by the Charles Stewart ,
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Mott Foundation
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Beginning iIi January2000, the, Charle; StewartiMott Fdundation is supporting
the Center and its WEPIC Replication, Project for development' of a training and'
technical assistance program on the university-assisted community, "school
model. Training will be provided in conjunction with the National Center for
Community Education,' Flint" MI:',' The program will train eight
, university/community/school" teams' each ,'y~ar' ,on :the model and Pfovide,
, ongoing:' technical assist"nc~.
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• Link to Learn, Pennsylvania Department of Higher Education and School District,
, of Philadelphia Technology Challenge Grant (US Department of Education) " . '"
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, Through the" WEPIC program, ,Penn is' collaborating with West Philadelphia
public schoo~s, to' maxit;tlizethe use' of, technology to improve education,
, outcomes' for children in' grades K-12 through real-world, action.:.oriented
projects. Penn students and staff provide teachers and students involved in this '
initiative.
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• 'PHENND ConsortiUJ;n., 'Supported' by the Corporat'ion
Service-Learn and Serve Ameriea:' Higher Education
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for, National
The Philadelphia Higher Educational Network for Neighborhood Development
(PHENND) was formed' in 198,8 to encourage area universities and, colleges to"
engage' their faculty and, students in projects in their ,local communities.
Currently 28 institutions are members. Among the prio-r PHENND programs
, are: Summer of Service (1993); a children's' health outreach and immunization
program, and the Pennsylvania Service Scholars, a camp lIs-based AmeriCorps
program. Key program activities' for the Learn and Serve, grant inchide: course
development grants to support, academically based community ,service in the'"
, Philadelphia" region, ,g!ants for' community-initiated projects, ,technical' ,
" , assistance, seminars for faculty 'and students,' and a regional conference.
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• Pennsylvania Service LearningAl1iance~ Supported by the Pennsylvania State
Department of Education
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,The mission, of the Pennsylvan'ia Service Learning Alliance is' to establish service
learning as a' teaching methodology and, community" change' tool across the
Commonwealth of PennsylvanIa. The PSLA has thr~ regional' centers: The
'University of Pennsylvania, The University. of Pit~sburgh and the Scranton Boys
and Girls Club. Each regional center has strong partnerships established with
:, community-based agencies; school districts ,arid' higher education institutions.
The Pennsylvania Service'Learning Allia.nce provides, service::learning .training ,
and technical assistance through regional wqrkshops, state-wide conferences,
interest area focus groups" Peer Consultants, newsletters, a" web-site, special
initiatives,servi'ce fairs and curriculum deyelopment.
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• International Consortium on. Higher Education, Civic. Responsibility, and
Democracy, in conjunction with the Committee of Higher: Education. and .
Research of the Council. of Europe. Pilot phase' 'supported by the National"
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Science ,Foundation'. ':
The International' Consortium on Higher Education is foc~sed, on the actual'
activities of institutions of higher education that support democratic values' and .
practices': an assessment",oftheir capabilities 'a~d dispo'sitions to. promote
democratic political developIl1eht; and recommendations 'and dissem;ination of
reso,urces to improve, the contribution ,of higher ,education to;democracy on the'
campus, to the local cOD).munity, anci the soc;iety.
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Ira Harkavy, Ph.D.'
Associate Vice President
Director
Center for Conimunity Partner~hips '
University of Pennsylvania' '
133 South 36th Street, Suite 519
Philadelphia, PA 19104~3246'
(215) 898-5351
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w\'vw.upenn;edu/ccp
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�WEST PIDLADELPHIA IMPROVEMENT CORPS (WEPIC)
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WEPIC originated in the spring of 1985 from an honors history seminar entitled "Urban·' Universities
Community Relationships: Penn-West Philadelphia, Past, Present and FutUre, as a Case Study," Each student
focused his or her research on a problem in the West Philadelphia community. Four students studied the
issue of youth unemployment, and their research resulted in a proposal to create a better and less' expensive
youth corps-a youth corps that would utilize existing agencies and resources.
WEPIC is now a year-round program that involves approximately 7,000 children, their parents, and
community members in educational and cultural programs, recreation, job training,' community
improvement, and service activities. WEPIC seeks to create comprehensive, university-assisted community
schools that are the social, service delivery, and educational hubs for the entire community. Ultimately,
WEPIC intends to help develop schools that are open 24 hours a day and function as the core building of
the community.
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WEPIC is coordinated by the West Philadelphia Partnership-a mediating, non-profit community-based
organization composed of institutions (including Penn), neighborhood organizations, and community
leaders-in conjunction with the School District of Philadelphia. Other WEPIC partners include community
groups, communities of faith, unions, job training agencies, and city, state and federal agencies and
departments.
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WEPIC supports evening and weekend, extended-day, and school-day programs. The evening and weekend
programs offer a wide range of educational and cultural classes for children and adults as well as sports and
crafts. Community councils provide guidance on program content. Classes are taught by public school
teachers, community members, and Penn staff and students. Extended-day and school-day programs
emphasize the integration of service learning with academics and job-readiness. WEPIC has developed
service-learning programs that are integrated across the curriculum and engage students in creative work
designed to advance skills and abilities through serving their schools, families, and community. Focus areas
include health and nutrition, the environment, conflict resolution/peer mediation, reading improvement,
desktop-published school/community newspapers, technology, and construction training.
The academic work done with the WEPIC schools is based upon a community-oriented, real-world, problem
solving approach. Activities are focused upon areas chosen by each school's principal and staff. In this
neo-Deweyan approach, students not only learn by doing, but also learn by and for service. WEPIC schools
will serve, educate, and activate students, their families, and other local residents. The idea behind this
approach is that schools can function as the strategic and catalytic .agents for community transformation.
Significant interest in WEPIC's work has been expressed by institutions of higher education across the
. country. Following a two-year planning period supported by the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the
Fund awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to replicate the WEPIC program at the University of Kentucky
Lexington, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Miami University (the work focused on
Cincinnati). The grant was also dedicated to strengthening the national network of institutions interested in
this work. Second level funding for $932,000 was approved by the Fund in November 1997. In August
1997, the Corporation for National Service awarded the WEPIC Replication Project a grant of $500,000 to
further develop its work nationally. The new replication sites are Clark Atlanta University, University of New
Mexico-Albuquerque, Community College of Aurora, University of Denver, Bates College, University of
Rhode Island, and the University of Dayton. Beginning January 2000, Penn is developing a training
technical assistance program on' the university-assisted community school model in collaboration with the
National Center for Community Education with the support of the C.S. Mott Fou~dation.
Local WEPIC replication efforts have been supported by the Corporation for National Service. In August
1997, the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) , a
consortium of 28 institutions of higher education in the Philadelphia area, was awarded a grant by the
Corporation of $290,000, renewable for two years, to develop service-learning courses at area institutions of
higher education as well as support community-initiated projects that are assisted by a university or college.
The PHENND consortium has now expanded to include 38 institutions of higher education.
While WEPIC works with thirteen schools, the major WEPIC sites are the Dr. John P. Turner Middle School,
Anna Howard Shaw Middle School, Mayer Sulzberger Middle School, Drew Elementary, Alexander Wilson
Elementary School, and West Philadelphia and University City High Schools.
Joann Weeks, Director
WEPIC Replication Project
University of Pennsylvania
. For further information contact:
3440 Market Street, Suite 440
Phone: 215-898-0240
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3325
Fax:
215-573-2096
E-mail: weeks@pobox.upenn.edu
revd. 113/00
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"DEscRwnoN of the ROLE and STRUCTURE
of the
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CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
. "as described in:
"Organizational Innovation and the Creation of the "
New American University: The University of Pennsylvania's
Center for Conuriunity Partnerships as a
Case Study in Progress
. Ira Harkavy ,
Published in LermerR.M. and Simon LA.K. (eds. j, Universitj -CommunitY
"Collaborations for the Twenty-First Century: Qutreach" Scholarship for,
Youth and Families. 1998
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University-Community. '.'
.Colla·boratlons for,
the Twenty-First Century
, .
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Outreach Scholt!-rship for"':>,
Youth and Families' .'
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'edited by
Richard M.Lernar
Lou Anna K. Simon .'
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, GIJU.AND PUBUSHING, INC.
AMEMBER OF THE TAYLOR & FRANCS GROUP .
. New York & London
1998
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Contents
"Chapter 12
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, Chapter 13
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Organizational ,Innovation and the ,Cre'ation
of the New At;nerican University, :,',
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" The University ofPennsylvani~ts Center for Community' ','
Partnerships as a Case Study in Progress
Ira Harkavy'
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Toward aScholarship' of ReJeVllnce
Less,ons lTom a Land~Grant University,
"
,.' 'Stephen A. Small and Karen Bogenschneider '
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Chapter,14
The You~g Spartan Program'
, '
ABridge bc:-Meen the Ivory Tower and the Community
Joanne G. Keith, panie1 F. Perkins, Joy C.Gr~er, ',"
~n McKnight ,Casey, and Theresa M. Ferrari .
,289' ,
Ch,apter 15
Promoting the He'alth of'Mary,Iand~s'Adoiescents" .
The Center for Adolescent Health at the
.
'Johns Hopkins Univetsity .
Ch,eryl S. Alexander and Madlyn C. Morreale
315'
Chapter 16
. Changing the Culture of the Uniyersity
to Engage In ,OutreachScholarsh,ip
. Mary Brabeck et al. . ' '
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Section III: Perspectives from Community Stakeholder.
Chapter 17
BoldneS's for Our times'
Mobilizi~g UniversitY Expe~ise, to Meet Youth Needs
, " Russell G. :Mawby
367,
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Chapter 18·
Furthering Co~munlty'Youth Development.", '
Richard J. Sauer'
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Chapter 13 "
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Organizationallnntlvation
and the Creation of the
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NewA~;erican University
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The University of Pennsylvania's Center for
Community Partnerships\as,aCase Study in.Progres~
"IrA HArkavy, "S
UizivtTsity, ojPennSylvAnia'"
Introduction,
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The problems of the American city have increasingly become the problems
,of the urban college and university. Urban higher educational institutions
cannot,escape from the issues of poverty, cnme"andphySicaJ deterioration
'.' that are at their gates. The choice ,is to return to, the mythic image of the,
,university on the hill, and suffer for it, or to become engaged in an effective
and proactive fashion. No' urban university ~~ developed tht, model, for
working effectivelywjth itsenvironmeilt. A number ofexcellent experiments '
, and being undertaken, but they all represent parcial attempts that do not
mobilize the broad range ofuniversity resources and expertise.
Partial attempts simpJywill not do for either the university or society.
'A full.hearted and full..minded'effon is needed.:-one tha,tdefines th~ prob.. '
lemof thedty as the ~rategic problemfortheAmeric:an urbanuniversitf."
Ernest Boyer's (1994) extraordinarily i,nfluential call'for creating the "New
American Coilege" has relevance here. DepJoring the.'"crisisin our public
schools" and desperate condition of"our cities." Boyerch~lenged Ameri- '
can higher educators to change 'radically their priorities,and act effeetiveiy
"
to meet their civic and societal reSponsibilities: liDo colleges really bdieVe',
,they can ignore social pathologies that surround schools and erode the '
.educational 'foundations'ofour nation?~Specifica11YI Boyer called fo~ cre
ating a "NeW American College'••• [that takes] special pride mits capac~' '
ity to conneCt thought to action,' theory to practice. •••The New Anleri-:, '
,can' College, asa connected institution. would be committed to improving,
,in a very intentional way. the' human condition!" (Boyer. 1994, p. A48) ,
Calling for creating the New American College is one thing"creat..
ing it is somethi~g else indeed. To put it, mildly. it is very hard t~ do.
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. 'Since WorldWarJ,a strong tr~ditioll deve,loped that separated schola:i;'·
. ". researtp from the goal of improving the human condition in the here
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Jmd now. Di~connection from, rather then" corineqion to, society'be_
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came the operational style of the va5t'majority,ofAmerica's colleges and
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Unlvers1t1es.·
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.. ,' Mer 1945, of course, higher education ,did connect. It connected, '
,however, to distant, notJoca1, problems. The Cold War became the de
fining issue that Jed to the development of th,e vast American "univer~ity .
system.'! Propelled by fear of and competi~ion with the Soviet,Union,
, ,Americanpoliticians, wir1? signifi~nt support from the Amerkan pub-: '
Hc, unquestionably accepted higher education's requests for increased,
aid and support. The collapse ofthe Berlin Wall in 1,89aJldthe breakup
of the Soviet Union in 1991 ,signaled the end ofthe "CoJ~ War'Univer
"sity." Long ignored internal problems. including tho'se Boyer identifies,
could be ignored no longer. Over forty-five. years of 1001cingoutward
: had its COSts as unresolved domestic problems developed into unresolved,
"
highly visible crises. 2 , '
But crises alone wi11 not undo a nearly ~ne-hundred-year history of
,universities' functioning as if they were in, but not of, their communities.
,Moreover, ig~oring pressing societal problems was accompanied by afrag::- •
, mentationofmi~sion that separated servke from research and'teachin'g,
and spurred the development of self-:contained, self-referential disciplin
. ary' "communities," ma1cing e'ffective engagement all the more difficult.! ," .'
, Tradition and fragmentation are certainly signifitant barriers to creat
, ing connected institutions. An additional'barrier, however, may be even
more for~idable. A. fundamental contradiction .exists in the structure of
the American research universityitsdf, a contradiction built in at its very . . . .
, creation. Daniel Coit Gilman, the fou~der ofJohns Hop1ciru and central
architect of the nineteenth--cenrury rcsearChuniversity, daimedthat one
ofrns proudest accomplishmeilts was'illa school ofscience'grafted on one
ofthe oldest and most CQnservativ:classical colleges" (Gilman 1898i1 969,'
p. iii). Alrho~gh referring specifically to the merger ofthe Sheffield Scien-·
, tifkSchool with Yale College, Gilman felt that this achieveme~i exempli
fiedhis conuibution to American higher education.. ' "
'
,kaproductofa merger ofthe German research university and the
American college, the American research university was. bound to de-'·
velop severe tensions and contradiCtions from a joining of?;Womaikedly
different entitieS. ~he. resear~h university was dedicated to specialized'
scholarship, and theu.niversity provided service through'specialized in
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quiry'arid studieS. FortheAmer~can college, on the o~erhand, general.
. education, chara.cter building, and civic education were the central pur- .
, poses. The college provided'service to society by cultivating ill y~ung .
'people, to use Benjamin Franklin's phrase, ftan lnclinlltion join'd with an
Ability to serve" (Franklin, 1907, p.396; FrlZnklin} ;ulies). The research
university· has, ofcourse, dominated this merger, creating an ethos arid
Culture that rewar~ .pecializ.ed stUdy rather thanm.ore, ge'ne~l scholar
. ship and the education, of thenca:'generation for.moral, civic, and intel,,:
lectuaI leadership.'
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Thi~king htgins in whlZt mIlyfoirly hfMllttl 4 forked;;.road l.itUllti.on, 4
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According to Dewey (l910),gf7zu!nf'leaming only o~CU:rswhen h~man
beings focus their attention', energies, and abilities on solvinggt'nuinf ftdi_
lemmas" and "perplexities."Other mental "activity" fails to produce Ie-"
,', flection and intellectual progress. As John E. Smith '(1993) has written
about Dewey's theory ofinstrumental intelligence: "Reflective thought is
an active'resp'onse to .the challenge of the environment~ (Smith, 1993,
p. 124), In 1910, I)eweyspelle4 out the basis ofhis real-world, problem- .
driven, problem-solving th~ty of instrumental in~elligence 'as follows:
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. A Deweyan Approach'
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... 'Given mucrU.ral contradictioris~ nearly a century ofincreasirig sp~ ..
", cialization, &agme~ltationof~owledge;'andseparation ofscholarship £rom
direct and immediate se~ci to the' city and society, what can be done to·
.teinvent higheteducationalinstitutions?To put,it another way, what steps
can be taken to help universities.and colleges become cOJ'lnecred institu- .
DOns, exemplifYing Boyer's vision of a New Amerian College in practice?, .
To achieve Boyer's vision, we might begin ~y building on Johll.Dewey'~,
.theory of instrumental intelligence and hisid~ntifi~tion of the' ~ntral
problem affecting m~~ern society.. " , .
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situilhOn which is 4mbiguous, which pmmts 4 rJilnnma,. which proposts41.
tmuztivt'S.,,As long /lSDUr Aftivity slitks Imoothly 41ongftom Dnt thing i'o 1111- ..
Dthn; Dr m
long/lS wtpmnit Dur imllginilfitJn to mtt'rtlZinfoncits 4tplellSUrt~ ,
. .th;'~isno aJlforrtfoction. Difficult] .Dr D"muaitmin tht' way tifnaching4,
ht'lit'j'lninOIU, hoUJn)t'r, ttJ iz JIIluse•• • ~.
.... . . . .
.
'. Demand for the soJution ofa perpJexityiS the steadying and guiding
factor in the entire process ·of reBection~ .... 4 iJUtsIion to h~ 4nswma. l1'li.
, 4mbiguityiD Inmolvea. Ittl fl/J4nma4ntl I?1J1tls tht ftlrrmtt(w/lS ttJ 4. .
.tkfinitt' ,""nne!' • •• (nnph/lSu U4etl)
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Un summary1... tht origin a/thinking is somt ptrpltxity, COnfosion,-:
, Joubt.~ ,Thinkingis not a cast o/sp~ntllntous combustion; it.tlots not occurjusl
on gtntr,alprincipks.'" ,Thir( is somtthingspuijic which Dccl1;Sions and in- ' ,
volfltS it. (D(wt)~ 191 o,pp. 11-12). ,
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EmployingDewey'stheoryofinstrumeritaJ in ielligencetakes us only
, so far, in solving OUf problem. An infinite number of perpleXities and
dilemmas exist for 'universities to fQcus upon. Which p~oblem or,set,of.
problems are significa~t, ,basic, and strategic enough to lead to societal
as well as iiltellec;:tual progress? In 1927, in Tht Public and Its Probkms.'
'Dewey,unequivocallyidentified'the existence of ~neighborly commu-', '
nity" as indispensable for a wel1~functioning democratic society: -There
,is no ~ubstitute for the ~itality a'nd depth ofdose and direct int~rcourse
and anachment..... Democracy must begin at home, and its hom~ is
the neighborly community."ln that same book, he also not~d that creat- . '
ing agenuine1y democratic community is "in the first instance an intc1
'lectual problem." (Dewey, 1927, PI'. 147,213) Sixty-nine years later. we '
still do n,ot, knowhow to create democra~ic neighborly communities.
Events in Bosnia., the states' of the former Soviet Union. South Africa. '
France"Germany, Northern Ireland. etc., indicate that this very',practi
, cal 'and core theor~tical prqblem of the social sciences is more ,than an, '
, American dilemma.
It iswithintheAmerican city that the need for communities rOQted
, -in face-lo-face relationships and cxemplif)ting humanistic universal values'
is most acute. The problem of how to create these communities is~ mote
. over, the strategic problem of our time. As such, it is the problem most
'likely to advance the 'university's primary mission ofproducing and trans- '
mittingknowledge to advance human welfare.
,
The particular strategic reaI~world and intellectual problem Penn (as
well 'as other urban universities) faces is howto overcome the deep, p~rva
sive, interrelated problems affecting the people' in its local environment.'
,This concrete, immediate,p~ctiCal and th~oretical problem, needless to
. say. requir~ creative interdiscipl~nary interaction. Penn and th~ other f:om
prehensive research. universities encompass the broad ~nge of human
know1edge needed to solve ,the complex, comprehensive. and intercon
nected problems found in the ciry. The' ~nter for CommuniryPartner..
. ships is Penn's prl1Tl3.rr vehicle fC?r ,bringing that broad range of human
knowledge to bear, so that West Philadelphia {Pen~'s]()cal.geographic com- .
munIty).Philadelphia,thcUniversityiuelf, and soc~etY benefit.~ "
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'The Center for Community Pannershlp
'The Center is based on three corepropositi~ns:
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',1. Penn's, furureand the
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futu~eof West PlliladelphiaIPhila,delphia are,'
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2., Pc:nn can makeasi~ificant co~tributi~n to i~proving the quality of"
, life in West PhiladelphiaIPhiladelphia. ' '", , , '
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3~, Penn Can enhanCe its overall mission of adVancing and trat'lsmitting'
knowledge bY,helping to imp~ove the quality oflife in West Philadel~
phiaIPhiladelphia.
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The 'nrst proposition, it ,woulCi seem" is self-evident.' Safety, d~1i- '
, ness of the area" and attractiveness of the physical setting contribute not
only to a general campus ,ambiallce, but also to the rectuitmentand reten
tion of faculty" Students, and W1f. The deteriora,tion of the ~ity and of
'West'Philadelphia has a direct impact on Penn's ability to enhan'c~ its po
sition as a'leading·international universitY. ,'& studies by the Center have
indicated, West Phi~adelphia has declined precipitously since 1980.
West PhiJadelphia'ssevere urban crisis is eviden~ in pO,pulation de- '
cline, increases in poveny, crime, violence~ physical deterIoration, a~d the
, poor performance of schools,'ainongother'qualit}r-of-Iife indicators. "
For example, the population ofWenPhiladclphia has been decreasing
since 1960. The numbers are as follows: 1960-,301,742; 1970275,611; 1980-232,979; 1990-219,705 (Bureau ofthe Ce~s~, 1960- '
1990). From i989 to 1993, the number of West Philadelphia residents
receiving some form ofpublic aSsistancejncreased,by approximately 25%
,(Philadelphia OtyPlanning Commission, t'994). Crime,increase4 10%' ,
from ,1983 to 1993 in the ne,ighborhoods surround~ng the University
(University of PennsYlv~iaJ 1994). A$tudy the M'antuaIParksidel
Mill Creek ~ea of West Philadelphia '(populatio'ri 'G8,OOO) shoWs the' '
prevalence ofviolence in the area:, between 1987 and 19~O there were'
'172violence,,:,related deaths, 60% of:which involved guns; 94%':of area .
, ,males in their twenties made adcastoncemerg~ncy~room visit (SChwan .
, ct al., 1994). Physical 'deterioration iri the area sUfroundingthe Univer
sity is well-documented, in neighborhood plans prepared by,local com..
munity-basedorganizations in partnership with the Ceptc;r for Com
munhyPartnershipst(199~, '199S)~' Finally, ranked by perform~nceon
national standardized tests for-reading andmatheIpatics, four public el~
. : em,entary schools proXimate to the Univcrsinr ranked 107tb" 13,Oth,.and
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eiemerlta~sch~ols inPhlladelp:hia (Schpol District ~
Philadelphia, 1.994), For'Penn to advancesignificandy requires that West,
Philadelphia be transformed froin'an '\lrb'an environment that has he
com~ increasingly dangerous and tIienari~g into a reasonably safe, ~t. '
tractive (in all respects),cosmopoJitan urban community.
.
, ' This proposition does not take us terriblyfM. It an,l)e argued that '"
, conditions are, indeed deterjorating~but that nothing can be done to re.
,verse them. Put another way, this argument ~ie'WS deterioration as an irre-. '
versible phenomen~n,a p~eno'menon beyond our control that at best can
be'delay~d or dealt 'with on a purely cosm~tic basis. A similar andsome~
'what less pessimisti~ ~cenario is that the deterioration c:aribe reversed, but, '
that Penn an iristi~tion can do little to improve conditions. In this"
, interpretation, thebniversity is~jneffectlco~pletely dependent upon the
actions ofoth~rs-gove'rnmentat all Jev~ls and corporations,Jor CX3:ttlpl~
fo~'any signifi.cant improvementS to, occur i~ tJ:le' quality of life in West
Philadelphia/Philadelphia.
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, The Center is founded upon a very differcntnotion-anotio~ that
penn'can lead the ,,\'ay to~ard ,revitAlizingWest Philadelphia/Philadelphia.
'lis leadership roJederives from itS status as an internation;Urescarch uni·
~ersity v.ith cxtraordinary.inteJlettual resources, its position as the mo~t
p,restigiousiristitutionin the city, as' well ~ the dty'slargest private em
'ploycr. Appropriate1y organized and directed, Penn's range of ;~sources
" can serve as tht catalytic agent for galvanizing other institutions, as well as
government jtse1f,'in 'concerted efforts,~o improve the,quality of life in ' '
, West PhiladelphialPhiIadelphia. The Center has already taken a lead in '
initiating a number of proje~ts haSed on this assumption. These p'roj~cts
'include the developmellt of a city~wide higher-education coalition, the
Philadelphia Higher,Education Network for Neighborhood Development
(PHENND);'an action seminar on ·Urban Universities arid the Recon
struction ofAmerican Cities,,1945-2000; How Universiriesare'Alfected .
. by, and Actively Alfect, Their' Off-campus ~nvironme,~ts: Penn-West'
Philadelphia as a Strategic Case Study ofInstitutional Policyand Action."
comprised of seni,or Penn administration', faculty, merI:lbers,ttomacross
the University, and community Jeaders; and a W~t Philadelphia c:oalition
ofinstitLlti~l1$.governmentaI agencies, community groups and busin'csses
..(organized With theWest Philadelphia Partnership) that is developing plans . .
for a business corridor bordering the University.
, 1u stated, the arguments presented thus far arc Jargely defensive~ That
is. they are based on the assumption that Penn is faced with a severe prob~
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·fero in its locality (which it is) and that sotnething ,must ,be done to solve
~.
'that problem (which it must). There is, however, an additional line of '
argument: Enormous intellectual benefits for, the University am accrue ,,',
liom aproactive strategy to' improve West PhiladelphialPhi1adelphia~ In
, Dct, the Center's guiding assumption is that significant advances in tcach~
.ing andrCScarch will occur by focusing on the strategic problems of th~ .
dty. FaeWty and studen~ will be increasingly able."to putth~ir ideals and, '
theories into practice andtcs~ those ideals and theories as they work ,.to , .
'. soW:e imponandntellecr:ua1 a~d real-world problems. Undergrapuatcs will "
be abJeto learn andconuibute tosociety.simultanc:ously. Their academic "
work will engage them with the central dilemmas ofour time as they focus
their intellectual energy, skill, and idealism on helping tom~eWest ~hi!a
delphia and the city b~tter places to live and~ork.
.
Based o~,the assumptions. outlined above, the"Center was found~d fit
1992 to achieve the following objecti~~: improve the' inter~al ~ordina- "
non and collaboration ofall'Unive~jty-wide commiln,ity-service programs;.
create new and effective partnerships. between the University and the com
munity; encourage new and crcativejnitiativ~ linking Penn and the Com
,munlty; and strengthen ~,national .nern:otk of institutions of higher edu- ,
cation committed to engagemennvith their local ~mm1Jnities. The Ce~ter
isa~ outgrowth of.the Penn Program for Public Service~.which was.created'
.in 1989 .toreplace and expand the Office ofCommunity,;,Oriented PolicY
Studiesin the School of Arts and Scien'c~:s
"
The ~nters director reports to b~th ,Penn's vice prc$ident for gover~-' .
. in~nt, community,and public affairs and the provost (the university's chref·
aca'demi,c officer)~ Through the Center,~e University currently engages
in.three types ofactivities:.
•
•
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.academicallybased commUnity service;
direct traditional service;
community ~d eConomic developmcrtt..
.The following discussion highlights the work of the Center in these '
three key
an:as.
. '.'
. Academically Based Community Scmee
, Aad~ica11y based community service may be defined as serviccrootcd .in
and inuinsically tied to teaching and!orresea.rch.It encompasses problem
o~jcnted ~ch and, tcac:hini as well as service l~ing emphasizing stu
�.. ;'" . ..
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1. Develops and supports 'undergraduate and graduate seminars. courses,
'and research projects. By academic yea~ 1996-1997, approximately,
fortY-five courses were offered that supported Penn's .work in We~t .
.,:Philade1phia.
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.', 2. , 'Coordinates internships for students to engage intensively in work in
. the community, especi~ly in the public schools. Ofpartic:ularnote.
" are the following:'
.
• Ptnnsylvilnill Strvic~ Scholan, a statewide higher ed·uc:ation
AincriCorps program funded by the COrporation for Natipnal
Service. Full-time s~dents,'thesenineteen .Penn undergradu~tes '
work pan-ti~e ove.~ a period ofthree years in 1oc:al public schools.6
~. . . .
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',. 'Public StrVict Summtr Intt~hip Program. a p~oject that s~ppoits
,twelveundergraduateS during the summer to take a research semi,:
'nar with th~ Center's director arid conduct a six-week s'ummer
institute for incoming sixth graders' ata Jo~middIe school.
• Untkrgrtuluatt SodalSdmct Initiativt, a program funded by the
, Ford Foundation.designed to enhance undergraduate social,:~ci
epee teaching (siitecn courses createdto date) expand l,lndergradu
, ate, academic internships lin~ed to work in' the public schools
,,(fifty-eight to date), and support interdisciplinary action research
seminars for faculty aild graduate students.
'
"
• Prog,.lZmtQ Link InttlltdJ4/Zi Rtsourc~s IZruI Community Nttth, a
, new program funded ,by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation that de- '
,velopsacademically based ,community service in cultural a~d com- ,
munity studies, environmental studies, and nutrition. In 1996-'
1997 the program supported fifteen undergraduate ~tuden ts ,
worlcing as academic interns; it, also, supported course develop
ment andseminarSd~igned to integrate action research into the
university curriculum.
'
,3. Coordinates 'the "Nation~ WEPic RepliCation Pr~jeCt; a' three~year
grapt froin tht DeWitt ~aUace-Reader's Digest Fund 'to replicate
WEPI C's universitY-assisted comm1:lnirr school model at three uni
versities (Miami University of Ohio, UniversitY ofKentucky-lcxing
ton Campus, and the University of A1~bama at Birmingham). The
project is also developing a national network of colleagues iriterested
in this ~ork through, a journal {Univtrsitits IZruI Community S~h~ols),
a newsletter, an, on-line database, and a series ofnational conferences.
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Direct Traditi~nal Semce ','
Here there is a coordination With the Penn Volunteers in Public Service
(penn's staff and alumni'service organization) ofvarious service projects,
including a mentoring program for twenty-one middle-school students, a:
postsecondary scholarship program for twelve high-school 'students from
West Philadelphia who have actively served their communiciesand achieved
academically, and anriualdrives to fill ~ommunity needs. "
'
In additi'on, in this ategory there is a coordination with the Pro
gram for Student-Community Involvement (pSCI)"Pe'nn's student vol
uilteer center, of an extensive service program initiated by,undergradu
, ates. In turn, the Center works' closely' with the CommunitY Service
'LivingjIdrning Project, a residential program for students 'committed
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to community service. In 1995~1996, thenyenty·fourresidents ofth:
" project deVoted 'their ac~ivjtiesto work \Vith ,WEPIC,' Penn's university_
assIsted community school partnership. Finally, here we work with Penn's
Facilities 11anagement Department to coordinate Operation Fresh Stan,
~ which members orth~t department, together with studentJfac~lty. ",'
staff, and community volunteers, work on th~ physical improvement of
local public schools.
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Community and Economic Development, "
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Here we act to' coordinate work-based Jearning programs in which stu·
dents lrom a local middle school are mentored at Penn's, Medical Center' '
, and higlv·school students serve as interns in various Penn publication de
pamnents and as paid apprentices inth~ Medical Center. In apdition. we '
, work in c90rdination with local communityassoci;tcions and the Wdst
Philadelphia Partnership. a mediating. nonprofit organization composed
ofinstitutions (including Penn), busi~essesJ and community organizations, '
,on community planning projects that have produc~d the following:
1., City fundIng for capital Improvements ofa major business corridor '
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,
~ong the university's western boundary. A business owners associa
tionhaS been formed to oversee the project. "
'2. Suategic plans for housing and commercial revitalization oftwo West
Philadelphia ,communities, Walnut Hill and Spr~ce Hill.' , ' ,
Moreover. wework whhPenn's Pu~chasing Department to create op
, , ponunities for minority and female employment and busjness ow~ership
,in West Philadelphia through minority purchasing contracts. & a direct
result ofthe BuyWest Philade.1phiaProgram, Penn's purchasing from West,
Philaddphia suppliers increased from $2.1 million in 1987 to $15 million
in 1994~ In 1995, Penn signed an additional $2;8 million in minority
p~rchasing contractS. Furthermore, we work on developing (with Penn's
Office of Data Communication and COmputing Services and the West
Philadelphia Partnership) a highly accessible West Philadelphia data and
jnformation system~ A web site on West Philadelphia and the Center has
" been established. The Center also coo~dinatesI~temet traini~g. involving
, , software and technical support for approximatelY,five hundred West Phila·
delphia teacherS.'Finally, we provide (with Penn'~ Hll~an .Resou~ces De
partment) uajni~g and techn1c:a1,assistance to the'West Philadelphia
Partnership's Job NetworkanC! Referral Center, helping ,to ,impJement a
"
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Hire West Philadelphia strategy,at Penn a~d other i~stitutions' in West
Philadelphia! '"
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"The above pr~gra.tl.lS illustrate the Center's mUltidimensional, 'integrated'
", ,focuS on solving. practical,' rCal~world problem-the problem' of the
American city. It is a problem ofsuch interrelated complc:x.itY tha,t no single
component ofthe university can solve it by itsel£ The Center is an organi-' '
" zational innovationrcsponsible for mobilizing the broad 'range of uni~,r
sitt resources to help Penn better fulfill its mission 'and to help create a
, betterWest PhiladelphialPhiladelph~. The Center also,helps'to form pan- '
, m:rshipswithother institutions (inclu.ding public schools, businesses, not- '
for-profits, community organizatio l1S ,unions" churches, and gQ~ernmen
, tal agencies) that will facilitate ongoinginterorganiz:a:tional ,co~peration, ,
, ~eaming. and improvement.,
", "
'
"
, The Center is only one ofa number ofsuch organizational innova
tions throughout the Amerianacademy that are part of a' m9vement
'.toward creating the New American College that Ernest Boyer envisioned.
Three recent examples include: the University of Illinois, at Chicago's
~Great Cities" program, created in 1993 as an additional unit within the
, . 'Office of the Chancellor. the' State, University of New York at Buffalo's
, "Vice ,President for Public Service and Urban Affairs," created in 1992;
~d"Ca~pus Compact," created in 1985 as an organizatio~ ofcollege
.; presidents dedicated to advancingcommu.nity service and citizenship (it
has eXpanded from thineen member institutions in 1985 to over 520 in
1995),. These eXamples illustrate a movement that needs tobeencour·
aged and supported. The state ofour society, panicularly the crisis ,ofthe.
Americanciry. are testimony that the self-~ontained, isolateduniv.ersity
will no longer do~ Community problem.:.solving, civic coUeges anduni
, versities are needed as never before for achieving ~ustainedi~tellectual
'and societal progress~ , ,
"
:' At a national conference'on -The Univers,ity and the City" held at the
,Unive~jry ofPennsylvania in JQne 1993. William R.Greiner, president of" "
the Sane University oENew'Yoi:k at Buffalo, described howuniversirles
might proceed toward becoming civic institutions:" .. '
'"
,
/ftiiny reiearch.i'!tmsivt Imivmil] inihis country commin itselftD changing, '
" IlI7'1UlUportion 01nmts in in own community. ,ij'evny IIrhanllnt/ metropoli
tan mearch IInivmit]ttJmmits itselfto lIIitlmsingnelJs in its Dwn city.thl1!-~
'
�.
.
'.
,T
•
.
t
· in the toial of4110ur 4(ts IJnlJehd/ftif~ur neighbors 4nd our mu~lfotu--;;'
· we will be 41Nl!sivt and ~nparalleltdflruforthigoodof ou~jeoplt.l1nd ouf, ' '.
country. (Guinn; 1994, p. 15)
.
'
.
TIle "Greiner Strategy;' holds enormo~ promise for taking us from where
we are to where we have togo.
."
.
The Center for Community Partnerships is plaYing a leading role i~
'helping Penn to become a' model urban uni~ersity forthetwenty.firstcen.,
tu'Y~ a "research university that [fuHy] co~mits itself to addressing needs
' . .in.i.ts own city" (Greiner, 1994, p. 15) in order to advance knowledge and
human w~lfare. Although' building. on over. a, de~de .of eXperience, the
Center \w.s, cr~ted approximately five years ago, To help Penn become a' .
model urban ~niversity will require, sigl1ificant "organizational learning" .
aild doing onouq~art.'Reports from the field will be ongoing.
.
Notes
1. For disc~ssion'of these trends. see Ira Harkavy and John L. Pucken: "Toward 'Effectiv~
I .
.2,
3.
,'
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,5.
L
•
·6.'
7.
University-Public School Paitnerships: An Analysis ofaContemporary Model." Teachers
College Record92 (1991):55~5B'; and '"Lessons from Hull House for the Contef'!'lpoo' '
rarV Urban University: Social Service Reloliew6811994}: ·301-32 1.. "
A discussion of the impacts of the eryd of the Cold War on the America.n univerS,ity can
be found in Lee Benson and Ira Harkevy, "School and Community in the Global Soci
ety: A Neo-Deweyan Theory of CommunityPro~lem-Solving Schools and Cosmopoli- ,
tan Neighborly Communities." Universities ,nd Comrilimity Sch.ools 511/2) (1997)
16-'.'.. •
'.
...."
for a more eX1ended discussion, see Harkavy and Puckett, "'Toward Effective Un;ver
srty-Public School Pannerships." Teachers College Re.cord 91 (4): 558-560; and Ira
Harkavy, -The University and Soc'ial Sciences in theSoCiai Order: An Historical Ov~r
view and 'Where Do We Go from Here?'" Virginia Soci" Science Journal 27 Cl 992):
1-8, 1'-:19.
My understanding of John Dewev's ~tings end their imPiications for the work of the
Center for 'Community Pannerships have been advanced significantly by. Lee Benson.
,I em indebted to him for illustrating how Dewey's theory of instrumental Intelligence ,
cOUld be eX1raordinarily usefLil to our effons in West Philadelphia. See Lee Benson and'
Ira Harkevy, -Progressing beyond the Welfare State: A Neo-Dewevan Strategy;Univer-'
sitr-Assisted. 'StaffoControlled and Managed, CommunityoCentered SctiooIsas Compre.'
hensive Community Centers to Help Construct andOrgaruze Hardworking, Cohesive.
Caring. CosmoPolitan Communities in a Democratic Welfare·Society/UniWJrs~ies ;md ..
Community SchOols 2 (1/2)(1991): 1-25.
. . '
.
, For more details on this development. lee Lee Bens~>n end Ira Harkavy, ..Progressing
beyond the Welfare State: A Neo-Dewevan Strategy,~ UniWJrsiries and Community
SchOols 2 (1/2): 12-23.
.
' "
.
AmeriCorps is the centrel program in PreSident Clinton.'s effonto develop end ex
. tend national service. The Corporation for National Service is'the,federal administra-. '
live entity responsible for An:-eriCorpsand other natiori8IandcommunitY'ser~ice
.
programs.
·A discussion of the complex process oforgani:zationallearningcan be found in William F.
Whyte. ed.~ PlPticiparoryAction Rese,rch.:NewbiJrv Park. CA:Sage. '99""23'-2~1 .
.
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,University of Pennsyivarua ,
'287"
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Referenc;es '
',Benson. Land Harkavv, 1.(1991 I. Progressing beyo~d the welfare State: A ne;Deweyan
strategy; University-assisted, stilff-controlled and managed, community-<:entered '
schools as comprehensive community cent,ers to help construct and organize
hardwOrking. cohesive. caring. cosmopolitan communities in e demoCratic Welfare
society. Universities and Community Schools 2 11121. '':'25.
,
~. (1997l~ School end community in the global society: ,~neo-{)eweVan, theory of com-'
munity problem:soMng schools end cosmopolitan neighborly Communities. Universmes
.and Community SchooJs.511J2l, 1&-71.
Bover. E. (March 9. 1994). Creating the new American college. Chronicle o{Higher Education,
,A4B.
"
,
Bureau of the Census (1~19901. Census of Populstion snd Housing. Washington; U.S. '
Department of Commerce.
Center for Community Partnerships. 09941. Walnut Hill strategic neighborhood plan.' PhiladelJlhja: University of Pennsylvania.
'
- . (19951. Spruce Hill community renewsl plan. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
Dewev, J. n9101.I:Iow we think. New York: D.C. Heath.
-.11927119541. The public and its problems. Denver. CO: Allan SWallow.
Franklin, B. (1907). The Writings of Benjamin Franklin (ed. A. Smyth. Vol. 21. New York:
Macmillan.
Gilman, D. I'S9Sn969). University problems in the United States. New York: Garett.
Greiner. W. 119941. In the total of all these acts: "How can American universities address the,
,
urban agenda?- Universities and Community SchoolS 4 (112). 12-15.
'
Harkavy, L (1992). Theunn;ersity and the s,ocial sciences in the social order: 'An historical overView and ·'Where do
go from here? - Virgin;, Social Science JournsI27.· ''':25.
Harkavy. t. lind Puckett. J. (1991,. Toward effective university-public school partnerships: An
enalysis oh contemporary mode.!. Teachers College Record 91 (41, 556-581. . ,
- . (1994). Lessons from Hull House for the contemporary urban university. Social Scj
ence Review; 68 131. 301-321.
,
PhiJ.8delphia City Planning Commission. (19941. Ttl! plan for West 'Philadelphia. PhiJa~lphia:
" Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
'"
,,"
, ,
School OistriC1 of Philadelphil. (19941. School profiles. ~il8delphiB: SChool District of Philadelphia.
Schwarz. D., Grisso, J., Miles. J., Wishner, A., and Suncm, R. (1994). A longitudinal study of
, injury morbiditYiflen African-American population: Joumalof the American Medicsl ,,..
Association, 271. 75~760.
'
"
'. ,
Smith.J. (1993). The~pirit of AmBricanphilosOphy. Albany, NY: State UniVersitY Of New York
, Press. '
'
' ,
"
.
we
. University of PennsYlliania. (1994). Safety is everyone's right everyone's respOnsibility, ret's,
'form 8 pannership. Unpublished manuscnpt. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania'
"
' "
'.
' , '
. , [)ivision of Public Safety.
Whyte, W.IEd.l. (1991). psnic;psrory.ction research. Newbury Park, CA:Sage .
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Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
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This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidenti,!l Library Staff.
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This marker identifies the place of a publication.
Publications have not been scanned in their entirety for the purpose
of digitization. To see the full publication please search online or
visit the Clinton Presidential Library's Research Room.
�.University ofPennsylvania
•
WEPIC REPLICATION PROJECT SITES EXPANDED
Thanks to the continued generous support of the DeWitt
Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund (the Fund) and new funding
from the Corporation for National Service-Learn and Serve
America (CNS), the WEPIC Replication Project is able to
develop seven new replication sites.The Fund's award of
$932,000 and the CNS
award of $175,000 (re
newable annually for two
additional years for a
Children's Aid Society, the United Way of America, and the
Beacons program in New York City.
The mission ofthe DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund
is to foster fundamental improvement in the quality of edu
cational and career development opportunities for all school
age youth. and to in
crease access to these
improved services for
young people in low
maxi~um
award of
$500,000) will support
I
.
these 'sites over a three-
income communities.
Corporation for
National Service
yearp~nod.
(CNS) funded sites
The Project's Na
are developing their
tional Advisory Board
university-commu
selected the seven uni
nity school partner
versities and colleges to
ships with a special
be funded at its May
emphasis on the de
WEPIC Replication Project staff. Site leaders. and Fund staff.
1998 meeting, following
velopment of service
a request for proposals that was sent to over forty institu learning at the K-12 level. As with the Fund's sites, higher
ti<;ms of higher education.
education faculty and students will assist the school and com
) The sites funded through DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Di munity with the design and implementation of the service
gestFund are Clark Atlanta University, the University of New learning programs. CNS funded sites include Bates Col
MexiCO-Albuquerque and the Community College of Au lege, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of
rora. Each of these sites will provide a range of extended Dayton.
school services at local public schools-tutoring, mentoring,
The University of Denver will also be supported jointly
after-school enrichment programs, curriculum development by the Fund and the CNS to implement a range of extended
through the academically based community serviee of their day programs as well as K~12 service learning activities.
faculty and students. Current replication activities at the Uni
Learn and Serve America engages students from Kinder
versity of Kentucky-Lexington and the University of Ala garten through college in community projects that integrate
bama-Birmingham will also be funded for an additional two service and learning. Learn and Serve America builds on
years. The sites are part of a major initiative of the Fund to the grassroots service-learning movement by promoting ser
support the adaptation of promising models for the
vice as a learning opportunity and providing models and re
provision of extended school services, including ones by the sources to schools, universities, and community groups.
continued on page 2
g
�...
U~NIVERSITr
of
,
PE}v}{S YL VANIA
Office of the Vice President
for Government, Community and Public Affairs
Center for Community Pannership,
133 S. 36th Street, S~ite 519
Philadelphia, PA 19104·3246
Tel.: 215·898·5351
Fax 215·57)·2799·
CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Summary of Penn-West Philadelphia Public Schools Initiatives and
Academically Based Community Service Courses
The following summarizes Penn's engagement with the W'est Philadelphia
public schools. The summary largely focuses on Penn's academically based
community service courses, and especially their work with the West
Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC) in its efforts to develop
university-assisted community schools.
UNIVERSITY CITY HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER
University City High School
The West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC), with the assistance of
Penn's Center for Community Partnerships and the West Philadelphia
Partnership, is working with University City High School (UCHS) to develop
strong school-to-work transition programs.
1. Student Teacher Partnership
. In the 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 school years, the Graduate School of Education
placed approximately half (16) of its student tea,chers in teaching teams across
the school. In addition to traditional student teaching activities, the student
teachers are placed in terms and working with the school's small learning
communities on thematic curriculum design.
~.
2. Penn Graduate Student Interns, in addition to student teachers, also
include students from the Graduate School of Fine Arts (5), the School of
Education (3), the Nursing School (2), and the School of Arts and Sciences (1).
1
�3..Health. Charter (a school-within:..a-school focusing on health careers)
activities include:
•
In 1998-1999 Penn-Presbyterian provides 30 and the Penn Medical
Center provides 15 paid apprenticeships. The 45 students spend either one
.day (for juniors) or two days (for seniors) per week at the worksite under the
guidance of El mentor. The students also participElte in ?kills prepElration
cburses conducted by Penn-Presbyterian at UCHS as pElrt of a regulElrly .
rostered class.
.
•
In 1998-1999 the Penn Health System, undergraduate interns, and
student teachers are assisting the teachers in creating a comprehensive grades
9-12 health promotion and health careers skills development curricula.
•
During each summer from 1994, Penn Medical Center staff worked
\-vith UCHS staff and 20 UCHS students on a career exploration project at the
Penn Medical Center where students worked as paid apprdltices as pmt of the
City's sU.mmer youth employment program.
•
As part of Penn's Kellogg-PNUCS program 20 Penn graduate Clnd
undergraduate students, lead by Michael Reisch (Social Work) are starting in
spring 99 a IT'Ientorship and leadership training program for 20UCI,S
sophomores. The mentors and mentees will participate for three yeClfs.. In
addition to regular mentor /mentee activities, the program is working "vith
leaders from West Philadelphia and Philadelphia non-profits to provide
some of the leadership training components and also provide each of the
l1lentees a conlmunity leadership internship experience.
•
In summer 1997 Penn-Presbyterian began to offer ongoing teacher
externships that'provide teachers art opportunity to spend a time at the
hospital \.vorksite to learn about all aspects of the health care industry.
•
A graduate student enrolled in Education 545 \,vorks with two classes of
ninth and tenth grade students who are involved in a peer education
program where they develop and teach'nutrition and health curriculum on a
weekly basis to students at Drew Elementary.
2. Technology Charter:
•
Tvvo graduate students from the City and Regional Planning
Department supported by a two year grant (1997-1999) fromHUD are working
\vith students and teachers on the Community Development Work Study
Program (CDWSP) which will allow the high school students to play
significant planning roles in the community.. The collaboration seeks to
address community issues and planning problems identjfied-~--jobs,
entrepr~neurial opportunities, and crime. They are working \vith UCHS .
2
�students to present and implement solutions using community ideas and
planning resources and approaches.
•
Tn year-long effort, students from the Law and Public SClfety CLAPS)
SlllClll LeClrning . Community are working with their teacher to identify key
issues in the upcoming mClyoral .
election, disseminate issue briefs to the
community, and facilitate deliberative forums for their peers and
community members. The project receives professional development and
curriculum support from Harris Sokoloff, a professor at GSE; grant
support from the Center for Community Partnerships, and volunteer
support froITI Penn students.
•
Since Spring 1998, volunteers from the Penn WEPle Student
Orgcmization are working
with teachers in the charter to sup}~ort a
program, Girl Talk, that focuses on enlpowering
young women to make
Ilea Ithy decision for their futures and express themselves creatively through
\vriting ,md art.
3.
•
Magnet! MotivCltion ChClrter:
Two advanced Biology undergraduates working \,vith Scott Poethig are
\vorking \"'ith UCHS teachers to creClte a fast plants curriculum to learn about
plr:mt botany and perform mutagenesis experiments. Poethig and the
. undergraduate students are exploring how ongoing biology <;lasses can be
developed that ,·vill provide permanent assistance in supporting these
curriculum units at the school.
Environmental Action !Marathon Charter:
• In spring 99, as part .of the Goldsmith grant, a Penn grClduate student has
been Clssistingthe development of a peer teaching program\vhere Marathon
students support organized recreation activities at Ore",,, EJelTlentary during
the school day and after school.
• In spring 99 an architecture student is assisting the development of a scale
model for ci new Philadelphia sports stadium.
• Morris Arboretum, as part of a HUO-COPC grant to Penn, is creating a t\,VO
year job-training program (1997-1999) for approximately 15 students per year
in arborculture. This program will include training at school~ at the
Arboretum, and school year and summer internships with companies in the
ind ustry. Morris Arboretum also expressed interest in working with several
teachers.in the charter in the core subjects to create an integrated curriculum
in this are'a.
.
.
5.L21\V Charter:
3
�•
From 1995 through 1998, Penn law students provided a series of
sern.inars that focused on conflict resolution and violence prevention.
• In 1995-1996 approximately one dozen students, working through Penn
Lnv School's Public Service Program, worked in internships in local law
firms. A Penn Social Work intern supervised the project
6. Perfornling Arts Charter / EXCEL:
The Black Bottom Project is an effort between people from the Black BOtt0111,
TheClter Arts 250, and the UCHS EXCEL Charter. The purpose of the project is
to tell the story of theBlackBottom, a West Philadelphia neighborhood that
vvas displaced by urban renewal in the 19505 and 19605. Pem1 students
enrolled in the course conduct oral history interviev,ls with Black Bottom
community residents and helped to teach a class at University City .I:-1igh
. School on (\Cting skills, oral history intervie\ving, and history through the
performing arts. This project culminated in the "Black Botto11) Sketches" that
wns performed by form.er residents of the Black Bottom, UCHS students, and
Penn studenfs.
7. Opportunity Charter
• Ken Tobin, Director of Teacher Education, has partnered vvith (l
science te(lcher to create a peer teaching program where UCHS students learn
chemistry by prepming to teach it weekly to students in (l Dre\v Elementary
cli:)ssroom.
• 1.11 1998-1999, Penn student teachers are,">'orking with UCHS te(lchers to
crente a hydroponics progr(lm rnodeled after SulzbergerMiddle School's.
8.
Projects for students with speci(ll needs:
Funded by the National Organization on Disabilities, the Start On
•
Success program (since 1995) involves 2 teachers and 30 special needs students
in a school-to-work program wholly placed on Penn's campus. Margaret
Bea Ie Spencer, Graduate School of Education, is assisting in curriculum.
developrnent, development of wrap-around services, and performing the
overall" evaluation of the program. Students spend four hours per day at the
work site with an individual mentor and attend a daily job and cH::ademic
skills course at the work site taught by a UCHS teacher based at Penn. The
high school participants are.linked to two graduate students and several
undergraduate mentors/job coaches 'from the University of Pennsylvcmia.
These undergraduate job coaches were responsible for establishing job
training strategies for their individual mentees. Projects with the job coaches
included resume building, proper work behavior, people skills, and
4
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esttlblishment of appropriate goals for each student. 'A graduate student is
conducting an ethnography of the project as part of a national replication
f)rojecL Additionally, a desktop published curriculum will be produced.
•
, Students from the Penn WEPlC Student Organization sel;ve as assistant
teachers and tutors to students on a weekly basis.
9.
School-wide projects include:
I
Penn's Skills Development Center (SDC) created in January 1998,
is headquartered at UCHS. The SDC has an office, Director and Assistant
Director, plus a training classroom with 30 new, nehvorked PCs. The mission
of the SOC is to provide integrated job referral, job training and internship
services to unemployed, underemployed, and \velfare-to-vvork parents ("md
<1dults in the community and particuhuly to school-to-Glreer students. SOC
focuses on providing academic year and summer internships for UCHS
students, particularly in the job sectors of technology {rietvvorking and
network wiring) and skilled office support. The SDC currently operates 16
week welfare-to-work training programs in retail services and occasional
evening computer literacy and job search, programs for parents.
In spring 99 the SDC secured a grant from the Private Industry Council to
create a network wiring program for 15 Ollt of school youth that \vill a\,vard
students eertifications in Lucent cabling (both fiber and copper) and A+ (PC
hrHdware Clnd soft\vare troubleshooting). Students will ,'1lso be prepClred to
apply for the IBEW (Electricians) Local 98 apprenticeship eXCl111. Penn's
l11f01'111aton Systems and Computing department has helped to secure
internship positions for the students during the training through its own
office and through its vendors.
•
Penn \t\TEPlC Student Organization: Students vvork in several different
(lre(lS \vithin the school to develop and sustain progranis that connect to the
school-day curriculum.
•
In Spring 1999 through the Goldsmith grant, six undergraduate
students from the School of Fine Arts are working with each of the small
learning comm11l1ities to help implement school beautification projects,
.including murals.
•
Frank Furstenberg (Sociology) led a seminar for teachers and some
high sch901 students on teenage pregnancy and research iliethods. This
sel:ninar met three times each semester to explore long-term intervention
strategies to reduce teen pregnancy.
10.
Penn Courses working at University City High School:
5
�. Education 202 Urban Education (Spring 1997, lLJ98, lLJ99): .
James Lytle
Education 545 Volunteerismand Community Schools (Fall and Spring 1998
1999): John Puckett and Theresa Simmonds
Education 605 Education Policy, (Spring 1996, 1.997, 1998, Fall 1998,
Spring
1999): Rebecca MClynard
Education 820/623 Curriculum Foundations: Theory Into Practice (Fall
1997
.through Spring 1998): Richard Gibboney and John Puckett
. English 292 Special Topics in Film Studies
Enghsh 401 Teaching American Studies
History
West Philadelphia
W(llier Ucht
204~302
(Fall 1995, 1996): Craig Saper
(Fall 1998): Peter Conn
The Migrant Experience in America: A Look at
(Spring 1995):
.l-iistory 204-401 Institutions and Urbnn Change: West Phi.L.1delphj;-} and
l\Jnrth Philadelphia, 1940-1990 (Spring 1997): Thomas Sugrue
1998): Elijah
Sociology 006-402 Race and Ethnic Relations (Fall 1996, 1997,
. Anderson
Urban Studies 324-301 Seminar on Strategies to .Reduce Intergroup
TensioninM.ulti-CulturaL,Settings: West Philadelphia and Pemias (l Test
Cnse (Spring 1997, 1998, 1999): Daniel Romer and Hillard Pouncy
1.1.
Cluster Resource Board (see definition of Cluster Resource Board on
pClge2l)
•
. Furniture Recycling Program - In 1998-1999 Penn's Facilities Services
provided recycled furniture for use by. the school.
.
•
. PrITt Time Project Coordinators - In Spring 1999 the Goldsmith Grant is
pnwiding $10,000 and two graduate student coordinators to ,,,'ork with the
Principal and teachers on developing programs of interest to school.
rV!;.lyer
. 1.
Sulzberger Middle School
Summer Institute:
6
�,\
From 1'994 through 1998, through support of the Corporation for National
Service, Philadelphia Urban Resources Partnership, Burger King corporation,
<1nd the University, five teachers worked annually ,vith six Penn interns and
80 Sulzberger students on extending and further developing several school
year activities, particularly the Mill Creek Watershed program and
partnership projects with Aspen Farm Community Gardens.
2.
Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention:
A grant from the Corporation for National Service to Penn and Sulzberger
0993-96} assisted the development of an ongoing conflict resolution program
operating within the school day. Law students are provided 8 series of
seminars that are focused on conflict resolution and violence prevention.
3.
Community School
I
As part of its HUD-funded Community Outreach PiHtnersilip Center
Activities, the University's Center for Community Partnerships <1ssisted
Sulzberger staff and community members in establIshing a Comrnuni ty
School program to serve children, youth, and community residents during
evenings, weekends, and summers. Funding for the Sulzberger Community
School was ilpproved by the Department of Health and Hum<1n Services in
Fall 1998 and is administered by the West Philadelphia Partnership. Future
hl1lcling is ex~")ected from the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone
, Cdmmunity Trust Board. Classes are designed tei Illeet the needs of
Sulzberger's greater community and therefore are academic, cultunli, and
recreationa 1 in scope. The faculty is drawn from Sulzberger te<1chers,
community residents, neighborhood organizations, (md University
·volunteers.
I
F\:nn's National Center on Adult Literacy works vvith Su]zberger
teachers and University volunteers to teach courses in GED prepm'ation mid
job search skills. ,In addition, members of tjle West PhiJadeJphiaEnterprise
Center co-teach a course in Entrepreneurship ,,,,ith faculty (md students hom
Sulzberger's Entrepreneurial Small Learning, Community. Five
undergraduate students from the Penn WEPlC Stude.nt Organization support
;md teach classes at the Community School.
4. Extended Day Program
.Penn's Center for Community Partnerships assisted Sulzberger in obtaining a
21st Century Community Learning Century 'grant from the United States
Department of Education in December 1998. Through this grant, Sulzberger
recently in<1ugurated its Extended Day Program (EDP), which meets 3:·00
6:00pm, Mondays through Thursdays, The EDP allows Sulzberger students to
7
�p<'Irticipate in academic service learning projects that involve (llJ (~f the core
content t1reas (math, science,'social studies, and language arts) (lnd tire
grounded in a11 four of the school's s111a11 Jeani.ing c0111nnmities (Service
LeMning and Law; Environmental Studies; Entrepreneurial Business; and
Creative Arts and Career Exploration).
"
Environmental Education and Mill Creek Watershed Pi:oject
I
Since 1995, Sulzberger teachers and students, under the direction of
Environmental Small Learning Community Coordinator Glenn Campbell,
have been \,vorking with Professor Anne Spirn and her Urban Studies,
students to study the history of the Mill Creek buried floodplain and to make
recolI'lmendations for its future development. In this context, the Sulzbergei'
stndents investigate how to improve the urban watershed, address the
regional \vater quality problems, and promote sustainable C01)lmunity
redevelopment on derelict. In 1998-1999 a new small learning community of
eight' teachers in grades 6-8 has been created that,is based upon this work.
I
Activities focus on the tracking and recording of urbiln \,viller cycles,
visits to urban \vater-processing facilities, testing of waterquality,21lld
explor<'ltion of combined sewer overflow and other \vater-reltlted issues,
Tecllnological resources, Center for Community Partnerships, enable the
students to record and publicize their work. For their upcorning project, on
Mill Creek's ,history, the students will document current environmental
cond.itions vvith digital cameras, the pictures from v\l\lich they llltimately will
display on their self-created and maintained web site,
6,
Entrepreneurial Education and Community Businesses
L
Students participating in Sulzberger's "Entreprer1eurs of the 21st
Century" program currently are engaged in several projects designed to
ell lmini'lte in communitv-based sma]] businesses. First-ve(1J' Whi'lrtnn
Busiliess School students assist the Sulzberger students in learning esselitial
skills such as creating their business plans, Current student busine-sses
include a hydroponics farm (gardening without soil), a greeting card
company,and'a school store,
~
~
I
In Fall 1998, the hydroponics business students worked ""lith Penn
students and local hydroponics farmers to construct a hydroponics system
within a Sulzberger classroom. The students adjust'their system's necessary
I.ight, water temperature, and ph balance, and as they nianage their small
business budget, they access and learn relev(1nt science and mathematic
principles, A local consortium of community businesses has (llready
expressed interest in purchasing the students' products" '
8
�I
During the 1998-1999 school year, the, Center mobilized (I group of the
University's undergraduate students to conduct weekly technology-training
sessions for· Sulzberger teachers. In this capacity, the te(lchers explored such
topics (IS "Productive Use of the Internet in the Classroom" (lnd "UtilizlI}g
SpreMlsheets for Effective Organization of Student OClt(l."·
7.
Tech Scouts
Starting in Spring 1999 as part of Sulzberger'sExtended O(lyProgr(lm, the
Center worked with the school's staff to create an after-scl1001 prograln that
trains their students in computer trouble-shooting and repair. The "Tech
Scouts" are coached by undergradllates from the Wharton School of Business.
8.
West Philadelphia Tutoring Project
Undergraduates from the various departlTlents of the University volunteer to
tuhH Sulzberger students in (II] subjects. Approximately 10 Universitv
students presently work at the school in this capacity.
9.
Cluster Resource Board:
Fui-niture Recycling Program in f(lll 1998 University l::(lcilities Services
I~rovidecl recycled fUrJliture for use by the schooL
•
'10,
F'enn Courses vwrking (It Sulzberger Middle School:
L(1]ldscape Architecture and Regioll(l] Planning 601
Trclnsforming the Urban Landscape (Fall 1996, 1997, 1998): Anne Whiston
Spirn
.
,
. Management 100 Leadership and Community (Fa 11 1998): Mike
Fitzgerald
Urb;:m StLldies 320/Larp 538 Power of PI(lce:
Welter/Schools/Community (Spring, 1998) : Anne Whiston Spirn
PO\vel Elementarv School
.I
l. . America Reads:
Undergi:aduate workstudy students are working with teachers to assist with
teaching literacy in the early grades_ The program is designed as part of the ,
ll<ltiona] reading intervention program, which is aiming to facilitate learning
IhTOllgh ,smellIer group and one-on-one instruction.
')
F'ennlincs:
9
�A comprehensive early elementary science program to upgrade th.e quantity
and quality of science in math in the earliest grades (K-2) is vvorkingvvith four
teachers to inlplement a comprehensive early science program .
Comprehensive means providii1g high quality, standards-aligned
curriculum, professional development for teachers, hands-on science
materials. for the cla,ssroom, and assistance in the classroom through Penn
students.'
'
Cluster Resource Board:
Fllrniture Recycling Program - In faJl1998 University Fadlities Services
•
provided recycled furniture for use by the school.
3.
•
PClrt time Project Coordinator - In Spring 1999 the GoldslTlith Grcmt
provides discretionary funds and coordinator to work vvith Principal and
teElchers on developing programs of interest to school.
Ore'." Elementary School
].
America ReClds:
Thirty-six \,vorkstudy students are working with teachers to assist wi th
leClciling literClcy in the early grades. The progrClm is designed ,1S part of the
IlCltionaJ reading. intervention program, which is aiming to fClcilitiite le"rning
through smaller group and one-on-:one instruction.
2. Nu tri bon Clnd Health
Since Spring 1998 sever?!l Penn students work ,,,,ith
K-2 students in the
HeEllthy, \;\Tell-Thee and Fit smClll learning community on experiential
nutrition education (including school store) and related gardening activities.
These i:lctivities are a replication of selected TNAP activities a t Turner
fvliddJe School.
'
Pennllncs:
!-\ comprehensive early elementary science program to upgrade the quantity
and quality of science in math in the earliest grades (K-2) is working with six
teachers to implement a comprehensive early science program. This·
curriculum provides high quality, standards-aligned curriculum, 'professiona I
development for teachers, hands-on science materials for the classroom, and
assistance in the clas'sroom through Penn students.
"4. Penn-IvlerckCollaborative
10
�A comprehensive elementary science program focused on grades 3-6 designed
to upgrade the guantity and guality of science education. Teachers participate
over twn years i~l summer institutes and receive academic year su~'port in the
fOrlT) oJ undergraduatevolunteers, professioncll developn,ent fnrteachers,
ilnd hands-nn science materials. This curriculum particuJarly focuses on fast
p laMs
:).
Cluster Resource Board
Part time Project Coordinator - IN Spring 1999, Goldsmith Grant
provides discretionary funds and coordinator' to work with Principal and
teachers on developing programs of interest to school.
6.
Penn Courses '''lorking atprew
Linguistics 161 .Introduction to Sociolinguistics (Spring 1999): William Labov
Linguistics 470 Narrative Analysis (Spring 1999): W,illimllLClbnv
McMichael Elementarv School
.I
'I.
Cluster Resource Board
Furniture Recycling Program - In fall 1998 Universitv
LKilities Services provided recycled furniture for use by the schonl
WEST PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER
Cluster-VVide Projects
Penn worked with the School District of Philadelphia tn receive a Technology
Ch,i11enge Grant from the United States Department of Education. As part of
this effort, Penn is working with the West PhiladelphiCl Cluster'to provide
Internet training, computer trClining, and e-mail accounts to teachers across
the cluster.
W{~st
1.
Pl,ilCldelphia High School
Schonl-bClsed Community Newspaper:
11
�I
I\:,nn's Graduate School of Education assisted in the development of il
C0111.lT1Uliity studies!writing program and a desktop pubLic<ltion .center with
over 30 computers. Students produce a school-comn1Unity (:lriented
nev..spaper, QWEST, that is widely distributed tllroughout the community.
During the 1998-1999 Clcaderri~c year, QWEST is being used to support
two other projects relClted to comini.mity stl.ldies. First, it will serve as a
dissemination vehicle for a class (co-taught at both Penn nnd the High
School) in which students identify and evaluClte informati.on resou rces in
their neighborhood. Second, the paper will serve to publicize community
. forums (to be hosted and run by the students) to discuss critical issues in the
upcoming mayoral election.
I
I
The success of the West Philadelphia High and Shaw Middle School
community studies! desktop publication programs resulted in the creation of
(l c1uster-vvide (West Philadelphia High School and its ten feeder schools)
newsp(lper that has been. published sihce 1995.
Sllmn)er Program:
I
I.n 1997 in conjunctioh with Youthvvorks, approximiltely nne dozen
students worked '\vith Walnut Hill Communitv Association to inven torv the
neighborhood's trees, graffiti, and landuse, partiCldarJy V(lC(lnt I(lnd. VValnut
.Hill found this so helpful that they are exploring youth mem.bership and
recruitment drives for their Board of Directors.
/
I
In 1998, students engaged in four projects involving community
studies and community service. One group of students identified
inf(irm(ltion resources for doing research about West Phil(ldelphia, (lnd
I)rnduced (l short \;ideo describing their work. Another group worked in
omjunction with the West Philadelphia Cultural' Alliance t() begin work on ()
memorial park f6r Paul Robeson. The group learned ab()utJ~()beson'shistory
Clnd reJe\:ance to the community, and began clearing and rehabili tilting the lot
where the park will be built. Another project conducted environmental
rese(lrch, examining in pMticular the impact of cars and public transportation
on ?1ir and. vVClter quality in West Philadelphia. The fourth group performed
m?1intenance \vork on school grounds, and designed and painted a mural
over (l graffiti covered wall near the athletic fields.
:z=
Numerous projects are planned for the summer of '1999. These include
the development of .school-based busi~lesses, continued community service
()nd mural projects, community and environmental research; and tr?1ining in
computer networking and maintenance.
3.
Extended Day Program for Elementary Students:
12
�West Philadelphia High Students are working with Penn students, a GSE
student coordinator, and America Reads volunteers, to implement extended
school day and summer programs at Wilson Elementary School to pronlOte
.literacy. While assisting the operation of the afterschool program, the West
Philudelphia High students are exploring careers in educJtion. The \Nest
Philadelphia High students are paid as part of a school to \,vork project.
4.
West Philadelphia, Who We Are:
With volunteer, technical, and financial support from Penn, the
Communications, Design and Technology (CDT) Small Learning Community
is implementing a semester-long, interdisciplinary community studies
l)rogr'lm. With guidance from their teachers, students develop their own
r(~search projects about the history, culture, or economics of their
neighborhood, COlTlpiling portfolios to document their work. The project will
be completed in June 1999.
5.
The Mayoral ForUll1 Project.
During the academic year 1998-1999, students from the La\·" and Public Safety
(LAPS) Small Learning Community are working with their teacber to identify
. key issues in the upcoming mayoral election, disseminate issue briefs to the
community, and facilitate deliberative forums for their peers and community
members. The project receives professional development ,md curriculum
support fmlTI Harris Sokoloff, a professor at GSE; grant support (ron; the
Center for Community Partnerships, and volunteer support from Penn
students.
h.
The Electric Vehicle Project
Starting in fall 1998, with .financial and volunteer support from Penn,
students in the Automotive Small Learning Community are currently
engaged in a project to convert a car to electric pm,ver. The car \.vin be entered
iii. the citv science fair, and raced in the Tour de Sol, a nationCl] fClce for
"
fllternCltive power vehicles. This work followed on the heels of (1 summer
research project analyzing air and water guality in West PhiladelphiCl.
7.
Technology Mini-Grants
Using Technology Challenge and Link to Learn funds, the University is
supporting numerous start-up projects integrating technolDgy into the
curricula of the different Small Learning Communities. Tllere are
approximately ten such projects currently underway. Teachers LIse mini
grllnt funds to pay for software and ·professional development to support their
~')rnjects.
13
�S.
Skills Development Center
Penn's Skills Development Center in conjunction with Univers,il
r~lolTles/Center for Employmerlt Training (UCET) is constructing <In <ldu]t
hospitality training f<lcility on the first floor. This program 'will focus on
training adults from the West Philadelphia community and will be linked to
the school's Hospitality, Rest<lurant, Tourism Academy. The t,>\'o groups will
p<lrtner on curriculum development, internship and employment
opportunities. Additionally, 'Penn's Inn at Penn intends \0 hire
npproxilTlately two dozen Hospitality, Restaiuant, Tourism Academy students
into full time positions when the Inn opens <lround June] 999. The
Inn<lt Penn also intends to provide internship positions to the big11 schoo]
students on an ongoing basis.
9.
Penn Courses working with West Philadelphia High School:
Cnmmunic<ltions 434-401 IUrban Studies 434 Seminar in Urban
Jnf(lrm<ltionResources (Spring 1999): Oscar Gandy
English 286-401/Urban Studies 2861 Afro-Arneric<lll Studies 2891
History 286 \Nriting Community History in a Global Context (Spring 1999):
Eric Chevfitz and Farah Griffin
English 293 Literature of Social Vision (Fall 1995, 1998): Eric Clle)'fitz
cmd Farah Griffin
History 204-303 Teaching AmeriCan History: A West Philadelphia
Workshop (Fall
1995, 1996) : John Puckett arId Elisa Forgey
Education 545 Volunteerism and Community Schools (FiliI 1998-Spring
1999): Jolin Puckett, Theresa Simmons
10. Cluster Resource Board:
Furniture Recycling Progiam- In fall 1998 University Facilities Services
•
provided recycled furniture for use by the school.
Part time Project Coordinator - In spring 1999 Goldsmith Grant
•.
provides discretionary funds and coordii1atorto work with PrincipaJ and
teachers on developing programs of interest to school.
Shaw Middle School
14.
�Programs at Shaw Middle school demonstrate high levels of Penn student
;md f<lcultv involvement. Several staff and students vvork at the school on a
.'
weekly basis during the entire yeaL A significant number of add itionClI Penn
volunteers Clssist V\!ith neighborhood/school cleanups and science education
progralTls. Shm-\' tea~hers work with Penn students, faculty, and sta ff in the
iln:~ilS of environm.ental improvement, cOl1lmuni ty studies, desktop
publishing, health improvement, and school-to-vvork programs.
1. Neighborllood Improvement
In 1994, the Shaw Community Council sponsored the first community
cleClnup of the school building and grounds;, activities included interior and
exterior painting and planting new flowerbeds. Fifty students from
PcnnCORPS (Penn's pre-freshlTlan community involvenH:~nt project) as \,veJl
as Penn's Maintenance and Utilities Department helped Sh<lw comn,unity
members, teachers, staff, students, and parents to till new f]ovver beds, remove
tree stumps, and remove gr<lffiti from the exterior of the building. r\~nn
ilssisted school and community cleanups have been repea ted on several
nCC<lsions and are ongoing.
2.
Ln-Schnol Programs
In .Inly and December 1995, successful retreats involving over 40 t'eachers and
stilff mcmbers and a dozen Penn students and facultv members (Educati6n,
EnSlish, Institute for Environmentcd Studies) develc;ped ,1 frClmew(lrk for
, collnbnrCltion and community~oriented problem-solving cuniculi' thi'lt could
function ,1S the core component of a curricula thClt coultl function ilS the core
component of a University-assisted community school. The follmving are·
so.me projects that are part of this framework:
Desktop publishing/journaJism program. The AIMS Community at
ShClwrvliddle School
produces two major publications - The Community
Times <lnd Jnspir<ltions.
The Community Times begCln in 1994 as a joint project between Shaw
i1ncl Penn's independent student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian.
VVnrking with Penn volunteers,
the students at Shavv le<lr1l the basics of
jou 1"1,ClI istic pu blishing includ ing advertising,
investigi'l ti ve teporting,
and ilrticle vvriting: After writing their articles, the Shaw students
mClke
i1 field trip to The Daily Pennsylvanian headquarters on Penn's ci'lmpus to get
ilfirst- hand look at the making of a professional newspaper. Every semester,
30,000 copies of
the edition are distributed by The Daily Pennsylvanian to
'the Universitv and school
communities .
.I
fnr
,1
Tn :1997 a creative arts magazine, Ins~"irations, grevv out of the necessity
publication
that allows students to communicate more cre<ltively,
15
�while Clt the same time learning to
apply vvorld knowledge to their
irnmediClte community. Through studying \vell-known poets, wrirers, and
il rtists from around the world and their own neighborhood, ShCl\V
students create their own fine literary and artistic pieces. More than
just learning to
recognize various stylistic devices in \.vriting and art, the
students also learn to use word processing and publication as a means to
reach-ou t to their neighbors.
Environnlental Education and Improvement Project. The Science
Alliance Small Learning Comnnmity has developed outdoor educational
environment. The ne\v gardens, a result of a collaborative effort between
the Phil<ldelphia Urban Resource Project (PURP) (\vhich ilwarded Shav" two
gr<lnts), "nd the School District of Philadelphia, and Penn are located
on the
55th Street side of the building. Robert Giegengack, Professor of Geology and
Director of Penn's Institute for Environmental Science, and his
students have implemented
the following projects:
Environmental Club: over 20 volunteers through the Penn \A}EPJC
Student Org"niz.ation
help teach environmental improvement issues to
l:ight classrooms through an
interdisciplinary curricnlul1l developed with
I he leachers.
Lead Club: Students from the Science 'Alliance Small LC(lrning
Cornrnunity, in a weekly after school program, leflrn' flbout the hflza-rds of
lead exposure. These students learn how
to test for lead and implement
exposure reduction initifltives for lead and household, roxins
'throughout
the school and community.
rvlCl
Me is '(1n intergenerational service-learning progr"m where
students from Shaw
Middle School make weeklv visits to (l locill
llufsins Iwrne, ,·"here 'they work on
cooperative activities \.vith elderly
cOlllnHmitv residents. Students from the Penn WEPle
Stud en t
-'
Organization assist this program.
J
Project HeCllth: Health promotion curriculCl (i.e. health educfltion
through health
improvement activities, such as peer education and
community outreach activities) are being
co-designed and tC'lught by Shflw
teachers and students of the Penn WEPIC student orgarlization.·'
School-to-Work Program (with Turner, Tilden, Pepper, and Sayre
Middle Schools), was co-designed by Penn, the School District's office of
Education for Employment, and
Shaw teachers. The program \·vill
expose students to all aspects of local industry through (1 problem-based
learning approach.
16
�Computer Education: Volunteers of the Penn WEPIC Student
Org(1l1ization promote
computE;r literacy by sharing their kno'vvledge of
computers \,vith students and teachers.
WEPIC'voll1l1teers provide in
computer tutoring in class, small group, or individual
settings .
. Shavv Around the World. Shaw Around the World is illl
interdisciplinary curriculum
designed to teach internatioll(l1
the internet
Lmderst(lnding. The students at Shaw Middle School will use
(http://vv\v,,,,.penn-partners.org/ -lynch) as a gateway to exploring other
countries and cultures while simultaneously gaining familiarity with
Inteniet research and
various computer progranls.
As part of Shaw Around the World, intern<ltiol1(11 students from the
Universitv of
Pennsvlvania come to Shaw to lead interClctive
conversations \vith the students concerning his or her country. These visits
may include language denwnstrations and lessons, food :-;(1mpling. dance
instructinn, show and tell, and a question and ans\over period. Students at
ShelW \·..,ill be encouraged to prepare questions and
explrlin / demonstrate their projects to the
guests.
~
J
~'
VVednesday Evening School .
October 1994, Shaw opened its first Community School progra111 011
,Wedll,csdayevening. This program is similar to Turner JVliddle School's
Community School. Penn volunteers from the WEPlC Student Orgimiz(ltion
and teachers'provide the following programs:
13<lsketball Tutoring
/\ rts and Crafts
Sister Circle (discussion group for teellClge girls)
Chess Team
Tutoring (school age and pre-school)
GED CIClsses
Aerobics/HeCllth Awareness
Drill Team
1.11
Beginning Je111uary 1999, Shaw partnered with the English Lc111guage Program
at Penn in an effort to bring international students who Clre at Penn studying
EngLish into Community School as volunteers. This initiative gives theELP
students an opportunity to speak English with Cl wide variety of people, and
helps provide Community School students with an international perspective.
4. Career Mentoring
Since 1~95, PennVIPS (Volunteers in Public Service) has sponsored a career,
Mentoring program in which approximately 30 Shaw students come to Penn
once a month to work individually with a Penn staff or facnl ty mentor on
school and career related issues.
\
17
�5. Science Education
.Five te(1chers participated in the Penn-Merck science initiative iil summer
1996. This effort is designed to increase teachers' knowledge about science,
help them implement learning strategies that engage children in science, and
strengthen science learning by integrating the science and language arts
.curriculum. The project also includes a yearlong' graduate seminar for ,
teachers, p(lrtnerships behveen teachers and scientists, (llld peer mentoring by
])(lrticip(lting teachers.
The VVnmen in Science thematic living and learning progr(11ll has organized
to p;:'lrtner with (l special education science'program a Sha\", to do \veekly
science projects.
6. Summerlnstitute'
In ] 996, 1997, and 1998, five teachers worked with undergraduate Penn
interns (1nd Sha\v students on extending and further developipg severa I
school-year activities, including environmental improvement (i.ncluding the
school grounds, school gardens, and vacant lots in the COll1l1lUnity), health
prolllotion (with ,111 emphasis on.diabetes outreach),ilnd desktop publishing.
7.
Penn Courses Working At Shaw Middle Schoo.1·
Education 240 Education in American Culture (F(l]J 1995 (md Fa 11 1997):
John Puckett
Educ(1tion 820/623 CurrkllhnTI Foundations: Theory Into Practice (Fa11
199(-' through
Spring 1997): Richard Gibboney
Environmental Studies 404 Urban Environment: West PhiladelphiCl
(Spring '1997,
1998; FClll1997, 1998): Robert Giegengack
Environmental Studies 405 Urban Environment: West F'hilildelphia IT
(FCl111996 and.
1997): RobertGiegengack
History 200-922 Strategies Toward Revitalizing Urban Schools· and
Their Communities: West Philadelphia as a Case Study ,(Summer 1997,
1998): Ira Harkavy, Amy Cohen, and Cory Bm,vman
History and Sociology of Science 265-401 West PhiladelphiCl
T::nvironmental
History (Fall 1995, Spring 1996): Robert Kohler
Management 100 Leadership and Communication in Groups (Fall 1997
and 1998): Michael London & Anne Greenhalgh
Lei1 Elementarv School
.I
18
�1.
Sillurday School Science:
Initiated in January 1998, a Penn Medical School facult)T member and a
Community College of Philadelphia faculty member are teaching i'1 six week
Silturday School science program for approxim.ately one dozen students at the
Comnmnity College of Philadelphia classroom laboratories at 47th and
Chestnut.
J
Cluster Resource Board:
•
Fll.rniture Recycling Program - In fall 1998 Universilv FClcilities Services
provided recycled furniture
for lIse bv the schooL
J
•
Pilrt time Project Coordinator - In Spring 1999 Goldsmith GrClnt
provides discretionary funds and coordinator to ',vork with IJrincip"d and
teClchers on developing programs of interest to school.
LeCl Experimental Garden - Beginning September 1998, students from
•
the Wharton School, Penn Architecture students, and CI Penn M.edicCl] School
f;lCU Itv member have been designing an experimental garden. Involving
Ihree teClcilers Clnd approximately 60 students (IS ",,Tell (IS p(lrents and
community Ilienlbers, the garden will be used for innovative environmental
science curricula. The garden will also be a starting point for .student service
le(,rning activities involving neighborhood beautification ilndimprovement.
•
Technology Program - As part of a Link-to-LecHll grant, Penn students
a re working with the technology teacher in teaching approxin1ate]y 15
.
students how computers work. As part of a service learning component, these
students are being trained to fulfill the computer support needs of Lea's
ICilchers.
Access Science Fellows
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, undergrilduate and
graduate students in math, chemistry, physics, and biolog.y me vmrking are
"vith teache]:s on curriculum development and implementation.
i
4. America Counts
Undergraduate and graduate workstudy students are ",vorking "vith teachers to
ilssist with teaching math primarily in the third, fourth,ar'ld fifth grades. The
program is designed as part of the national program to develop math skills in
the younger grades and aims to facilitate learning through smaller group and
one-on-one instruction.
19
�13(\l;lnt Elementarv School
J
.
J
1. After School Sports:
Students of the Penn WEPle Student Organization play, coach,and teach
s,nccer with Bryant students. The program aims to increase students
discjpjjne~ sense of teamwork, and sportsmanship.
S;lVre Middle School
.'
1.
School-to-Work Program
The School-to Work program (with Turner, Tilden, Pepper llnc1 SllavvMiddle
Schools \vas co-designed by Penn, the School District's Education for
. Employment Office, and Sayre teachers. The program vvill expose students to
all <lspects of 10Gil industry through a problem-based learning approach.
2.
\1clltoring Program:
A weekly sports-based academic mentoring program is being set up in 1997-9R
iJetvleen 7th grade. students and Penn students.
\A/ i15011 Elementary School
'1.
/~ merica
.Reads:
Thirty workstudy students are '''lorking with teachers to (lssist with teaching
lilerclCyin the early grades. The program is designed as p<lrt of rhe n<ltionaJ
rt';(lding intervention progranl that is aiming to facilitClte le;lrning through
sm;lllergroup and one-on-one instruction.
2. Environmental Education:
Wi Ison Elem'entary School is v,rorking with ShfHV Midd Ie School to expand
the environmental education and improvement efforts started at Shav/ in
order to create a continuous, integrated, envhonmental improvement-based
.K-8 curriculum. This curriculum will be focused on community gardens
bui.lt on each school's grounds and funded by a USDA grant to the
Philadelphia Urban Resources Partnership.
'
:1.
Science Education:
Five teachers participated in the Penn-Merck science initiative in 'summer
1996. this effort is designed to increase teachers' knmvledge about science,
help them implement learning strategies that engage children in science, and
strengthen science learning by integrating the science and language arts
curriculul1l. The project also iri.cludes a yearlong graduate seminar for
20
�teachers, partnerships bet\veen teachers and scientists, and peer mentoring
l'Zl1'ticip<'lting te<'lchers.
4.
l?y
Computer Ed llcation:
Undergraduates from the School of Engineering <'Ind Ap~,lied Science in the
!)enn Science Technology Extension Progr(lm work "vith teachers and
students at Wilson in various capacities. Penn students work as teaching
assistants and provide curricular support, train teachers on computer
software and hardware, and provide technical support for computers that
need repair or upgrading.
5.
Neighborhood Improvement:
F'cnn students"are assisting (lfl ongoing community cleanu~, effort at the
school through a serie~ of joint cleanup effcirts.
6.. Extended Day and Summer Program in Literacy:
Coordinated by a doctoral student in GSE, this program has enrolled thirty
elementary students identified as academically at risk. The program is staffed
1,\' .volunteers, . 30 America Reads work stud" students from the .Universitv of
,
,
f\.:!llllsylv(mia, ten school-to-\",'ork program p(1rticipants from West
})hijndelpili(1 1-11gh School, (1nd four Wilson Elen1ent(11'Y School iC(lcilers.
AClivities include tutoring, help with homework, cllld liter(lcy-iJi1sed
·enrichment (1ctivities. The program provides 110-coSt, safe, QU(1]jty extended
d,"y cZlre for children and tutoring and literacy eductltion, plus experience
working with children for ten West Philadelphia High School students in a
school-to-work program
7.
F'AL (Police At)tletic League):
The Board of Directors of the Philadelphia PAL program and the University
F\)lice htlve ~greed to jointly sponsor a PAL progran1. It opened in /\pril 1997.
The pioneering partnership between Penn, PAL, and the school serves
children after school and evenings as well as throughout tIle summers; the
Penn Police Department with the help of student volunteers staHsit. PAL
{1ctivities include athletics, mentoring, tutoring, and will be coord inCIted with
the other extended school services at Wilson.
9.
Cluster Resource Board:
•
Furniture Recycling Program - In fall 1998 UniversitvF(1cilities Services
11rnvided recycled furniture for use by the school.
21
�•
P;,rt time Project Coordinator - In Spring 1999 Goldsmith Grclilt
provides discretionary .funds and coordinator to work with Principal and
teachers on developing programs of interest to school
10.
Penn Courses working at Wilson Elementary:
Linguistics 161/ AFAM 161 Introduction to Sociolinguistics .. (Spring
1999) William Labov.
Linguistics 470-401/ENGL 270 Nal:rative Analysis (Spring 1999)
VVillialll Labov.
BARTRAM. HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER
Turner M.id d Ie Schoo.1
.01' the 12 West Philadelphia public schools in \vhich WEPIC nper(ltt:s, the
program at the Turner Middle School has functioned as the pilot prog1'(1111 for
the entire effort. WEPIC projects at Turner demonstrate hj.~h levels of Penn
stlldent (lnd faculty involvement.
1. School Day Program.
Turner is divided into four small learning communities,each
cnnsisting of a pair of teachers in eachofthe threegrades, 6-~th. Three of the
four s11li.111 Jemning communities are thematically based i.111d ,ire Clffiliated
with the WEPIC program. These three small learning «11ll1Tmnities-HeaJth
Clild Nutrition, Community and Environmental Studies, and Conflict
Resolution-involve 23 teachers and over 600 students. A school-wide
school-to-career project was begun in 1995-96. Turner publishes (l teen
illag(lzine that includes articles, photographs, and artvmrk reflecting the \vork
of i.111 of the school's small learning communities. lil order to publish the
magazine students examine careers in journalism 'and publishing; they have
explored a variety of other career paths, including sports and fashion, in
developing articles for the magazine.
•
Health and Nutrition:
,
,
The nutrition curricululll has been developed with the ,'lSSistcll1Ce of Pelln·
Professor of Anthropology Francis Johnston. As part of their course work,
Penn students teach a 11lltrition curriculum and are \-vorking with the Turner
students 011 the publication of a nutrition textbook appropriate to this African
i\ meriCi.111 community. Students learn about healthy nutrition habits, basic
22
�science relating to nutrition, and engage in school and col1lHlunity health
irnprovernent projects. The Penn Anthropology students ()re also involved in
() longitudinal study of the nutrition status of Turner students. Interns
funded by the Kellogg Project to Link Intellectual Resources and Comrnunity
Needs (Cl grant from the WK Kellogg Foundation) at the University of
F\~nnsylv(lnia are creating curricula and implementing otilerprojects related
to these c(~urses.
'
CLlITently, Thirty Penn students are working on the Turner Nutrition
Avvareness Program both as traditional volunteers and as participants in
Anthropology 310. Their work with 120 6th and 7th graders (4 classrooms)
includes nutrition education, operatioi, of the school store, as well as
tT()ditional and hydroponic gardening.
Beginning in 7th grade, students are peer teachers on nutrition topics for
other Turner students as \vell as s,tudents at Turner's Head StJrt progrmTI and
Iwn elementary schools. Seventh graders also operate a fruit and' vegetable
stand cJlled "Fruits R Us, and Vegetables Too." The fruit stand W(lS
developed' by Turner students and teachers \vith the assistance of Penn
undergraduates and is part of the nutrition edUGltion and promotion project,
The fruit stand is open to the entire school and community several times
each week; the store curriculum has expanded to include entrepreneurial and
h1l5in~ss concepts.
Some eighth graders participate in health-related v,Iork-based Jccirning. These
stllclcnb trJvel ","eekly to Misericordia Hospital and Mercy D()t1g.iJSS Senior
Ccnter to be mentored in" all phases of the operation of the facilities-dietary,
neo-nJtal, respiratory, and adplinistration--by an assigncd individuJJ.
Also, Penn Dental students provide a series of oral health promotion
senlinars on generCll nutrition, oral hygiene, and careers in the dental field.
This is part of a service learning course taught by Herman SegJI, Associate
0(:;111 for Community Relations, Dental School.
"
•
Confl.ict Resolution:
Students in the Conflict Resolution small learning community engage
in activities and curricula designed to teach healthy decision making skills.
In conjunction with the West Philadelphia Partnership, the lJniversity of
Pennsylvania and a grant from Healthy Start, 7th and 8th graders are
involved in Peer Power Health Promotion project in which they learn to
I1lJke heCllthy decisions and write and perform short vignettes. These skits
;)J'~~ performed for their peers at Turner and other schools in order to teach
decision-making skills to their peers. Some of these students (Ire also
23
�I'
involved in an' afterschool theater arts progri'lm desiglled to focus students'
expressive skills and to improve their ability to ~~eer teach.
, Eighth gri'lders atTurner are involved in a highly successfu I Peer Mediat-ion
progr<ll1l. Turner teachers and counselors train the 8th graders to nlediate
d.isputes between students, and occasionally, between teachers and students.
The program has been 100';1.) successful over the last three years in preyenting
Iherecurrence.of any conflict mediated by the peer mediators. -Penn Liv"
:::;tudentsprovide a series of seminars that focus on conflict resolution and
violence pi"evention.
•
Comrhunity and Enviroi1l11ental Studies:
.. Since the. 1996-97 school'year, Community .and Elwironmental Studies
students have been involved in the de\!elopment of em indoor hydroponics
;lIld conventional garden and in designing <In outdoor athletic. complex for
Turner. Sixth graders ha\ie worked v,7ith professioml1 architects ('md planners
from the Foundatioil for Architecture to develop the pl(I115 lor both (if these
IJrojects. Suppol~ted by University of Pennsylvania students find (1 ,~r{1nt fronl
thePhibdeiphia Urban Resources Partnership, the gardening project shcmld
be completed during academic year 97-98. .
.
Students from professor Robert Giegengack's seminar, Environmenta I
Studies 404, hC:lVe worked "vith teachers at Turner to teach students about. the
h"zilrds of lead in the environment and to teach lead avoidc'lllCe strategies: .
') I~xtended-Day Programs.
VVEPTCs after school enrichment programs are open to 311 studenfs at
.
Tlli'ner, not only those in the WEPle small learning COlll11ll11lities. These
programs are taught by Pennuhdergradua'te and graduate students .in
(onj.unctionwitb school teachers. These include:
• Through afederal Healthy Start grant awarded by the.City's Office of
Maternal and Child Health, several Penn students are '''lorking \vith 15 8th
grilde students to develop peer education workshops that \>\Till inn in 4th
grilde c1assrooil1S at neighborhood elementary schools. Twenty 6th, 7th, and
:::ltb gr<1de students also participate in the Healthy Choices After Schoo.1 Club,
.which runs on Mondays and Wedpesdays.' ' .
.
Peer Pmver Education Program. A drama project aimed atpreve.nting
•
teen pregnancy and promoting healthy decision-nlaking skills, funded by. <1
H.ealthy Start grant, is coordinated by Penn graduate students. Turner'
students learn about making healthy social choices and then \vrite,produce
<mel perform vignettes about making appropriate choices. In past years, the
program has produced full-length stage performances: These productions
24
�been videotaped and class discussion guides developed. Students also
developed a curricuh1l11 and computer game focused on he;:llthy decision
making skills. The game and curriculum have been distributed to iOC211
~ll1blic schools. The gm11e is also located on the W\NW.
hiWC
•
Cldtural Enrichment. Students take field trips to points of interest and
cultur;:d events, often at Penn's Annenberg Theater.
•
Lcmdscaping/Community Beautification. Penn students ,'lssist this
ongoing program that works with school staff, students and cOlTlmunity
members.
• Desktop Publishing. Da Bomb Squad is a group of 6th gr21de students \·vho
produce their O\",n Hip Hop and R&B magazine. Volunteers from the Penn
WEPJC Student Organization aid students in the entire process or desktop
publishing, including writing, editing, sol,idting ads, Clnd interviewing.
3. S"turd<1yMorning C01T1l1llmity School.
.From 1989 to 1998, over 200 community members participated in free
"(,,dentic, cultural and recreational classes each year. Cl(1sses \-vere taught by
cnrnmunity members, Penn staff or student volunteers i1nd <111 ci(1sses were
il
h.:'d by students of the Penn WEPIC student org<1niz<1tinll .
. C<1reer Mentoring.
Since J997, PennVTPS (Volunteers in Public Service) h<1s included Turner
students in its <1 career mentoring program in \·vhich <1pproximZlteJy 30 Turner
~students come to Penn once a month to work individui1.lly \v.ith <1 Penn staff
or f<1cultv mentor on school and career related issues.
J
•
.
5. Summer Institute ..
Fro11'1 1991-1998,the Institute included over 100 incoming sixth graders
l::lught by 10 Turner teachers, and several Penn grClduateand undergrClduClte
students. The curriculum ,,,,as based on the thematic smClIl learning
communities: health promotion, conflict resolution, vvriting for pl;-blicatiol1,
technology, and environmental and community studies. The
undergraduates worked with the Turner students on reinforcing the
Cllrriculum through story writing, games, and production of skits and
presentations for the community. The Penn students participated .in the
Summer Institute as part of the Public Service Summer Internship program,
\",hich also includes a research seminar on the "Strategies for Revitalizing
Urban Schools and Their Communities: West Philadelphia CIS ";\ C()se Study"
t;lUght by In Harkavy, Amy Cohen, ()nd Cory Bowman.
�h, Vderin<1fy School.
Veterinary School faculty give occasional presentcltinns (lil science.
health, and ()nimal issues for grades 6-8. Vet School f()culty i)I(l), (1n ;Ktive role
in (1 problem-based unit on lyme disease as'p()rt of elll eigllth-gri.'lde
interdisciplinary curriculum.
7. Penn Courses working at Turner Middle School:
Anthropology 205-301 Health in Urban Communities (Spring 1995, 96):
FrClncis Johnston,
Anthi'opology 310-301 Biomedic(ll Science ()ndHllm(ln
AdClptClbiLity (Spring 1993,
1994.1995,)996,1997,,1998,1999): Fr()llcis .Iohnst(lil.
Environniental Studies 404-301 Urban Environment: VVest
Phil(ldelphi(l (FaH1997,Spring 1997, Spring 1998): Robert Giegengack
H islor:,' 200-922 Strategies TCHvard Revitalizing Urb(ln Schools (lnd Their
Cl'lmmunities: \!\iest Philadelphia as a Case Study (Summer 1997. '1998): l.fa
I-:l(lrbvv, DLlvid Grossman and Corv Bm·vman.
. ; .
"
Denta I School A Selective: Community Dent() I .Health Experiences (S},ring
1994,
1995, and 1998): Dr. Joan Clutch
/\nderson Elementary Seliool
'I .. Sllmmerlnstitute:
. Inl
Anderson implemented a Summer Institute for (lppn)Xilll;llely 25
Anderson students that was assisted bv a Penn 'graduate student in Education
.,
['hat WClS simi13r to the Turner program.
2. Peer Teaching:
Turner Middle School students, including those with specizllneeds, are peer
teachers to Anderson Elementary School students in kindergarten and first
gr(lde. The children focus on literacy through a creative \"'riting progranl and
through reading for enjoyment.
.
ivlULTT-SCl-IOOL AND OTHER WEST PHJLAOELP1HA INITIATIVES,
I, Cluster .Resource Boards:
. .In June 1998, The University of PennsylvaniCl elected tnserve ns Lei:1d
Partner fo'r both 'tl1e University City and West Philadelphia Cluster Resource
26
�Board's. Ira Harkavy, Associate Vice President and Director of the Center for
. Community Partnerships, and Susan Fuhrman, Dean of the Graduate School
of Education, ,,,;ere named as Co-Chairs for these boards. In October 1998,
JnsephineRobles was hired as the full time Coordin(1tor
After consultation with Cluster a11d commuility leadership, it' was
decided that the Cluster Resource Boards 'Nollld focus on four (1reas of
concentration:
1. Professional Development
2. Curriculum Development
3. School-to-Career Opportunities
4. Expanded Services to Children and their Families
A Cluster Resource Board is an initiative developed by the School
District of Philadelphia. The School District is divided into 22 "Clusters",
consisting of one High School and 10-12 "feeder "schools," which (He headed
bv (1 Cluster Leader. The Cluster Resource Boards are a collaborCltion between
.'
the Cluster, a Lead Partner, local businesses, community and civic
(1SS0ci8tions, (1nd Cluster/school staff.
'
2. i\ mericaReads: The America Reads Challenge is 811 illiti8tive created by
President Clinton to get volunteers to tutor children who are learning to read.
The Univers.ity of Pennsylvania recognizes tIle necessity for higher eds
throughout the nation to become 'involved in literacy issues. For this reason,
Ihe University community is contributing (1 great deal of time ,md resonrces
illW<1rds the challenge. On a national level, Penn h(l5 bt':c(lml': highly (lctiyein
camp(1igning for nation-wide university involvement in the progr<llll.
Within our West Philadelphia community, students of the University
hours per week. In (1ddition to the impressive
numbers of general community work-study students working clt the
Universitv, nearlv 50 new students have been alloc(lted AmeriGl Reads \vorkstudy jobs. These students work along side scores of volunteers. These
students, both undergraduates and graduate, participate in aftel'-school and
r<::(,ding intervention programs through elementary schools, community
centers and day care centers throughout West Philadelphia.
.1
re dedicating over 300
J
J
,
3. -rhe W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant To Link Intellectllcll Res(nii'~es And
Community Needs at the University of Pennsylvania is sponsoring graduate,
(1nd undergraduate Penn students to work in local schools, particularly
Turner Middle School, Shaw Middle School and University City High School.
The Kellogg Foundation focuses on the praCtical application of knowledge
and resources to improve guality of .life, in both the present as \.",ell as the
fu ture. Students are working on various projects related to Kellogg's 3 Project
Areas: Nutrition and Health, Environment and Health, (1nd Cu.ltural and
Comnlunity Studies. Tbe Kellogg Foundation sponsors 8c(ldemIC(1\Jy b(lsed
c
�C(111l1Tll1nity service learning courses (approximCltely 50 courses) ;lnd
individu(\l undergraduate and graduate student fellmvships (approx. 20 per
vear).
o
4. The Goldsmith Foundation awarded Penn $150,000 for the :I 998-] 999
academic year to support programs in Drew Elementary, Lea Elementary,
PO\vel Elementary, Wilson Elementary, University City High, and West
.Philadelphia High. Each school works with one or two graduate student
coordinators and $10,000 for program support and curriculum development..
5. In 1997, HUD avvarded GSFA's City and RegionaJ PL:mning Department a ,
Comrnunity Development and Planning Work Study Grant th(\t funds four
sraduate interns per year for two years to engage University City Hjgh School
~Iudents \·vith community (\gencies in local planning efforts.
6. In 1996, HUD awarded Penn a Community Outreach Partnership Center
(COPC) grant ($400,000 over three years) to work with the West Philadelphia
Empovvermellt Zone and adjacent areas. Some of this \-\lork is based at
University City High School and Sulzberger Middle School and supports
projects wi th SAS, GSE, Wharton, and GSF A facu Ity. Other ~";roject ?lreas
include neighborhood revitalization, minority entrepreneurship,and '
cornmuni ty organization and planning.
7.
/\ .ProgrClm in Nonprofits, Universities, Cornnll1l1i ties, ;1 nd SebeH).!::; \V?lS
funded by for W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Decembel: 1997 ($'800,000 over four
years). The progrClm develops school-related progrClms such (\s community
?lsset lll(\pping, youth service, and leadership development, and nne seminar
for te(\chers on school-community collaboration, as well as provide training
,md technical Clssistance to West Philadelphia nonprofits.
j
,
8. The UndergrClduate Social Science Initiative, vvhich WClS funded 1993-1997
by the Ford Foundation and coordinated by the Penn Progr(\lll for Public
Service, sponsored approxim,ately 50 students to work in loca I schools,
pCll'ticularly Turner Middle School, University Cityl-figh Scho'nl, Sulzberger
Middle School, Clnd Shav\; Middle School. Students worked on (\ range of
projects including nutritional evaluation and improvement, violence
prevention and peer mediation, and implementation of school-to-vlOrk
transition programs. The initiative sponsored academically based
comn1l1nity service through both service-learning courses (approximately 40
sti..1dents) and individual internships (19 students).
.:
9. Penn has received a grant from Link to Learn, an initi<ltive of PCl.
Governor Ridge and the Department of Education to encourage the use of
technology in public schools. The grant has resulted in connecting severa I
:::;chonls (West Philadelphia Cluster Office, West Phil(\delphi{lHigh, Sayre
Middle, Shaw Middle, Wilson Elementary, Turner Middle and Sulzberger
28
�iVliddle) to the Internet and providing them vvith technical and curriculum
(l stimce in the areas of environmental improvement, commun.ity
newspapers, and community information systems. Perm's corporC1te partners
rn(ldc significant donations to enable the Internet connections. They are
ClbleTn1n Systems, TriState Telecommunications, Bell Atl<mtic, ;)!lel DCAnet.
10. Penn \·vorked v/ith the School District of Philadelphia to receive a Tech
ChCl.Uenge grant 1n1995. Since that time Penn has been providing technical
(lnd support and curriculum development to West Phihldelphia (lnd
Un.iversitvCitv Cluster Schools.
.
J
.I
11. Significant interest in WEPle's work has been expressed by institutions of
higher educabon across the country.
J1.l. rnllcnving a two-year'planning period supported by the DevVitt
VV'll1 ..l Ce-Reader's Digest Fund in 1994, the Fundawarded ,1 three-yl:~(lr, ~1
million grant to replicate the WEPlC program at the University o( Kentucky
Lexington Campus, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, ,1IldMi(lmi
University of Ohio (the vwrk focused on Cincinn(lti). The gr(1nt \vas (llso .
dedicilted tll strengthening the national netvvork of institutions interested in
Ihis.work. ,Second level funding for $932,000 \;\'(lS awcuded by t.he Fund in
November 1997. This continued funding supports the existing replkation
sites, cre(lte three new replication sites, a!ld strengthen the provision of
technical l'Issistance through Penn's conferences nnd workshops, ,111 online
d,ltabl1se, (md ,'I journal, Universities a!"d Community Schools.
In August 1997, the Corporation for National Scrvice-Le(lrn ilnd Serve
Americil aWl'Irded the WEPlC Replication Project $175,000, rencw21ble for !'In
addition(l] two yenrs, to further develop its work l'It three additiol1(l1 new sites
ncltinnally,
'1'1.2.
12.
Lncl'Il WEPle replication efforts have been supported by the
Cmpnrl'ltion for National Service. Also, in August 1997, the Phi ladelphia
I-ligiler Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND)
aWl1rded this consortium of 28 institutions of higher education in the
Philildelphia an~a a grnnt of $290,000, renewable for two ye21rs, to develop
service-learning' courses at area institutions of higher education as well as
sl1pport community initiated projects which will be assisted by il university or
colle'T.
t)
Penn's Information Systems and Computing department has dedicated
<111 lnternet server [partners.upenn.edu] to Penn's West Philadelphia school
p'll"tners. This is part of a "technology ai1d communications initiative" that
u Itimi?ltely intends to link the schools to Internet gatew(lYs and to Penn's
computing systems. Staff from Bartram High School, \Nest PhiL'ldelphia
High School, University City High School, Turner Middle. School, Shaw
13.
29
�Middle School, Sulzberger Middle School, Anderson Elenlent(lry School, and
Wilson Elementary School have received modems and Internet 'l(COlmts.
\Ve (Ire in the planning stages to create ongoing technical i'lssi sti'l nee, teacher
deve.1opment and curriculum development progri'lms for elementi'lry, middle
. school i'lnd high school teachers in the West Phili'ldelphii'l i'llld University Ci ty
r-ligh School clusters. (This progri'lm involves WEPle, the PhiJadelphii'l
Schools CollaborCltive, the Penn-Merck Science Collaborative, i'lnd the School
District.)'
Penn's Data Communications and Computing Services depi'lrtment
14.
rmd the Center for Community Partnerships pli'lyed a key r01ein the School
District of Philadelphia's receipt of a $5.3 million TechnnJogy ChaJlenge Grant
from the US Department of Education. Penn is (lssistingthis city-wide
initiCltive by providing technical support, computer literi'lcy training, Internet
,lCcess ;:lnd email accounts to approximately 300 WestPhilcldelphia tecichers.
15.
Penn's Data Communications and Computing Services department
Clnd the Center for Community Partnerships worked in the summer '95 and
'C)() In creClte the homepage infrastructure for a comprehensive, hyper-media,
lnternet-accessible database on West Philadelphia
Ihttp://pi'lrtners.upenn.edu]. West Philadelphia students, throllgh projects
based in the school-d(ly curriculum, will be the informZltion providers fnr this
\'ibrClnl, constantly updated, community-accessible cl(1tabase.
Through the sponsorship of the National Science FoundCltinn, the
Penn-Merck CollClborative for the Enhancement of Science EduGltinn brings
\()gether the University of PennsylvClllia's Graduate School ot'
l1Ciltion,
School of Engineering alid Applied Science, and School of Veterinary
Medicine, the Merck Institute for Science Education, and the School District of
Philadelphia to enhance the teaching and learning nf science in Philadelphia
('lemellt(l1'Y schools. This effort is designed to increase teac11ers' knO\vleclge
;~l'\nut science, help them implement learning strategies thM engage children
in science, and strengthen science learning by integr(1ting the science Zlnd
i(lnguZlge arts curriculum. Its primary focus is on teachers in the
eJementili"y schnols in the Disti"ict's southwest region, the \Nest Phil(ldelphia
region Zldjacent tn Penn. The project includes a Summer Institute, ,1 yearlong
grilduate seminar for teachers, partnerships between teacbers i1nd scientists,
(lnd peer rnentoring by participating teachers.
.
16,
:17,
Penn's Maintenance and Utilities Department initiated Operation
Fresh Start, an annual one-day event in which sixty volunteers (Penn trades
people from Local 835 Operating Engineers Union and management from
P"~nn's Physiccll Plant Depar~ment) rehabilitate and maintZlin fZlcilities at a
University-assisted community school. This is coordinated with Inc(ll schools
through the principal, the School District, and trade unions and builds upon
30
�the Milintena.nce and Utilities Department's \-\'ork Clt Sha\vMidd.le School i.n
filiI 1994. The first Fresh Start site was Sulzberger Middle School . in June 1995.
18.
As part of the Dental School's 35 hour mandatory community service
requirement, Dental students perform oral screenings and ora I hygiene
education throughout the City. Most of the 5,000 screenings each year are
with children in the public schools. Additionally, a service Jearning course
(Clpproximately fifteen students) taught by Herman Segal, Associate Dean for
Community Reliltions, provides a series of eight orCll heCllth promotion
c;eminClfs to t\vo Turner Middle School classrooms on general nutrition, oral
hygiene, (lIld careers in the dental field.
19.
As part of the Law School's 35 hour mClndatory community service
requirement, approximately 70 Law students proVIde a series of ten to twenty
IClw related classes at a number of Philadelphiil schools, including University
Ci ty High School, Bartram High School, Bartram Health and Hurn(,111 Services
ACildemy,Rhodes Elementary School, Lea Elementt'lry School, Turner Mjddle
School, Sulzberger Middle School, and Shavv Middle School. The c1Clsses use
il discussion of lJw and legal theory to demonstrilte alternCltive solutions to
«lntlict. Apprnximiltely thirty teachers who pCll'tner with the L1W students
p;ll'ticipi'lted in a three-day summer developmentprogrtlrn.
20.
F\~nn students and staff volunteers \vorking v,'ith VVEPIC <lrc leaching
computer skills to teachers in several schools. Weekly rlfter school sessions
nre provided at Turner and Shaw Middle Schools and Wilson Elementary.
The volunteers also provide in-class assistance to each school's teachers and
students. This project expanded significantly in '96-'97.
21.
.The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP), co-directed by il faculty
mcrnber from the Graduate School of Education imd il teClcher on speciaJ
,lssignment from the School District, works vvith 282 kindergilrten througll
] 2th grilde teachers throughout the School District tn in'guire ilbol1t writing,
teilching, illld learning in their own c1assroorns ilnd schools, Est,lblished ill
1986 as illl urban teacher collaborative and school-university pClrtnership,
PhilWP is a site of the National Writing Project, the largest staff development
project for teachers in the country. Approximately 41 of the teachers work in
\A/est Philadelphia Schools.
, 22.
The West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, coordinated by Civic House,
Penn's volunteer office, works with approximately 350 Penn students who
tutor locaJ middle school and high school students weekl)T on Cl one-to-one
bClsis. The Project operates in over 20 West Philadelphit'l schools Clnd is in its
ninth -'
veilr.
Severill of the participants in the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project ·take a
re]ilted course in the Graduate School of Education:
31
�·
,
Ed uca tion J23 Tutoring in West Philadelphia Public Schools: Theory and
Practice (Fall 19.96, Fall 1997): Linda Hansell
23.
Physics for Philly. Doug Cowen's program does special physics
demonstrations in se\Jeral West Philadelphia 111iddle schools.
'
Nearly 50 MBA students spend an hour five days (1 \veek tutoring
24,
students in West Philadelphia's junior and senior high schonls as pm:t of the
SClY Yes to Education program. lnthe program's 10 years, .the dropout rate for
~tl1dents has decreased, and more than half have gone to college. VVharton,
students have also helped their young proteges seek financial assistance from
10((11 sponsors for college tuition.
25.
Wh8rton's Young Entrepreneurs Program matched Wharton M.BAs
with high school stlidents "vho have an interest in starting their own
businesses. The students work \viththeir Wh8rton mentors to develop CI
business plan and make presentations to venture Glp~t()1 bOilrds. L"lst year,
neClrly 30 high school students participated, Clnd $2,500 W<lS <lwi1rded in st<lrt
\I p cO) pi t'll.
.
2G.
School of Arts and Sciences. The Institute for Envil:01lment,d Studies
Ihrnugh <l course taught by Robert Giegengack on I'Urb<ll1 Environment ,and
UrbilllHealth" helps Shaw Middle School students perform lead testing and
implement expos~ue reduction initiatives for lead and household toxins
throughout the school and community. Close to 900 students (lnd their
(,lmilies h<lve been served.
27.
School of Nursing. Nursing students are involved in providing
inforrnCltion, primary health care and immunizations t(lW(-~SI T'hil<ldelphia
Over 1,000 children received health promotion inform() tinn, more than 500
received primary health care, and approxImately 650 were i·mmunized.
'
28.
School of Medicine. The school of Medicine has initiated the
following programs:
Gig Sisters Program. Based at Turner Middle SchooL 75, first year,
feniale, medical students are matched with 6th 8th grade girls.
Edison High School Project. Latino medical students provide tutoring
for] Oth biology students, serve as mentors for aspiring doctors and assist \-\lith
classroom instruction.
r::ducational Pipeline. Mentoring and.tutoring progr<lm for high school
i'lt Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia.
-Elementary School Nutrition Programs. Eleven first year medical
quden and one education student teach a nutrition course to students at the
ivlitchell School in West Philadelphi,a.
32
'
�•
High School Health Fairs. , Medical students host hea Ith fairs at area
high schools provide information on diseases, drugs, a kohol, contraception,
nutrition and blood pressure.
.
•
I-Jigh School Research Program for Minority Students & EduGltors.
T,,'enty-fourtalented 10th 12th grade high school students \vork with
principa Ion research projects in the schools of Medicine, Veterinary,
Dentistry, Arts & Sciences and Engineering.
•
Operation Outreach. Minority medical students visit Girls, William
Penn, Philadelphia, and George Washington Carver high ann~lally tCl discuss
· the dangers of drug abuse, the importance of cOITlpleting school <'Ind
prepatation for college and medical school.
•
ST A TS. Students Teaching AIDS to Students is and AITler.ican Medical
Student Association task force in its third year. Medical students are trained
<lnd ,~o in pairs to loca 1 schools, conlmunity groups (lnd oq;'clllizations to teach
students in grc?\des 5 - 12 a mini course on HIV and AIDS.
Teen .1\10nl Mentoring PI'ogram. Medical students are paired with
•
· pregn,mt teens from University City High School to encourcl
respnnsibiJities and pursuit of personal aspirations.
•
Turner Project. Medical students teach Saturday clilsses,· ~~rovjde hea Ith
screenings and p'reventive care education to the community. J-Ieillth
screenings are conducted every other month by faculty and students.
.
.
School of Social Work. Social W.ork interns are placed Clt various
W(~st Phi]'C1delphia schools \-vhere they provide Cl variety of serv.ices. The
interns fClcilitClte groups, assist with problem solving/self il118ging; they w.ith
tCClchers and they develop projects designe<;l to improve qUCllity of life issues'
fur students.
29. .
.n.
i
GrClduate School of Education. Program organized tn tTelinPenn
students and West Philadelphia teachers. Groups will Jearn hen,v to make
effective use volunteers and students will be better sensitized to the ethos and
culture of the community.
:n.
Annenberg School. Graduate students vvork with Turner Middle
Schonl enrolled iil Saturday School to examine "Communicati<;ns and
rvl cd iel."
G
.
'
.
.
..
Dental School. Dental Education and Screenings. Dental students
pnwidc dental education and screenings at various \Nest Philadelphia
middle and elementary schools.
Veterinary School. School developed a videotape about becoming a
Veterinarian and the tape is forwarded to various schools, il1C1uding West
Philadelphia schools, on request. The School holds an Open House every hvo
· yeClrs where West Philadelphia students others are in\'ited to visit the New
1301 tc)n Center to learn. about caring for large arlimals.
33
�ACADEMICALLY BASED COMMUNITY SERVICE COURSES
Courses. Supported By the Centei' For COlTHTIunity Partnerships ThClt Focus
On West Philadelphia And/Or The Public Schools
This is an attempt at a comprehensive list of Academically Based Community
Service Courses. Courses listed above under a specific ,school are also listed
belo\,v. Additionally, the are several courses based at multiple schools are
011 Iv listed below .
.I
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
•
Afro-American Studies 160/ pNG 160 (FClll 1997, 1998,. ]999):
.introduction to Africc11l American English The Relevance of Linguistic
Rest'Clrch to Social Problems of ContemnorClfv Societv: V\lillian) Labnv
j . l
Thb course involves working with teachers and students to inlprove student
reClding Clnd literacy.
.
.I
•
A fro-Arnerican Studies 161/ LING 161 (Spring 1999, 2000): The
Socioluginuistics of Reading in Inner City Schools VViUialTl - bov
This cnurse is cl continuation of AFAM/UNG 1(,0. The course is (1 seminar
devllted to the improvement of reading in the inner tity schools, b<lsed on the
experience of students in tutoring children in the 2nd to 51]1 grades in tv,-'O
\tVest Philadelphia schools. Students will pClrticipate as tutors in <In Extended
D<ly Program in these schools \,vith children who Clre one to t'wn yenr:::: behind
in the re~ding grade level. Principles and materiClls for the teaching of reading
developed in the first term of the course will be used by members of the class.
The wurse \villconsist of a series of case studies of indi:,.,iduaJ children,
,lila Iyzing their progress in reading on the basis of linguistic, psychological
<llld sociological information. Tutors\vill gather inf()rmation on children's
f<llllily. All members of the class will participate in the discussion and analysis
to improve the materials nm·" being used, and apply the improved methods
in their o'vvn tutoriilg. The course will interact \,\lith the reading research
project being conducted at the linguistics Laboratory in collaborCltion \vith the
Oa kland School Board. The project is designed to develop methods for the
teClching of reading that take into account he home language and culture of
African American children.
.,
.•
Afro-American Studies,289/ ENGL 286/ URBS 286/ 11IST 286 (Spring
1999, 2000): Writing Community History in a Global Context Eric Cl)eyfitz
<1nd FarClh Griffin
The course \,vill be taught at West Philadelphia High School ,md \vill
involve the Penn and West students in a collaborative effort to research and
wri te community history around such issues as schools, hOUSing, (lnd jobs.
34
�The course is interdisciplinary and will involve the students in reClding
n1Clteri(l1 from literClture, history, urban studies, (lnd sociolngy.
•
Afro-American Studies 370 (Spring 1999) Studying the Bottoms::
Wil1iClm Eric Perkins
,
.
This course wm explore both the recent. history of the neighborhood known
(IS the Black Bottorns and analyze the socialand economic changes in the
neighborhood. Students will work closely with UCHS students in research·
teCl1l1S Clfound a number of areas: looking at the history of the neighborhood
since the World War II, drawing a demographic profile of the neighborhoocl"
looking Clt shifts in population, hOUSing, income, and occnpCltion, and
c(lrefully looking at the problems the community fClces <It the end of the
millenniu.m. Emphasis will be placed on cultivClting (lnd developing
qU(lntit(ltive .(lnd gualitative research skills that may then be tnmslated into a
pnlicy agenda. In addition, the course will be a collabor(ltion with Dr. Walter
PCllmer, a "Bottoms" resident, and a repository of much of its history. Finally,
t'he course wili feature a number of guest lecturers-- c;nmmunity activists,
loc(l] politicians, educators, and others.
•
Afro-American Studies 400 (Fall 1995,1996)997) Recdizing W.E.G.
DuBois' Strategy of Science aildSocial Science E.eform for African:-Anlerican
. Liber(ltion: West PhiladelphiCl as a Test Case: Wesley Pugh, Progr(lm
EV(l.iUiltnr ,lnd .Researcher, School District of Phil(lde]phi(l.
The course examines the philosophy, strategy, (lnd life of Dul30is with a foclls
(lll his concept of the "Talented Tenth." Students become involved in
cnmmllnitv service in an effort to translate Du Bois' vision for West
Phi l(ldelphia.
~
•
Afro-American Studies 407 (Spring 1998)lnterdiscipiinary Action
Seminar in F(lCldty-Student Collaboration Learning (lnd .Research:
Overcoming the 'Savage Inegualities' in the Americ(ln SocietCl\ (lnd SchooL
Svstems: Wh(lt Is To Be Practicallv Done : 1r" Harkavv Clnd Lee Benson
-::
.I
- . J
•
American Civilization 401/ ENGL 401/ URBS 406 (Fl)IJ 1995, 1996, 1997,
1998, 1999) Teaching American Studies: Peter Conn
The tv.'o-credit course exposes students to an interdisciplinary curriculum
combining American literature arid history. Working collaboratively, the
senlin(lf and University City High School teachers of English, Social Studies,
Art, and Music develop interdisciplinary curricula. The course incorporates
much of the High School's curriculum as a point of departure for its mvn
rese(l]'ch. In addition, undergraduate students serve as assistant teachel:s at
University City High School.
Anthrop()\ogy 115 (Freshnun Seminar) (Spring 2000) Anthropological
Perspectives on Social Issues: Comparing Philadelphia vvith the USA and the
World: Paula Sabloff
35
�This course is designed to introduce students to (lnthropoJogic(1/
i'ppwaches to social isslles such as cultural survivCll, economic. surviv(1\,
sotia.iizCltion into cClpita1ism Clnd sometimes poverty, [Clcism, lllClrginCllity, and
gender relCltions. We will read social theory (e.g., Km'l MClrx, AdCl11l Smith,
[vUchel Foucault, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Pierre BOUl-dietl) relevClnt to the
<lssigned ethnographic accounts of communities in other pClrts of the USA
,mel <1 [ound the world (focus on the USA, Latin AmeriGl, and AsiCl) Clnd ",.;ill
broClden our understanding of these communities and social issnes throllgll
various mediCl (film, museum collections, and Clrchiva.i Clnd Web mClteriCll) .
. As ptlrt of the CEnter for Community Partnerships, the clClSS requires students
to combine community service with original 'Clnthrop%gic<1i reseclfch
(students \·\,ill receive help in finding proper placement in' an orgClnizCltion if
they \'Vi'lnt help). Studentresearch will be used to help determIne whether or
not (and ho\v) the social issues that we read about are occlHring in
Philadelphia.
•
Anthropology 205 (Fall 1994, Fa111995, Spring ]996) HeClJth in Urban
C(lll1l1lunities: Francis Johnston
The cnurse introduced students to the history ()f community schools an.d the
Wt:sl PhilcldelphiCl comn-iunity, as well as teaching research mel'hods (lnd the
<lllthrnpology of heCllth. Students in the course developed curriculunl <md
teach health topics to Turner Middle School students vvhn, in turn, taught
these health lessons to their peers. The course focuses on nutrition
intervention to improve eClting habits.
•
Antllropo]ogy 206 (Spring 1994, 1995) Directed Research on I-JeaHh in
Urb,lll Communities: Amy Cohen
Cave students the Opportllllity to design and carry Ollt independent
p,lrlicipa tory ac::tion research projects in conjunction \.vi th West Phi /JdelphjCl
'
letlchers and students.
•
Anthropology 215 (Spring 1998, 1999) Comparative Anthropology of
S(KiCll Issues: PhiladelphiCl, US, and the World: Paula SClbJoff.
•
Anthropology 216 '(Spring 1998, Fall 1998, 1999) Public l1iterest
Anthropology: Peggy Sanday
This is ~n experimental course designed to bring graduate and undergraduate
stl1dents together to introduce them to the social and pub.lic 'uses of
cmthropology. The course looks at the intersection'of anthropology, the
academy, and society in asking about the personal/pro.tessionClI relevance to
the American public of the anthropological Clpproach. Students ",.;ill be
encoufClged to think about this intersection in their o\vn inteJlectua I
development and future career choices. Graduate and undergraduate students
Me encou}"Clged to interact with one another on common prob.lems ClS
members of the American public seeking to understand how Clnthropology
provides Cl nev\' perspective on public interest issues.
36
�•
Anthropology 303/ AFAM 204/ URBS 213 (FaJl 1996, 1998, 1999)
Methods in Urban Ethnography: Julia Paley
The course teaches gualitative research techniglles within the context
(11 i'l1thropological theory. Stlldents will engage in comnnmity service as well
ciS cnmn1l1nity participatory action research.
•
Anthropology 310-301 (Spring 1993 through Spririg 2000) /\nthropology
ilnd Biomedical Science: Francis Johnston and Penny Gordnll-Lu·se.n
Penn undergraduates teach and conduct research ,,,lith TurnerM..iddle School·
students. Undergraduates develop a procedure for evaluating growth and
nu tritiona I status and train Turner students to collect anthropometric data,
~lIch as lean bodv mass and fatness, which is then analvzed bv the
undergraduates. In addition, Penn students collect (md analyze dietary data.
Undergrilduates also teach nutrition to the Turner students using innovative
hi,nds-on nlU Iti-disciplinary lessons developed by Penn stucientsin
pilrtnership with TMS teachers. The course, offered for five yeilfs, hClS
spurred ongoing graduate and undergraduate research efforts In i.mprnve the
nutrition of the c0111munity, including a nutrition textbook tililored to the
Turner Schnol.
.I
.J
~I
•
Anthropology 312 (Spring 2000) Use and Abuse ofA1coho] by
university Students: Francis Johnston
This course will provide an anthropologicaJ foundat.ion to Genera 1
I-:lollors 216.
•
Anthropology 314 (Spring 1997) Nutrition, HCi?dth, ilnd ACCldenlict'llIy
B,lsed Community Service: Francis Johnston
This course was designed as a follow-llp for students who hr.lci tt'lken
Anthropology 310. Anthropology 314 sought to place 310 into (1 bro<lder
theoretic;:]] and methodological perspective, to allow students to go more
deeply into the material covered in 310 as well as to explore some of the
issues raised in it.
•
/\nthropology 318 (Spring 1999) Evaluation ofSocit'll Programs:
Fr(1ncis Johnston
This course will focus on the design t'lnd implementation of
e\"(1]u(1tions of social programs. Coverage will include the selecti()n of
indictltors, controlling for confounding factors, the applicatiOli nf C]ut'lntitative
methods, ilnd the utilization of guantitative and qualitative technigues. As
p(lrt of .the course, students will conduct an evaluation of il progrClm designed
to iniprove nutritional status among West 'Philadelphia children and youth.
•
Anthropology 409 (Spring 1999, 2000) Applied Anthropology: Paula
Sabloff
37
�Starting with the formation of the discipline of anthropology,
academics and practitioners have applied their knowledge to practical human
problems. This practical approach continues'to enrich the discipline as it gives
anthropologists the opportunity to develop new theoretical approaches and
methodological strategies from the analysis of social issues. This course will
examine the connectiQn between theory and practice (often called 'praxis' in
the literature), research and application, and past' and future developments in
the field. We will study these connections by reading about historical 'and
current projects. Students wil'l also learn the value of the applied
anthropological approach by researching a volunteer organization in the
Philadelphia area, asking how the anthropological approach can support the
effOl;ts of the volunteer organization.
.
Anthropology 561-401 (Spring 1996, 1997) Cultural Pluralism:
•
Ethnography and Community Service. Peggy -Sanday
The course, part of a ne\'I' core of courses in the anthropology
department combining cultural anthropology with service, taught students to
study theil1selves in the context of their family, community and ethnic .
background.' Students applied those concepts at Uiliversity City High School
in a service-oriented ethnographic project on issues of school-to-,vork
transition, the culture of school disaffection; and inter-cultural interaction
within·the school. Students from University City High School participated in
the course.
.•
Anthropology (Fall 2000) Archaeology for Kids: Fredrik T. Hiebert
•
,Biology (Summer 1999) Teaching Biology with Wisconsin Fast Plants:
....
Scott Poethig
.
Wisconsin Fast Plants are being widely used to teach Plant Biology and
Genetics because they are inexpensive and easy to grmv and have a rapid life
cycle. The goal of this project is to develop both the resources and expertise
necessary to implement this outstanding educational tool for Philadelphia
. schools.
• Biology 50 (Spring 2000) 'Learning Biology by Teaching Biology in an Urban
High School: IngridWalron/Scott Poethig/Pohlschroder! Nachmias
•
City And RegionalPlanning 345/ CPLN ,645 (Spring 1998, Spring 1999)
Challenges and Opportunities of the Sociological and Ethnic patterns of
American Urban Regions: Jon Van Til
•
Civil Engineering (Fall 1999) Computer-Aided Design for High School
Students:
John Keenan and Joseph Sun"
Undergraduate Students in this course will be expected to undertake
research irl structural design and construction issues specific to the Marathon
Small Learning Community at University City High School in appropriate
38
�CAD tools to utilize in this initiative, and in technology-based pedagogy. In
ilddition to teaching CAD, Penn undergraduates will work '>"ith faculty and.
ildministrators to develop al1d implement a mentoringprogram with
University City High School students to promote a higher level of
understanding of engineering, design, and computer technology, lind to
encourage these students to pursue a university education.
.
•
Classical Studies 125 (Spring 1995, 1996) Community, Neighborhood,
and Family in Ancient Athens and Modern Philadelphia: Ralph Rosen
The seminar focused on the ways in which the study of classical"
A thens can prO\:ide a frame for evaluating the problems of modern
.Phibdelphia. Undergraduates in the course worked with students at
University City High School and Anderson Elementary School.
if
•
Classical Studies 240 (Fall 1998,Spring 1998) Scandalous A ris in
Ancient and Modern Communities: Ralph Rosen
The course examines society's conceptions of art (including literary,
visual and musical media) that is deemed by certain communities to
transgress the boundaries of taste and convention. Penn. students taking the
class work with University City High School students to co.mpare modern
,md emdent notions of transgressive art and on the explorations of hmv art
bec(lllle defined (IS scandalous by comparing this process \vith Ancient Greek
plilyS and Illodern art, including Hip Hop. Students Clcguire (I deeper
understanding why societies and communities feel compelled to. repudiate
some forms of cHt, while turning others into "classics."
•
Classical Studies 352 (Spring 2000) Learning and Teaching Plato's
Republic: Ralph Rosen
•
COlllmunications 434 (Spring 1999, 2000) Seminar in Urban
Infofm<ltion Resources: Oscar Gandv .
-'
This course will explore the range and quality of inforn,ation resources
<lv;:lilable in different neighborhoods and communities of the city ,md citizens
rely upon to make sense of their environment, and to manage their everyday
lives. The course will involve an introduction to the literature on
information resources, sense'making, and related perspectives on
information users that are common to social needs assessment. The research
component of the course will involve'students at Penn and comnlunity
, schools in the development of community information audits that describe,
(Issess, and compare the status of information resources in different
neighborhoods from a perspective informed by the needs of individuals.
•
Economics / Political Science (Spring 1998) Interdisciplinary Action
Seminar on the New Localism and the Reurbailization of America: What
Should Urban Universities Do? Penn-West Philadelphia as an Experiment in
39
�Progress: Gerard Adams (Economics), Ira Harkavv (History), [-{enrv Teune
(Poi-itical Science), and Anthony Tomazinis (Cit/ and Regional Pl~nning).
The seminar used a faculty-student collaborative model to generate
problem-solving programs, courses, and plans of action geared toward the
reurbanization of West Philadelphia and the engagement of Penn in these
efforts.
.
Education 202 (Spring 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) Urban Education: James
•
Lytle.
The seminar provides students with an overvieVl' of issues in
contemporary urban education. As a part of the course's ethnographic
co.mponent, Penn students conduct ethnographic fieldwork in West
Phih1delphia public schools.
•
Education 240 (Fall 1995, Fall 1996) Education in All1erican Culture:
John Puckett
The course involved undergraduates, \/vorking directly \,vitl1 8th gr"1de
students and teachers at the Shaw Middle School, in the development of
readings alld video productions that act as a critical reflection on ser\lice
le81Tling and illuminate the in).pact of social factors on schooling and
curriculum development.
.
•
Education 323 / URBS 323 (Fall 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) "Tutoring in
. West Philadelphia Public Schools: Theory and Practice: Linda Hansell
An exploratioll of issues in urban education in the context of
West Philadelphia. Each student in the course is involved in tutoring in a
\.t\lest Philadelphia school.
Education 545-005 (Spring 1999) John De\Ney: A Seminar: John Puckett
This seminm looks at the life, work, and continuing influence of John
Dewey (1859-J952), probably America's preeminent philosopher, certainly the
nation's 1110st important pedagogIcal theorist. We \"lill look criticaJly at De\,vey
in the context of his time and place, considering both his strengths and
lirnitations as a theorist and practitioner of democratic education in the first
hEi 1f of the 20th century. We will also examine the renewed interest in Dewey
in the 1990s and the implications of his work for a range of contemporary
issues, from educational reform (pre-K through higher education) to practicaJ
democratic theory to pragmatist feminism .. Consistent with De\vey's theory,
this seminar will have a practical, activist component that seeks to link the
theory of the seminar to an actual problem-solving situation. TheH rea]-\vorld
F'Irc)ject is Penn's current effort to help construct a University-ass.isted, public
community school in West Philadelphia. In lieu of the ritualistic academic
(platonic) seminar paper, participants in the seminar, serving as an unofficial
planning group, will assist the three planning committees of the new school.
The focllsing question for this collaborative work will be, "Fronl a Neo
•
40
�De\vey,m perspective, what should the new school be in terms of progressive
.education and community development?"
•
Electrical Engineering (Spring 2000) Quantitative ApproClches at
Modeling
Selected Problems Pertaiiling the Penn-West Philadelphia
Community;
Refocusing an Undergraduate Course currently sponsored
by the General Honors
Program: Jorge Santiago-Aviles.
This course \<\Till be part of a multi-year program \\Ihere students in
collaboration with the West Philadelphia residents can meet and exchange
information and educate one another in the realities and best techniques used
in seeking understanding and solutions.
•
English 260 (Spring 1999) Advanced Topics in Narrative: \AJilliam
Labov
The course will develop our understanding of narrCltive structure on
the basis of narratives told by speakers from a \,'?ide range of soci<11 classes,
\,vith tlie special emphasis on narratives told by African Amerie<llI speakers. A
central thenle of the class will be the general principle,S 'of interest: the study
of what makes a narrative interesting, what holds the attention of the
CluLiience or the reader, and the relation behveen interest and entE;rtainment.
The c](lss \·vill then consider the narratives written for children of e)ementary
schoo1 Clge, particularly those designed to reflect the cultural and linguistic
fr(lmework of African Americ,m children:
•
English 286-401 / AFAM 289 / HIST 286 / URBS 286 (Spring 1999, 2000)
Writing Community History in a Global Context: Eric Cheyf.itz (\]iclFarah
CriHin
.
•
English 292 (Fall 1995, Fall 1996) Special Topics in Film Studies: Craig
Saper
.
.
.
, EX(lmines the relationship between film, video, pedagogy and
comrnllnity building. As part of the course, students work with SlIa'N Middle
School students and University City High School students-to script and
produce videos on their communities.
•
English 293 (Fall 1995) Literature of Social Vision: Eric Cheyfitz and
Farah Griffin
.
The course involved students and faculty from both Penn and West
Philadelphia High in a common learning experience emphasizing the
historic interactions between African-American and white communities in
the United States,
•
English 401 / AMCV 401 (Fall 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) "Teaching
American Studies": Peter Conn
41
�•
Environm.ental Studies 403 (Fall 1998, 1999) Urban 'Environrnent: West
. Philadelphia: Robert Giegengack
•
Environmental Studies 404 (Fall 1997, Spring 1997, Spring 1998, 1999,
2000) Urban Environment: West Philadelphia: Robert Giegengack
Undergraduate students in this course work with 1Ylidd]e school
students and faculty on projects to improve. the environment in the
. neighborhoods surrounding Shaw Middle School, Turner Mid dIe School
(West Philadelphia), and StraHL Haven Middle School (Wallingford).
Educ<1tion and outreach focuses on lead toxicity and abatenlent as vvell as on
c,ppropriate household chemical disposaL
Environmental Studies 405 (Fall 1997, 1998, 1999) Urban Environment:
•
West Philadelphia II: Robert Giegengack
Undergraduate students perform.detailed analysis of urban
environmental issues in the neighborhoods surrounding Shaw 1\/liddle
School. Turner Middle SchooL
•
Fine Arts22-2i 622 (Spring 2000) The Big Picture: f'vlurZl1 Arts .in
PhiI<1delphia: Jane Golden'
•
Fine Arts 349-401 1 URBS 349 (Spring 1997, Spring 1998, Spring 1999,
2000) Community, Collaborative, and Public Art: Andrea Zemel
There are numerous ways that artists can and h<.we taken their work.
from outside of the studio to unite people in a ~lositive effort to reshape their
wor.1d. From murals to neighborhood histories to gardens to the
trilnsformation of abandoned Jots, artists and communitv (1ctivists have been
working in non-traditional settings and collaborating with people who
dmtribute in unigue and diversified ways. It is the goal of this course to
eXClmine this art form and prepare Penn students to develop projects in
piHtnership with the West Philadelphia community. Students enrolled in
the course will ,,,'ork with Turner and Shaw teachers, students, and staff to
develop public art projects for Turner and Shaw. Theproje,cts 'ivill be created
during the summer. The students built the new gateway to the high school. .
•
J
•
General Honors History 2101 URBS 78 (Fall 1998, Spring 1995,1996,
1998) Seminar in Community.in Modern Society: Universities and the
.Reconstruction of American Urban Communities; Penri-VVest
Philadelphia IPhiladelphia as a Strategic Test Case: Lee Benson (11Id Ira
Harkavv
'
.
.
.
.
The seminar provides an overview of major theories about the role,
present condition, and likely future of local communities in modern
societies. The seminar focuses specific attention on the "problem of
American cities" in the late 20th century. Most students enrolled in the
course choose to combine theory with activity in local public schools.
42
�•
General Honors History 210 (Spring 1997) Seminar in Faculty-Student
Collaborative Learning: Developing An Interdisciplini-uy Problem-Solving
Undergraduate Curriculum Focused 0~1 West Philadelphia:: Lee Benson
(History), Robert Giegengack (Environmental StLH:hes), Ira Harkavy (History),
Jnd Francis Johnston (Anthropology)
In this class, students and faculty worked in collaboration to develop
nevv academically based community service courses in several disciplines.
From this collaborative work, five new academically based community
service courses were developed.
•
General Honors History 214 (Fall 1995, 1996, 1998; Spring :1997, Spring
J999, 2000) Seminar in Urban University- COll1munity Rela tionships: Penn~
\Vest Philadelphia as a Strategic Test Case: Lee Benson cmd Ir", ]-:Iarkavy
Addresses the following guestions: Can American universities
reinvent themselves and help spark an Urban Renaissance in the 21st
century? Can Penn realize in practice Ben Franklin's vision of the
Cosmopolitan Civic University? What can and should the University of
PennsylvaniZl do to realize this vision? What roles can undergrilduates play
in shaping Penn policies and actions which significantly influence the quality
of 1iFe in West Philadelphia?
•
General Honors History 214 / URBS 78-401 (Spring ]998)
Interdisciplinary Action Seminar in Faculty-Sttldent Collaborative Learning:
The Development of Effective Student Participation in Uiliversity
Cnvermlllce to Significantly Improve Undergraduate Education with
r>Clrticuiar Attentioi, to Moral Development and Civic Consciollsness of
Colle~e Students; What Should Urban Universities Do? Penn-VVest
'
PhilC1delphia as an Experiment in Progress: Ira Harkavy,Rev. Winiam
Gipson, and Valade Swain-Cade McCollum
•
. General Honors History 216 (Spring 1999) SelTtinar in the .Reduction of
Alcohol Abuse Among College Students: Francis Johnston
Alcohol abuse among American college students is an increasingly
serious problem. What should universities do to solve it? Can .F'enn
undergrClduates help generate the knowledge needed? Those are hard
theoretical and practical questions. Developing goodansv,!ers to thelTr is the
seminar's primary g · o a l . ·
.
• General Honors 218 (Spring 2000) Integrated Diversity: Anderson; Benson,
Harkavy,
•
. History 200-900 (Summer 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) Strategies Tmvard
. Revitalizing Urban Schools and Their Communities: West Philadelphia as a
Case Study: Ira Harkavy
43
�History 200 is a part of the Penn Public 'Service Summer .Internship,
""hich enables Penn undergraduates to engage in research focused on West
Philadelphia. Students participate in the undergraduate seminar on Urban
Revitalization and work at one of the West PhiladelphiapubJic school
Summer Institutes with Philadelphia teachers, Penn faculty and graduate
students to develop and implement the programs. At Shavvthe program is
. focused on health pronlotion, environmental studies, and writing for
publication; and at Turner the program involves wClrk 'in conflict resolution,
envirolimental and community studies, writfng for publication, technology,
Clnd health promotion. Over the last 6 years, the intensive tvvelve-vveek
internship has been the catalyst for the developnlent of many \t\fest
Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPlC) programs.
•
History 200-922 (Summer 1997, 1998) Action Seminar in Faculty-
Student Collaborative Learning and Research: Ira Harkavy, Amy Cohen,
D;:lVid Gross111an and Cor\' Bowman
.
The Summer 1997 topic was "Developing an Interdisciplinary, Acti~)nOrieilted, Problem-Based Undergraduate Curriculum Designed to Improve
the Qu(llity of Life in West Philadelphia arid Advance KnO\-vledge and
LeCirning: Tovvard A Democratic, Deweyan University and Society in the
Futur.c to Replace the Present Elitist, Platonic University Clnd Society.
./
~
l-:fjstory 204 (Spring 1995) The Migrant Experience in America: A~ook
CIt \Nest Philadelphia:Waltei' Licht, Associate Dean, Graduate Division,
School of Arts and Sciences.
.
.
The course treats West Philadelphia as a destination, a place to w.hich
tl'IlS of thousands of people have migrated in the last century. Students cHe
introduced to a general historical literature on the migration experience, with
pClrticular attention to the process of getting and keeping work, and then'
engage in c00perative research projects that take them into archives Clnd,
more importantly, into the community for first hand intervievving. A
significant emphasis is on job nehvorks that existed in West Philadelphia
among various immigrant groups. The COLlrse \varks \vithstudents in the
Communications Charter at University City High School. Developing job
networks for University City High School students is one of the thrusts of the
course.
•
,.
l-listory 204 (Fall 1995, Fall 1996) Teaching' ArneriGlll 1:-1islor1': A West
Philadelphia Workshop: Elisa Forgey and John Puck,ett
The course introduces students to, the history of West Philildelphia
from 1854 to the present; it also engages students in an examination of the
uses of local history. Penn students become mentors to \,yest Philadelphia
High School students with whom they engage in local history projects.
•
History 204 (Spring 1997) Institutions and Urban Change: West
Philadelphia and North Philadelphia, 1940-1990: Thon;'as Sugrue.
44
�A n.e\'" course offered by the Department of Histori Clnd the Urban
Studies Program. Students in the seminar "vill work ,,,,ith University City
High students to gather data on neighborhood institutions, devef(Yl-' historical
maps of institutions, engage in archival research, and conduct orClI histories
wi'th institutional leaders and their constituents. The datCl \-\lill Clss.ist
conlnlunity organizations and urban planners in their understrlllding of the
history of local institutional and neighborhood change.
-History 204/ URBS 407 /AFAM 4;07 (Summer 1998, 1999) Action
SeminClr in Faculty-Student Collaborative Learning and Researcb: toward
Overcoming tbe Savage inequalities within America's Schooling System;
whClt should Urban Universities, Public School and Communities do? Penn
West Philadelphia as an Experiment in Progress:lrCl 1~ClrkavY1David
Grossman, and Cory Bowman
History 214 (Spring 1997) Seminar in Fnculty-Stude.11t Co.llabor<1tive
Learning: Developing an Interdisciplinary Problenl-So1ving Undergraduate
Curriculum Focused on West Philadelphia: Lee Benson, Robert Giegengack,
rra, Harkavy, Francis Johnston, and Anne Spirn
,History 286/ AFAM 289/ ENGL 286/ URBS 286 (Spring 1999,2000)
Writing Community History in a Global Context: Eric Cheyfitz <1nd Farah
Griffin
H.istory 443 (Spring 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999,2000) AmeriGlI; N<1tional
Ch<1r<1cter: Michael Zuckerman
The course asks if there isa national character and how knovvledge of
the American national character can help solve the problems of Philadelphia. '
Students in the course work as academic tutors/mentors \,vith approximately
30 students and develop recreation programs for University City High School
students as a part of their examination of the national character,
H istorv (Fall 1999) Schools and Work: Past, Present <1nd Future: Walter
Lich t
A community learning research seminar on this course ''''ill
investig(]te the actual complicated relationship between schools, labor
rnClrkets, and work organizations, Readings in the course will pl<1ce the
m(1tter in historical and cross-national perspective, but the uItimClte focus will
be on West Philadelphia today. Students wil1 engage in group research
projects in local high schools, businesses and government offices to evaluate
contemporary efforts to have schools better serve as bridges to employment.
~
-History And Sociology of Science 265 (Fall 1995, Spring 1996)
.
l:nvironil1ental History:, Robert Kohler
Discussions and readings in environmental history; including some
study of cities as environments. In addition, some students '>\larked with
45
�teachers III loccil schools to facilitate both accessibility of literClture on
environmental history and adaptation of this literClture fnr use in local
classrooms.
.
•
Landscape Architecture And RegiOllal Planning 538/ URBS 320 (Spring
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) Power of Place: Water /Schools/Coml11unity: Anne
Whiston Spirn
•
Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning Flooded Basements,
Subsidence, and Vacant Land in Mill Creek:. A University-Community
Research Project: Anne Whiston Spirn
This course is a continuation of the Penn- Sulzberger ]\lliddle School
project on the Mill Creek. The aim is to document flooded basements and
building subsidence near the Mill Creek sewer ,md investigate solutions to
the problem.
The project will engage Penn students, teachers and
students at Sulzberger, and
comnmnity residents.
•
Linguistics 160/ AFAM 160 (Fall 1997, 1998, 1999) lntroduction to
/\friGH1 American English - The Relevance of Linguistic Research to Social
F'roblellls of Contemporary Society: William Labov
•
Linguistics 161/ AFAM 161 (Spring 1999, 2000) lntroduclion
Sociolinguistics: William Labov
t()
•
Linguistics 470/ ENGL 260 (Spring 1999) Advanced Topics in Narrative
: \NilljalTI Labov
•
\1echanica] Engineering and Applied Mechanics (FJl1 2000) Tilking
ivlicrosystenls
Technology to High Schoo.ls to Inspire Mnd tn Tecl~h Basic
Engineering Skills: Suresh G.K Animthasuresh
'
This course v,rill develop physical' n10dels, computer models, Clnd vveb
bClsed tools to help visualize the micronized .Micw-Electro-.lvlechallica 1
Systems devices, and understand their
principles of operations,
intricate micromachining techniques, and interesting scaling effects
of
bClSic physics and engineering. West Philadelphia high school students will
be introduced
. to the fascinating MEMS area using these tools that are
easy to understand and provide a
hands-on experience.
•
Political Science/ Economics (Spring 1998,1999) Interdisciplinary
Action Seminar on the New Localism and the Reurbanization of"America:
\Nh(]t Should Urban Universities Do? Penll-VVest Philadelphia (IS Clll
Experiment ill Progress: Gerard Adams, Ira Hark<lvy, Henry Teune and
An thollY Tomazinis
.
•
Psychology 386 (Spring 2000) Applications of Theory Clnd M.ethods in
Cognitive
Development
to the Implementation and Evaluation of
46
�·
'
Innnvlltive Science and Mathematics ProgralTls in
University City
Schonls: Christine Massey
,
'
A number of Philadelphia teachers are in the process of <1dopting new
curriculum in science and mathematics that is developmentally appropriate
<1nd informed by current research on children's thinking and learning, In this
COllfse, undergraduates \vould have the opportunity to observe (md assist in
participClt.ing classrooms and to conduct originCll research designed to
investigClte the nature of children's learning and to evaluate the impact on
children's learning of new <;:urriculum and instructional strategies.
-Religiolls Studies (Fall 1999) Collaborative Seminar in the Role of
Communi ty Service in
Shaping the Character, Moral Developmel,t, and
Civic Consciousness of Undergraduates: Lee Benson Clnd Will Gipson
This course will examine the impact of community service on the civic
MId morCl] development of Undergraduates and what em be done tn increase
the t:xtent and quality of community service as a criticlll fUIlCI'iOll of t'he
University. This course seeks to more clearly examine tlle l,rccise irnpi:Kt of
such acth'ities on student developnlent, with an eye h,)\·vards hovv
Universities should best seek to educate their students to more effect{vely
engClge Clnd benefit from their commUliity service, offering insight CIS they
seek to intcgrClte such work into their personCll lives and academic study.
Religious Studies (Fall 2000) Religi()n and Social Change in West
PhiladelphiCl: 1950- 2000: Anne Matter
This course-will explore the changing religioLls trclditiolls <lnd religious
communities of \t\Test Philadelphia in the second h;:df of the twentieth
ceilt~Jry, focusing on tbe relationship between religious, raci<ll, ,l':lhnic, i:md
economic change. The course \vill involve both library Clnd field work, and
will require each student to make a connection \",ith at least one West
I'hiladelphia religious community.
.
-
Religious Studies '(Fall 1999) Understanding Cult Controversy: Stephen
Dunnirlg
School of Medicine (Spring 1999, 2000) Cancer 'Prevention in the·
Community: Eleanor Harris
,
Over a hvo month period, the participating medical students will
Clttend a series of lectures introducing the basic concepts of carcinogenesis,
cancer detection, diagnosis, and prevention. Medical students \'/i11 also spend
<It least one semester involved in a ~iddle sc~ool outreach program.
Social Work 4201 URBS 420 (Spring 1999, 2000) PENN, Neighborhood
Congregations and Coalitions: Ram Cnaan
This course will provide an introduction to community relCltionships
rind strategies for building community partnerships. In collabor<l tion with·
neighborhood congregations and neighborhood coali,tions, students will use
47
�·
'
Ilctioll research methods to address one community issue: providing safe
havens for comlImnity youth. The goal of the course \,vill be to help students
understand, through group action, the importance of community
p<lrticipation and collective strength in sustaining and developing
corniTlunity resources. It is im.portant to note that this course w.ill include 5-10
high school students and community members in addition to Penn students
to facilitate a non-hierarchical collaborative process.
•
Social Work 718 (Spring 1999, 2000) Macro Practice: Michael .Reisch
This course covers the administration ofhUlTlan service organizations.
The focus for learning is on the development of knowledge and skills
reguired to become effective and creative (IS a social vvork manager. The
course is designed to introduce both mcmagen1ent and behaviorZlJ science
theories and concepts, as well as techniques, l1iethods and appro(lches that Gnt
be ilppJied to human service administration, particularly in he,dth il11d
ft'lillily-nriented settings. The content covered in this semester includes
concepts ·of organizational progranis, finances, and human resources. The
plZlnning and program development content discllssed in the first semester is
'll~plied to m!lnZlging programs within an organization.
•
Sociology 006 (Fall 1996, 1997, 1998) Race ,lnd Ethnic Re.lations: Elijah
/\nclersnn
.
The cOllrse analyzes dominclIlt-minority group relati()ns in different
cultures throughout history, with special emphClsis on contem}~nr(\ry
A meriecln society. The course works closely ''''ith University City High School
!lnd high school students hClve been enrolled in the course.
•
Sociology 41 (Spring j997) Freshman Seminar: Biolngy, Culture, and
Identity: Antonio McDaniel
Students learned about how biology and culture (lffec! identity. They
worked \<\lith University City High School ·students and teachers.
Sociology 206 (Fall 1995): Frank Furstenberg
•
Ihis COllrse investigated teen pregnancy at UCHS.
•
Sociology 302 (Fall 1997) Community Research and Community
Service: Antonio McDaniel
In the course, undergraduates conduct research and service 'with
teClchers and students at University City High School. Each Penn student
worked \.vi'th the school community on an individualized project.
Undergraduates collaborated with a teacher to incorpor(lte the project into the
school day curriculum.
•
Sociology 302 (Fall and Spring 1998-1999, Fall and Spring 1999-2000)
Community Research and Community Service: Senior Projects: Fr(lnk
cr
Furstenber,0
48
�This course is intended to provide students carrying out community
service in Philadelphia with theoretical perspectives and methodological
skills needed to design and develop research projects relClted to their efforts at
:1ffecting socinl change. Students typically will be associated with the West
Philadelphia Consortium but may also be involved \vith other socia I nction
. progrcnns. Projects may either explore basic research topics drcl\ving on
interverition experiences as a site for study, conducting comlTllmity surveys,
or nSSeSS111ents/ evaluations of programs.
•
Sociology (Spring 1998) How Can Inner-City Neighborhoods Effectively
use local resollfces for Economic and Community Development? Helping
Neighborhoods Develop and Combine Resources for Neighborhood
Development: Michael Reisch
•
TheClter Arts 250/ URBS 499 (Spring 1998,1999,2000) Penn Cnmmunity
Performance: William Yalowitz
A large scale intergenerational comlTlunity perforrnClllce ill Zl
community site \vith local Significance. Undergraduates conducted
preliminary research on local issues and on local history and heltledto
identify informants and community institutions, such as schools, senior
citizen centers, places of worship, and worksites, from \vliich community
participants \vould be drawn; The focus for 1998 is on the "Bottom". (This
course ",ias assisted by tvvo undergraduate interns.)
•
Urban Studies 78/ GENH 210 (Spring 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) Seminar in
Community in Modern Society: Universities and the .Reconstructinn of
r\ meriCCln Urban Communities; Penn-West PhiladelphIa / Phi,lCldelphia as ()
StrCltegic Test Case: Lee Benson and Ira Harkavy
118
'
• Urban Studies 118 (Spring 2000) Crime Seminar: Benson, I-Jarkavy,
Scheman, and 3 students
•
Urban Studies 286/ AFAM 289/ ENGL 286/ HIST 286 (Spring 1999,
2000) VVriting Community History in a Global Context: Eric Cheyfitz and
Farah Griffin
•
'Urban Studies 320/ LARP 538 (Spring 1997) Power of Place: \,'\Iater/
Schools/ Community: Anne Whiston Spirn
•
Urban Studies 323/ EDUC 323 (Fall 1996, 1997, 1998;'1999) Tutoring in
West Philadelphia Public Schools: Linda Hansell
•
Urban Studies 324 (Spring 1997, Spring 1998, 1999, 2000) Seminar on
Stl~ategies to Reduce Intergroup Tension in Multi-Cultural Settings: \I\lest
Philadelphia and Penn as a Test Case: Daniel Romer and Hillard 'Pouricy
49
�•
,;.
\
1
Explores various approaches to reducing intergroup tension vvith
'particular emphasis on Penn and its surrounding commuility, ilicluding the
~")tlblic schools and neighborhoods. The seminar reviews Whelt is knO\Nn
about ethnic and cultural group tension, including methodologies for
i"lssessing group tension. Students are then encouraged to stud y the ethnic
<lnd cultural ·tensions that exist at various local sites, including the pllblic
schools, the neighborhoods, and Penn. Specific intervention strategies are
proposed that might alleviate tensions and increase intergroup cooperation.
The seminar also brings together faculty from University City .High School
. ~:l1ld others concerned with intergroup tension in Philadelphia.
•
Urban Studies 349/ FNAR 349 (Spring 1998, 1999, 2000) Community,
CollZlborZlti\le, and Public Art: Andrea Zemel
• Urb,ln Studies 406/ AMCV 401/ ENGL 401 (FellI 1995, 1996,
20(0) Teaching American Studies: Peter Conn
1~97,'1998,
1999,
•
Urban Studies 407/ AFAM 407 (Spring 1998) Interdisciplinary Action
Semin(lJ' in Faculty-Student Collaboration Learning and Research: .
Overcoming the 'Savage Inegualities' in the American Societal <lnd School
Svstems: What Is To Be Practitall)1 Done: Lee Benson and 1]"(1 1-1(1rkavv
J
~
•
Urban Studies 420/ SWRK 420 (Spring 1999, 2000) PENN,
Neighborhood Congregations and Coalitions: Ram Cnaan
•
Urban Studies 456/ SWRK 747 (Spring 1998) Community Organizing:
rvl ichaelReisch
•
Urban Studies 499/ THAR 250' (Spring.1998, 1999,2000) Penn
Communitv Performance: William Yalmvitz
-'
•
\Nomen Studies (Spring 2000): Girl Talk: Gender,Race, and Class in
West Philadelphia:
Demie Kurz
The goal of this course is two-fold: first, to provide the Zlcaclemic and
organiz<ltional support necessary to significantly increase the continuity and
guality of an already-thriving community project; egually importantly,it
would cre(lte an intellectually challenging cdntext within .which students
.could sh(lpe, evaluate, and reflect on their service experience. The primary
objective of the project is to disseminate information about and to provide a
forum for the discussion of sexual health among female student. In the
process, the project encourages the development of a stronger, more
supportive community for women at University City .High School, crosses
some of the WIst boundaries separating the Penn community tromthe rest of
\!\Test Philadelphia, and creates an environment conducive to peer education
C1nd mel1torship.
.
50
�GRADUATE COURSES
•
City And Regional Plann'ing590-401/ CPLN-890/ UDES-590 (Fall 1997, '
1998, 1999) Seminar on Planning, Universities and the Quality of Life in
American Cities: Penn--West Philadelphia as a Strategic Case Study: Ira
Harkavy
,
Examines the broad issue of the relationship of universities to their
local environments. Specifically, the seminar focuses on the history of
Penn's relationship to West Philadelphia and the extent to which Penn's
actions (or inaction) have both positively and negatively affected the quality
of life in its local geographic community. Beginning with Paul Cret's plans in
1913, the seminar reviews and assesses the University's various planning
efforts. Significant attention is devoted to how Penn's Department of City
and Regional Planning can make significant contributions to improving the
loca I environment. More generally, the seminar investigates how Penn
activities to improve the quality of life in West Philadelphia can exemplify
planning's potential to contribute to overcoming the problenls of the
American citv. ' ,
.I
•
City And Regional Planning 600 (Spring 1999, 2000) Planning Problems
Workshops: Ronald Turner
'The objective of the course is for students to reach an understanding of
the role and potential roles planning professionals play in the determination
of urban form through the development and redevelopment of American
cities. To achieve this objective, the course will focus on the intellectual
processes of planning, the analytical and evaluation skills, \\'hich advance the
processes, and the normative prescriptive positions \,vith which they often
conclude. A second important emphasis will be placed on the improvement
of communication skills, written and oral, as well as graphic.
•
City and Regional Planning 645/ CPLN 345 (Spring 1998, Spring 1999,
2000) Challenges and Opportunities of the Sociological and Ethnic patterns of
American Urban Regions: Jon Van Til
•
City And Regional Planning 668 (Spring 1.999, 2000) Theory ("md Practice
of the Third (Nonprofit) Sector Jon Van Til
It is the purposeof this course to examine the role of theory in the third
sector, and to understand the ways in which it may contribute to the health
and vitality of nonprofit organizations. A special effort. in this course wiJI be
made to introduce students to the ways in which nonprofit and voluntary
organizations seek to serve the urban community of West Philadelphia.
Guest commentaries will be provided by several leading community leaders
in that area.
51.
�•
City And Regional Planning 702 (Spring 1996) A New Vision for the
40th Street Corridor: Norman Day
,
Studio participants prepared an urban design plan and implementation
strategy for future activity and development in the area bet\veen 38th and
42nd Street from Powelton Avenue to Baltimore Avenue.
•
City and Regional Planning (Fall 1999) Meeting the Needs of
\]onprofits through
Information Technology: Eugenie Birch and Sydney
\IV on fj
p
This course will examine the relationship bet\,veen inforJ11ation
technology and communities focusing on West Philadelphia. The purpose of
this class is to strengthen the curricular underpinnings of the Philadelphia
Data Consortium: West Philadelphia Project.
•
Community Relations And Advanced Dental Education 812 (Spring
:I 997)
The Sch001 of Dental Medicine's community service program and
direct outgrmvth of the School's mission statement, ,vith its emphasis on
p<ltient-driven, faculty-led care and service. Through educational and'service
cll:livery activities, students gain valuable experier)ce and community
members are given excellent care. Prior to graduation,' each student must
complete 35 hours of community service in either dental or general social
service communitY,activity.
•
Dental School (Spring 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998). A Selective: Community
Dental Health Experiences: Joan Clutch
Penn students worked with Turner sixth grade classes on dental health
careers, dental health promotion, and ,dental screenings.
•
Education 545 (Fall 1998, 1999) Community Resources and the
Curriculum: John Puckett and Theresa Simmonds
A co-enrollment of graduate students and West Philadelphia teachers
in an exploration of effective uses of community resources and volunteers in
the classroom. Sh,ldents and teachers work together to produce service
learning curriculum in West Philadelphia schools.
•
Eduction 601 (Fall 1998, 1999) Economic Aspects of Education Policy:
Rebecca Maynard
•
Education 605 (Spring 1999,2000) Education Policy: Rebecca, Maynar,d
This course addresses the rationale for public policy involvement in ,
education. It also reviews the status and implications of current federal, state
a1~d local policies relevant to anumber of aspects of education, including
early care and education, school performance and drop-out prevention,
school choice, school finance, and school-to-work transition. Students will
read selections· from books, journals, policy analysis reports, and current news·
52
�·reports. They \vill engage in exercises to explore the implications of various
policy options, and each student will prepare a paper that analyzes an in
depth education policy issue of his orherchoice.
•
Education 623 (Fall 1996 through Spring 1998) Curriculum
Foundations: Theory Into Pra.ctice: Richard Gibboney John Puckett
The course, which involved Shaw's journalism and comnlunity
studies programs, focused on developing thematic community school
curricula through both theoretical reading and practice' in partnership "vith
the teachers and University City High School's school-to-workprograms,
•
Environmental Studies463 (Fall 1997, 1998, 1999) Lifting the Dead
T:-I ('md of the Past: the Historical, Scientific, and Policy Dimensions of
Brmvnfields in old Industrial Cities Like Philadelphia: John Keene
Penn students work in collaboration with University City I-ligh School
students to identify brownfield sites in their neighborhoods (md to learn hm,v
to determine the ownership of the sites and land use history. They wi.1l study
wilyS {If detern1iningenvironment,1l risk and the v(lrious optinl1s thil tare
ilvClili'lble for renlediatioll, in li,ght of community ideas al1<)ut re-use.
•
Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning 538 (Spring 1997, 1998,
1999, 2000) Power of Place: Water 1 Schoolsl Communitv: Anne Whiston
,
Spirn
,
•
b1l1dscape Architecture And Regional Planning 601 (Fal] ] 99h,F(l11
1997, F,Il] 1998, 1999) Transforming the Urban Landscape: Anne VVhiston
Spirn
Explores the contribution of Jandscape architects to urban design from
stra tegic landscape planning to detailed design. Projects span these scales and
concerns, Design is not a linear process (from site analysis to site plan to·
design of subareas to selection of materials and design process of details), but
rather a process of continual, fluent movement among diverse scales and
concerns. This approach underlies the organization of the course.
•
Landscape Architecture And Regional 'Planning 702 Studio VI (Spring
1996, 1998) A Town and Gown Partnership for the T\venty-First Century:
Robert Hanna
.
. . The course focused on the area beh,veen 38th and 42nd Streets and
Filbert Street and Baltimore Avenue, where the University and West
Philadelphia communities meet and interact. This studio provided students
\vith the opportunity for real-world problem-solving in tbe form of site
analysis, problem and opportunity identification, formulation of alternative
strCltegic planning options, testing of options and final site and lor building
design resolution.
53
f
�•
Len" School (Fall 1999) Nonprofit Advocacy. Penn'sF'ubJic Service
Program in the Law
School. Susan Feathers
This course will combine a weekly seminar component in \·vhich
students explore a variety of topics relevant to nonprofit advocacy "vith a
practice component through which students \-"ill provide legaJ assistance to
nonprofit community groups.
,•
Social Work 708 (Fall 1997, 1998, 1999,2000) Macro Practice: Jane Isaacs
Lowe and Michael Reisch.
The first of a two-semester graduate seminar that teaches social work
practice with a focus on planning and program development, \-\lith an
emphasis on West Philadelphia. The class readillgs are related to theories,
strategies, and skills involved in designing interventions at tIle macro level
and in vvorking with communities.
•
SoCial Work 718 (Spring 1997, 1998, 1999,2000) Macro Practice: Michael
.Rei~ch
Concludes the two-semester grrduate "Macro Practice" seminar.
•
Social Work 747 lURES 456 (Spring 1998) Community Organizing: P.
13rl1nn
•
Social Work (Fall 1999) Challenges of Welfare Reform: Policy
Implications and Community Responses in West PhikldeIphia: J\oberta
Rel1l1er .Iversen
This course builds upon a broad analysis of welfare reform by engaging
students in the theoretical and practical dimensions of policy. The course will
focus 011 the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity .Reconciliation
Act of 1996 in relation to individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods in
West PhiJagelphia. The course goal is to broaden student understanding
about how policy impacts poor communities and ho\<\' community members
Gill respond to policy.
This document is a work-'in-progress and may not list all of the academically
based community service courses currently pffered.
last modified 10/26/99
54
�.Ii
UniversitY-Community Partnerships
·f
25
Academic-practitioner coll-aboration, we believe, is _imperative for advanc
ing both knowledge and human welfare. Fifteen years of work with a compre
hensive'participatory action research project has helped us to See that imple
mentation (i.e., successfully. puttins. ideas into practice) is the test of .
knowledge, In thei, ext"ordinary essay, Chu,chman and Mitroff (998) In ,
effect caU for an implementation revolution in which implementation is the
first and primary ' of scholarship. Terming this approach "managerial
~muth~~~ task. .
.
.
An Implenlentation Revolution as a'
Strategy fot Fulfilling the Democratic' Pron::t:iseof
University.,.Community Partnerships: Penn-Wesf
'Philadelphia as an Experjment in Progress:
Lee Benson
, Ira Harkavy
John Puckett
I.
'\
University ofPenhsylvani(l'
Implementation aSSumes top priority because it is one of the most diffi
cultpioblems that humans ever face. In this sense, managerialism chal
lenges the entire scientific pecking order. The S<M:aUed "hard" sciences
. are "easy" under managerialism because they do not grapple with and .
. come face to face with the most difficult problem ojall, how to cluinge people
.; and human institUtions. [emphasis addedJ
'.
.r
. "Truth" is the result; outcome of knowledge that is gained through
,the "successful" implementation of a proposed, ethical solution toa sig
nificant world problem. In other words, knowledge cannot be separated
from the process oj its implementation. To repeat, "truth" is knowledge that is '
gained through the process,ojimplementation. Truth is thereby not only equated
with implementation, but it is only said to have Occurred, or resulted, when im- .
pleme~t~tion has occimea [emphasis ad~edJ. (p. 117)
In th~ article, the authors argue that the academic-practitioner divide is largely aproduct
ojthe Plat!?nicfalse aualism between"superior" pure theory and"inferior" applied prac
tice. The authors call for a DeWey-inspired imple.mentation revolution to build local
democratic neighborly communities as a meansfor advi1P:1cing acade1J1ic-practitioner col
. laboration, fulfilling America's democratic promise, and overcoming the injluencepJPla
to's aristocratic philosophy onAmerican higher education; The authors describe th~ Uni
versity of Pennsylvania!s CenterJor Community Partnerships' work with public schools
as an experiment in progress designed to advance academic-pract~tioner collaboration.
and a "democratic devolution mIOlution." AO:utemically based cOmmunity service learning
and research and communal participatory action research are highlightecl as particularly
useful approaches for i'!lproving scholarship and communities and forging democratic;
mutually beneficial, and mutually respectful university-school-community partnerships.
The academic~practitioner divide islargely a product of the Platonic' aristo
cratic false dualismbehveen "superior"pure theory and "inferior" applied
practice; FulfIlling the democratic promise of American society for all Ameri
cans in the new millennium requires that scholars and practitioners work hard
,to exorcisl:' the "living ghost" of Plato from the body of the American higher
educational system. Quite simply, to improve the state 6f American society-.::~
indeed, ·of the world-requires significant serious, sustained, and mutually.•.~.
respectful collaboration between academics and practitioners. To put itj~'
another way, no big problem that really matters (e.g., poverty, environmental; .!
'degradation, illitenicy, hunger, pO'or schooling, urban crises) can be solved "
and understood without academics and practitioners w'orking closely' I
together to solve it. "
. '
11'
"
;7i!
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 29, no. I, March 2000 24-45
' ;i~
.
. .
1:);.
.,A·
' ) 1
e 2000 Sage Publications, Inc.
~Ii
To implement the implementation revolutionrequ i,.. breaking d0'r ide-,
n
aIist categories that separate both theory and practice and academics and
practitioners. Multiple perspectives and approaches are needed to improve
settings, make a 'difference; and change the world for the better. Useful b.ut
partial knowledge exists in manyplaces and domains, not just in the academy.
The very diffiCUlt question is how to bring multiple perspectives and various
kinds of knowledge together to solve, not merely identifY and address,. the
major problems facing our world. Churdunan and Mitroff (1998), in fact, are
sharply crftkal of pragmatism for being incomplete, for failing to move from a
and action to actual implementation: .
theory
of~owledge
.
~ .'
!',
that'~owledge
We agree that "truth" is to be equated with
that makes a
difference in the quality and scope of Our lives, However, pragmatism says
tIery little about how such knowledge is to be implemented; that is"how we
humans are to pass from Sound propositional arguments to ethically valid
actions [eo:phasis addedJ. (p. U3)
~ent'I
~~erp~ings
.
, Even Dewey, the most significan t p;agmatist philosophe, (whose theory of
'
inteUig""ceand democ"tic instrumental education p,ovides
era
for the growing democratic crusade against Plato:s aristo
lion Ide.hst, and con templali ve philosophy), failed to focus on implement.
Ion answering the crucial How do we get there from
question. After
ij~
. ~,;
he~e?
~.
�26
Benson et al.
lea~ing the University of Chicago for Columbia in 1904, Dewey essentially
'concentrated on a "reconstruction of philosophy" and did little to solve the
pressing problems that he brilliaritly described'and analyzed. Dewey's retreat
from action and the implementation question, w~believe, can be significantly
· explained by his separation from Jane Addams and other Chicago activist,
· practitioners and his failure to make a connection to similar groups in ~ew .
· YorkCity.
. . '
.'.
. ..'
However, in our judgment, Dewey did identify perhaps the central prob
lem th~t practitioners and academics should work toge~er to solve. "Demo<;:
racy," ~eargued, "must begin at home, and its home is ~e neighborly commu
nity" (Dewey, 1927/1954, p. 213). ~nly by reconstructing face-to-face
conunUnities could the public find itself and work as an integrated whole to
achieve the full benefits of modem science and techrtology. Only in the neigh
borly community could '!effective regard for whatever. is distinctive and
unique in each [person], irrespective of physical and .psj'chological inequali
.
ties," be achieved (Dewey, 1927/1954, p. 151). ' : : : '
As alluded to above, Dewey unfortunately did not designate the agents or
institutions, that might ,bring, about the transfonnation he envisioned 'and
advocated. He did not indicate how American society would be transforri'\ed .'
"from the Great Society to the Great CommUnity" (Benson'& Harkavy, 1991).
We still do not know how to create democratic, neighborly communjties 73
· years later. Events in Kosovoand Bosnia, Rwanda and Zaire; the states of the
fonner, Soviet Union, SO)J.th Africa, Fran!=e, Gennany,arid so on indicate that
this very practical and core theoretical problem is more ,than an Am~rican
dilenuna.
.
The Center for CorrimUnity PartnerShips of the University ofPennsylvarua
is founded,on the idea that the vast ranged resQurces of the American uruver- .
sity, appropriately and creatively employed, can help uS figure out how best to
pro·ceed. At Penn over the past number of years, we have been working on the
problem of how to create modem, cosmopolitan local commUnities. !tis
within the American city that the need for cOQUlluruties based on fa~e--to-face
· relationships and exemplifying humanistic Universal values is most acute.
.The problem of the city is the strategic problem of our time. As such, it is a
problem most likely to.adv~ce the University's primary .mission of preserv
· ing, a'dvancing~ and transmitting knowledge. This resonates with Dewey's
· claim that real advances in knowledge occur through a focus on the central'
problems of society. '
.
-.
.
For Penn, as well as all other urban universities, onei tinot the strategic
real-world and intellectual problem we face is what should be done to over
come the deep, pervasive, interrelated problems affecting the people in our.
local geographic areas. This concrete, immediate, practical, and theoretical
problem, needless to say, requires creative, interdisciplinary, interactive,
democratic scholarship. It is a problem that can help to transcend traditional
boundaries between academics and practitioners and among disciplines,
University-Community pqrtnerships
27 .
leading to a levlil of mutual understanding,innovation, 'and cooperation
'.
'.,
"
rarely achieved in the past.
Much of the center's work has focused on the public school astlle educa
tional and neighborhood institution that can, if effectively transfonned, serve
· as the catalytic hub of community change and innov,ation,lThe 'center has
worked to create university-assisted community schools that fUnction as cen
ters of education, services, engagement, and activity within specified geo-.
graphic areas. With its community and school collaborators, the center has
developed significant service-learning programs that engage young people in
creative work designed to advance skills and abilities through se.rving their
school, families, and.commUnity. Penn studen.ts and faculty are also engaged'
in a variant ofservice learning that requires the development anciapplication
· of knowledge to'.solve problems and engage in active and serious reflection.
, In this article, w.e discuss the Center for Community Partne.rships' work
with public schools'as an example of a much broader development, a "demo-.
cratic devolution revolution." We also qjscuss academically based
· community-service leaming and research and practitio~er-academic collabo-.
ration through communal participatory action research as particularly useful
approacl!es for advancing scholarship, improving communities, and forging
democratic, mutually beneficial, and mutually respectful university-scho<;>l
community partnerships. .
e
PENN'S ENGAGEMENTWITH LOCAL PUBLIC
SCHOOLS' AS A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF
"DEMOCRA1]C DEVOLUTION l)EVOLUTlON"
, ~ Since .1985, Penn has· increasingly engaged, itself \:'Vith its., local public
schools ina compre,hensive s'chool-community-university'part;r\ership, the'
West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPle). In its 15 years o.f operation,.
the project has evolved significaritly. Moreover, it has helped spaWn a vari~ty
ofielated projects that also. engage Penn with public schools in its local com
munity, West Philadelphia.. From its'inception, we conceptualized Penn's
work ,,:\,ithWEPIC as designed to. forge mutUally beneficial and respectful .
university~schoo.l-community partnerships. In recent years, we have begunto
conceptuali~ that work in much'broader tenns, namely, as part of a (literally)
radical attempt to advance a "democra.tic devolution revolutio.n/' It isJrom
that lofty perch, we believe, that an overview of the work at Penn (and ,the
work at many other higher educattonalinstitutionsengaged with theidocal
public schools and communities) is best comprehended.
....
For nearly a generation, John Gardner, arguably the leading spokesperson
for the New AmericaneCosmopolitan Civic University (our term) has been
thinking and writing about organizational devolution and the uni~ers~ty's
potential role. For Gardner (1998), the effective functiQning of organlZatiQns
t'
,
'.
�28
'Benson et al.
, University-Community Partnerships
t
,29
i.
requires the planned and deliberate rather: than haphazard devolution of
functions:
'
other words; government would not be pr~arily responsible for the delivery
of services; it would primarily have macro-fiscal responsibilities, inclUding
fully adequate provision offunds.
.
~
"
f
We have in recent decades discovered some important charaCteristics of
the large-scale organized systems-government, private sector, what
ever under which so much of contemporary life is organized. One such
characterist~c-perhaps the most-important-is thaf the tendency of
such systems to centralize must be countered'by deliberate dispersion of
':initiative downward arid outward through the system. The corporations
have been trying to deal with thi,s reality for almost 15 years, anc:i govern
, ment is now pursuing it.
, What this means for goverrunent is a substantially greaterroleJor the
states and cities. And none of them are enti.rE!ly ready for'that role. '...
[L]oeal government rriustenter into collaborative relations with nongovernmental elements. . .
'
", So how can colleges and uniVersities be,of help? (p. 3)
f
r
~'
t
In effect, Giudner (1998) proposes a multisided'involvement in contempo
rary life for "higher eds," induding'building'community, converting public,
discussions, ~ducating public-spirited leaders, offering continuing civic and,
l
leadership seminars, and providing a wide range of technical assistance' ~
(broadiy conceived). AD effective, compassionate, democratic d.evolution
revolution, he ~mphasizes, requires much more than practicing new forms of
l;
,interaction am,ong federal,state, and local gO,verriments and among agencies
'ilt each level of government. For Gardner, government integration, by itseU
does not make IlleahingfUl change. New forni.s of interaction among the pub':
lic, for-profit, 'and nonprofit, sectors 'are also~ mandatory. Government must
function as a collaboral:i:£.lg parmer,efiectively facilitating cooperation among
all sectors of society,incl~ding highereducational institutions, to support and.
strengthen individuals, families, and communities (Gardner, 1998):
To extend Gcudner's observations about universities (an<;i similar observa
tions by such highly influential thinkers as Astin, 1997; Bpk, 1990; Boyer, 1994;
Shulman, 1997),'we propose a,democratic devolution revolution. In our prQ,o ,til.
posed revolution, the government serves as a powerful catalyst and largely
provides the funds needed to create stable, ongoing, effective partnerships.
However, gQvernment would function only as a second-tier deliverer ofserv
ices,<with universities, community-based organizations, unions,churches,
other voluntary associations~ school childreriand their parents, and other
community members functioning as the first-tier operational partners. That is,
various levels and departments of government'would guarantee,aid and sig-,
nificantly finance welfare services, whereas iocal, personalized, caring serv- ,~
ices would actually be delivered by the third (private, nonprofit, voluntary ,'.'
associations) and fourth (family, kin, neighbors, friends) sectors of society. In
f
~
~
The strategy we propose requires creatively and'intelligently adapting t11e
work of local institutions (universities, hospitals, faith-based organizations)
to the pa'rticular needs and resources of local conunUnities. It assumes that col
. leges and univerSities, which simultaneously constitute preeriUnent interna- ,
'tional, national, and local institutions, potentially constitute powerful part
" ners, "anchors," and cteativecatalysts for change and improvement in the
quality of lile in American cities and COlnmunities.
However, for colleges and universities to fulfill their potential and really
!l'
contribute to a democratic devolution revolution will require them to do
' :things very differently than they do them now. To begin with, higher eds
i '~
be required to reCognize that they are a major part of the problem as they Cur
rently function, not a significant part of the solutiO~. To become part of.the
,
, i:
solution, higher edsmust givdull-hearted, full-.rn.iQded devotion to the hard
task of transfonning themselves to becOming SOcially responsible, civic uni: '
'versities. To do that well, they will have to'change their institutional culttires
. and develop a comprehensive, realistic strategy.
As we previously noted, orie component of the strategy being developed by
(.
Penn (asweU as by art increasing number of other urban higher educational
'institutions) focuses on developIng university-assisted community schools
."
>~
designed to help educate, engage, activate, and serve aU members of the com
.munity in which the school is located. The;strategy assumes that community
'schools Can furictionas focal points to help create healthy urban environments
:~.
and .that universitiesfuriction best in such environments. Somewhat more
specifically, the strategy assumes that, like highereds, public schools can,fuhc
tion as environment-ch'!l1ging institutionS aI:l d become the strategic centers of
i""
broad-based partnerships that genuinely engage a wide variety ofcommunity
;.
organiziitioris and institutions. Public schools"belong" to all members of the
COllUnunity. They are particularly well suited, therefore, to function as neigh
borhood hubs or nodes around which local partnerships ,can be generated and
f?rmed. When engaged in that role, schools function as community institu
bons par. excellence; they Can then provide a decentralized, democratic,
~OllUnunity~based respo,"se to significant community problems.
,
:
The university-assisted commUnity school reinvents and updates an old
','
American idea, namely that the neighborhood school can effectively serve as
,the Core neighborhood institution, the Core institution that provides compre
services and galvanizes.other conununity institutions and groups.
That
inspired the early settlement house workers. They recognized the
of the neighborhood school in conununity life and hailed its poten
as the strategic site
and
of the 20th century, It IS worth notmg that deeply ~ohvated, SOCially
'
v
~-.
hensi~e
I~ea
~trality
~
for.c~mmunity st~bilization
impr~vement. A~the
�Benson'et al.
30
.. concemed, and, brilli~Hy cre~tive settlement· ho.use worke~s.;such as' Jane
Addams and Lillian\iVald pioneered the transfer of social"health, and recrea
tional services to the public schools of major Americar\' cities (Harkavy &
puckett, 1994). In effect~ .s.ettlement leaders recognized that although there
were very few settlement houses, there were very many public'schools. Not
surprisingly, Oewey's idea about "the school as a sodalCentre" had been
strongly, directly 'shapedby his enlightening experiences and discussions
with Jane Addams and others at Hull House. In a ~902highly irifluential
.
" address/Dewey (~902/1976) explicitly paid homag~ to them:
I SUpp()se, whenever we are framing our ideals ofthe:school as a social
Centre, what we think of is particularly the better class' of social settle
ment What we want As tI;Lsee the school, 'every public school, doing
something of the sam.e sort,of work that isno~ doneby.a settlement or
two scattered at wi~e distances through the dty. (pp. 90~9.1)
Dewey failed tjJ'note, however; two critically important functions.thatcom- .
munity schools could perform: (a) the school as'a COmInUnity institution ac
tively engageQ: in the soh.itionof basic community probl~ms and (b) the schC?ol
. asa corrimunity institUtion that educates young chllQ:ien, bqth intellectually
and morally, by engaging them in real-world, communitY problem solving.
He did recognize .that ifthe neighborhood schooLwere to function as a genu
ine community center/it, need~d additional humanresoui"ces and support.
Yet, to our knowledge, I?eweynever identified Uni~ersities as a key source of .'
broadly based, sustained; comprehensive supp6.rt for community schools. .
. To suggest the contributions' that uruversit:y-assistedcommunity 'schools
can make to an effective, compassionate, democratic devolutio~ revolution
capable of achievirig Dewey'sutopianggal of cosmopolitan democratic com
munities/ some results of the "commuhity school-.crea~g" efforts presently ,
being undertaken by higher eds across the country, Undergraduates, as well'
as dental, medicaC social work,'ed\.!cation, and nursing students are leaming
as they serve; public school students are also connecting their. education to
real-world problem solving and pro~iding services to other students and [I
comml,U1ity members; .adults are participating in locally based job training, .
skill enhancement, and ongoing education; and effectiv.e integration (distinct
, from colocation) of services for school children and iheidamiliesis noW sig
.nificantly under way in many communities. .
.
It is critic.alto emphasize,. however, that the university-assisted commuriity
, s~hools now being developed have a long way to go before they Can effectively
mobilize the potentially powerful, untapped resources of their communities
and thereby enable individuals and families to function both as deliverers and
recipients of caring; compassionate local services, To make .this point, we
briefly recite the "narrative history" of our experience at Penn; it suggests hoW .
far we have come and how far we have to go.
University.Community PC/r'tnerships
31
PENN AND WEST PHILADELPHIA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: LEARNING BY REFLECTIVE DOING
Following the brilliant lead provided by Gardner (1998), we 'believe that as
is true of all American universities, Penn's most basic, most endur~g respon
sibility is. to help America reali~e the democratiC promise of the. Declaration of
Independence in .practice: to become an optimally democrati~ sOCiety, the
path~breaking democratic society in an increasingly inte,rdependept world,
the exemplary democratic "City on the Hill." Granted that proposition; how
-can Penn best fulfill its democratic responsibility? For ~asons sketched below,
we believ.eit can best 'do that by effeCtively integrating and radically'impro:,
· fig th~ en,tireWest Philadelphia schooling system, beginning with Penn but
-'. including all schools withm. its 'local geographic community-and within the
:urban.ecological system in whjchJt functions as the strategic ~omp'onent.
.' The history of Penn's work W:ith West Philadelphia public schools has been
a process of painful organization~lIearning. We c~ot overemphasize that
oUf understanding and activities have continually changed over time. 3 For
example, Penn has recently embarked on two new, highly ambitious ventu~es:
(a) leading a coalition of high~redUl;ational U:tstitutions, medical, and other
nonprofit'institUtions, for-profit firms, and cqmmunity groups:to ~mprove 26 .
·\lYest Philad.elphia publi~ s<;hools ,and (b) qeveloping a university-assisted
. =Fi\lblk school 'adjacent to campus in partnership ,with the Sct100, District of
2 •.'
' C " ,
.
.-Philadelphia and the Phila.delphia Fede~ation o.fTeachers.~:_
'Reaching thisl~vel o tivity has ,been neither an easy' nor strciigl}t path.
f'a.c
Moreover, Penn is oniy now beginning to tap its extra~rdinaiy resources in
w_ays that eventually will mutually benefit Penn and its neighbors and result
· insubstanti~l school, community, and university change. Significantly; we
-have.come to see our work as a concrete example of a general theory of action-
oriented, real-world, problem-based l~arning. We have corne toseethat~our
. real-world strategic problem ha~ been and continues to qe radically improv
ing the quality of the entire_ West Philadelphia schooling syst.erri, beginning
· with Penn. We are convinced that corning to see our work in terms ()J what we
· now conceive as the strategic schooling component of a complex urban ecologi~
:cal syste~ has constituted a major cqnceptual and theoretical advance for us ..
, , Ir()nically, and instructively, ,when we first began work on university
'- Community relationships in 1985, we did not ~nvision it in terms of schools,
,' problem-based learning, or 1.¥1iversities as highly strategic components of
urban ecological syst~ms. WlHit'iIrtmediatelyconcemed us was that West
• Philadelphia was rapidly.and visibly deteriorating, with devastating tonse
, quences for Penn. What should the university do? Committed, to undergradu
ate teaching, two of us (Benson and Harkavy)designed an Honors Seminar
that aimed to stimulate undergraduates to think critically aoout what Penn
cou.ld do to remedy its "environmental situation" (broadly conceived), For a
vanety of reasons, the president of the university, Sheldon Hackney, a former
,
,
'
.
,',
~
.
::"
'.;,
�. Benson et al.
32
~·t
•
pr~fessorof history, agreed to join us in giving that seminar in the 1985spring
semester. The seminar's title, "Urban University-Community Relationships:
. Penn-West Philadelphia" Past, Present, and Future, As a Case Study/' suggests
its general concerns.,
When the seminar began,we didn't know anything about Dewey's com
munity school ideas. We literally knew nothing about the history of commu
,city school experiments and had not given any thought to Penn~working with
public~sc.hools in West Philadelphia. For present purposes, we do notneed to
recite the complex and painful processes of trial,error, and failure that led us
.and our students to see that Penn's best strategy to remedy its rapidly deteri9
rating environmental situation was to use its enormous jnternal and external
resources to help radically improve West Philadelphia public schools and the
neighborhoods in which they are located. Most unwittingly, during the, course
oithe seminar's work, we reinvented the community.school ide~J
Publi!= schools, we came to realize more or less accidentally,cpuld 'effec
tively fUnction.as genuine community centersfor the org'!J'iz;atil?n, education,
and transformation of entire neighborhoods. They could do thafby h.tnction- :'
irig as neighborhood ~ites for WEPIC, consiSting of school personnel and'
neighborhood residents who would receive strategic assistance 'from Penn
students, faculty, and staff. Put another way, the sem.i.i-tar helped invent
WEPICto help transform the traditional West Philadelphiapublic,school sys:':
tern' into, a revolutionary, new system. of university-assisted, community
cent~red, community-problem-solving schools.
.
.
. TRANSLATING TIlE uNivERSITY
ASSISTED COMMUNTIY SCHOOL
IDEA~OPRACTICALACTION
Given Penn's long, deeply roo,ted, mstitutional resistance to' serious
involvement with West Philadelphia's problems, the liIniteJ resources ayail
able to u~, and the intrinsic difficulty of transforming conventional,iIJ,ner-"city
public schools into community schools, we"decided that'our beststrategy was
to try to achieve a 'visible, dramatic success in one school rather than marginal,
incremental changes ina number of schools. Therefore, while continuing the
WEPIC program at, other schools, we decided to concentrate initially on the
Johri P. Turner Middle School, largely because of the interest and leadership of '
its principal.
'
Previous experiments in community schools and community education
throughout the country had depended primarily on a single university unit/ .
namely, the School of Education, which was one major reason foithe failure,
or at best, the limited success of those experiments. The WEPIC concept of uni- .
versity assistance was far more comprehensive. From the start of the Tumet
experiment,.we understood the·concept. to mean both assistance from, ~d
University-Community Partnerships
33
mutually benefici~l collaboration with, the entire rang", nf Penn's schools
departments, and administrative offices. For a variety off\'aso~s, however, i;
soon became apparent that ~e best way to develop and ~ustain the 'Turner
.
project would be to initiate a school-base~ community h('l\!th program.
Given the development of a COmmunIty health prognlin at Turner in the
sUrrlmer of 1990, Professor Fr~cis J~¥st0x:" 'chair of the. kthropOlogy
Department and a world leader In nutnhonalanthropology, decided to par.
ticipate in the project. To do that effectively, .for the fall 1990 semester, he
revised Anthropology 210, to. make ~t what .we have come to call a strategic,
academically based COmmunIty SerVICe s~rruna.r, Anthropology 210 has a long
history at Penn and focuses on the relahonshI~ between anthropology and.
biomedical science. An undergraduate course,It was developed to linkpre;.
medical training at Penn with the Departmentol An~roI'Ology'smajor pro
gram in medical anthropology. Premed stu~ents are hlghIY'i'!lportant in Penn
undergraduate education and tl}e'depilrtmenfsprogramin medical anthro-'
pology is world-renowned. Professor JohIiston'sdecis~onto~onvert Anthro
pology 210 into a strategic academically based COmmunity serVice seminai"' '
therefore constituted a major milestone iI1, the development of the Turner com
munity school project, in Penn" s relation to the Turner SchOOl, and in our over
all work with West Philadelphia public schools .. c , . " ,
':.'_' .
Smte 1990, students in Anthropology,2lO :havecarriedout:~ variety'of
activities at Turner focused on~e interactivecrelatiQnships,between diet;
'nutrition, growth, arid, health. The seminar is exp,licitly and increasingly
organized around strategic academically based communityservjce. AIter Pro- '
lessor Johnston began to increaSingly focus his ~wnr~~earch and pUblications
on his work with Turner students and communtty reSIdents, he carrie to func
.tion as a noteworthy example for other anthropolo?" professors and graduate
.students; many are now integrating their teac,hingandresearch with the
Turner program, or with other, WEPIC programs irlWest Philadelphia public
schools. Even more significantly, AIl thropology,.21OI)ot only affected the
anthropology department (which has'recently developed an academic track
in Public lhterest Anthropology·), its SUCGess has radiated ~t t6 other depart
. merits and schools. Undoubtedly, the course and' Pr9fesSor Johriston have
. played major roles in the increasmgly successful campaign to expand stra tegic
academically based community service at Perm (Benson &: Harkavy, 1994;
Harkavy, Johnston, & Puckett, 1 9 9 6 ) . ' .
"
.
At present, approximately 96 such courses working with r.Choolsand com
munities have been organized and are on the books at r>enn, with 43 being
offered during the 1999-2000 academi.c year. Moreover, an~easing nUmber
of faCulty members, from an ever-widening range of Perin schrJOls and depart- ,
ments, are now seriously considering how they might rev~ existing courses
Or develop new courses that would enable their students to btnefit from inno
vative curricular opportunities, to become active, learners aruj creative real
World problem solvers.,
'.,
"
f·
,
,.
"
i·
~
..
L·
�;"'.
" 'B~ildirig upon themes identified by the Provost's Council, Penn's
.1994-!995 animal report was ,entitled, IIJhe Unity of Theory and Practice:
, 'Penn's Distinctive Character" {University ofPennsylvani~, 1999).Desciibing
the university's efforts to integrate theory, and practice, President Rodin
observed that:
'
.
.
,',
'
THE CENTER'FOR COMMUNITY
PARJNERSHIPS AND PRESIDENTIAL
,AND'FACULTY LEADERSHIP
;
Encouraged by the success of the university's mcn;:asingengagement with"
, West Philadelphia, in July, 1992, President Hac~ey,created the Center for'
, Community Partne,rships. To highlight the importance he attached to the
center, he located.it in the Office of ,the President and appomted one'of us '
" (Ha;kavy) tobe its direct?i,(whileJ:ontinuing to serve as director of thePe.fiI1
Program fo! ~ubli.c Service created in 1988).
, ' ,
, SyfubolicallYandpractically,thecreation of ~ecenter COI!sti,tuted a major ,
change. in, Peru{s,relationshipto We:st Philadelphia and Philadelphia' in gen- , '
eral. The university ,as a corporate entity now formally and orgaruzationally ,
~otnmitted.itseil to fkdirlgways to use its truly enormous resources (broadly
conceived)to help improve the quality of life in its local community, not only
in respect to public sChoolS btit to economicaildcommunity development in
general. ' "
, ' " ,
",
'
The emphasis o~ partnerships, in the center's na!Ile .was~de1iberate;it , ','
acknowledged, in effect, that Pe~ could nottiyto go it alone as it had l<)[lg
,been (arrogantly) accustomed to do. The creationof ~,e centerwas also,signifi
cant internally. It meant thatat leastin principle, the president ofthe tiniver:"
':, sity,would ~o\:y 'stronglyencou~age!ill (:9mponen~s of the university. to s~ri
ously consider theroles they could appropriately 'play in, Penn's efforts to '
improve the'quality of its off-campus environment. implementation of that
strategy acc~lerated after Judith Rodiribecame president of Penn m1994.; A
,na!ive West~Philadelpl:\ian and,Penngrad\.!,ate, Rodin was appointed in pait
be<::auseof he'rdeeply felt commitment to' impr0v'wg Penn's lodllenviron
ment: and to transfoi1ning Penninto the leaciing Americari urban uriiversity.
" ,Rpdin made radical reform undergraduate educattonher first priority.
To achieve that far-reaching goal, she established the 'Provost's CoUncil o.n
Un~ergraduate Education (1995) and charged it with designing a:model fo~
Penn's undergraduate e«perience in the 21st centUry. Followmg:theJead of
,Penn's patron saint, I3enja~inFr:anklin,the.Provost's Council emphasized-the
'action:otiented .union of theory and practice and ~'engagt:;mentwjth the mate
rial, ethical, and morat'concems of society and communitydefinedbroadly,
globally, and also locally within Philadelphia" (p.'S-lY. The Pro\,ost's CgunciL
defined the 21st century undergraduate experience as, " ... provid[ingJ'
opportunities for students to understand whatit means to be active learners
and ac~,:,eAtizens. It will be an:exper~ence of learning, Knowmg,~ and, doing
that will lead to the active involvement ofstudents in the process of their edu-,
cation" ,(Provo,st'sCotincil on 'Undergraduate Education; 1995, p. 5-1fTo, ,
apply this Franklinian-inspiredorientationih'practice, the Provost's Council ' '
deSignated .academically based community service as a core component of.
Penn undergra~uate eg\lcation during the next century.
'
..
"
.
--:
~.
... th.e re
ways in which th~coinplex ~terrelationships betwee~ the- '",'
ory. and practice transcend any effort at neat conceptUalization. One of
those)s theappl~cationof theory in service to,our, community,and-the
use ()f~om~llriityservice as an academicresearch activity for students:
are
is
, Now~ere else the interactive dimension of the.ofy .and practice so dearly cap
tured. [emphasis ad,ded] "., ,. ," ',' ,.- , '
,
' ,
.
F?qnore than 2~O years, Philadelphia has, rooted"PeI1I! ina sense of
the "pradicat" remindeci uS that s~rvice to hutnanity,to ou~ comm~i~y;
,is,as [Benjamin] Franklin put it, "the great ai..n1 an'd:end of leaming./I ,
Toa~y, thousands of Penn faculty ana students,realize the Unity of the
and practiceby eng!'lgl.1:tg West Philadelphia elementary and sectin
, dary school students as part oftheir own'academic C9 UrSe work in disci-.
',plines as dh;:erse as history, ~throp'ol()gy, classical studies; education,'
and mathematics."
, ,.
'
, For,example, .inthropology professor.Frank Johnston anc{h,is und~r
g~aduate students educate studehts' afV\Test Philadelphia's Turrw r
Middle School a~ou~ nutrition. ,Classical studieS: pr()fessot Ralph Ro- ..
sen' uses 'modem Philadelphia arid fifth century Athens to explore. the
"': "interrelations between community, neighborhood"and family. And his,
"c:toryprofessor Michael Zuckerman'S students engage West Philadelphia . ~
,elementary.and sec6,ndary'school'students to help them understandt<>:
gether the nature-i;IDd discontinuities-of American naHonal'identity
and national character. (Provost's' Council on' Undergraduat~., Ecluca; "
'tion~ 1996· pp'. 9~10)
,
all
,
:".
",
'ory
:":;.
of
.
35
University-Comm unity Partnerships
Benson etal.
34
l
The 1994-1995 ann\larreport illustrated and 'advanced afundamentat far
reaching cultural shift that had begun to ta\<e place across the university, By
the end of her first ye~u uloffice, Penn:s president had significantly increaseg
the prominence of undergraduate education, defiried the integration of theory
and practict;! (including theory and practice derfved" from and applied within
the local community) as the hallinark of Ben Franklin' sUniversity,and identi
fiedac\idemically based community serVice fpcused on West' Philadelphia
and its public schools' as a P9werfully integrative strategy to advance . I
, ~'university-wideresearch, teaching, and service.
"
. , ' , ~- ,- ' . ' '
" , Presidents can prc;:"vide leadership, bufit is Blculty members who develop
, ,and sustain the courses and research projects that durably link a university to '
, its local schools and c()mmunity. Mor~ specificallY, itis !:hrough fac~lty,t~ac~
1
ing and resea'ich that th~ 'connectioir to local schools and commurunes s
, .
.
\ '
~.
:- ~
,..0.'
""
•
-
-'
�"Benson et al.
36
:ultimately and durably made. We"gav~ high priority, therefore, to increasing
-the number and variety of acaderriically based community service courses.
Thanks in large measure to President Rodin's strong support, the number of
academically" based community service. courses has grown exponentially,
from,n when the center was founded in 1992 to 96-in the fall of 2000, As a
result of the highly positive reaction, to those courses, the long-term process of
.radically changing Penn's undergraduate curriculum has gained accelerating
momentUm. In addition to thedevelopment'of thePublic Interest Anthropol
ogy track cited above,after years ofcomplex negotiations, a new interdiscipli
naryrriinor in Urban, Education 'has recently been created and hailed by
undergraduates. A joint,prqgram between the School of Arts and Science and
-,the Graduate School of Education, the new rriinor lncludes faculty advisors
from Anthropology, Classical Studies, Earth and Environmental Science, "Edu
cation, English, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, Sociology, and Urban
",
Studies.""
CDEMOCRATIC PAR1NERSHIPS AND
COMMUNAL PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
The" si~ificant development ofacaderriically based community service
:-leaming and research courses at Penn in and of itself does not necessarily
denote an ongoing democratic partnership with West Phil~delphia schools
aitd"con\n:tunities. The W~PICproject,however, has provided the integrative,
.commUnity-focused orgaruzatiorial vehicle that helps these courses to make a
,difference-in-West Philadelphia schools and their communities. The courses,_
therefore, are key component (probably the key component) of a wider
university~school-'Community partnership that has as its primary focus pro
vidmg neighborly assistance.
Over tUrie, we have come to concephiaUze the Center for Community Part
;"nerships' work through and with WEPIC as an ongoing communalparticipa
tory action research project designed to cOr"\tribute to improving West Phila
delphia and Penn and to advancing knowledge. As an institutional strategy,
COmmunal partidpatoryaction research is different from traditional particF
pating action-research. Bothreseafch processes are directed toward problems
in the real wo'rld,concerned with application,and obviously participatory.
They differ in the degree to which they are continuous, comprehensive, bene
ficial, and necessary to the organization or community studied and thetmi
versity. For example, traditional participating action research is exemplified in
the efforts of Why.te and his associates at Cornell University to advance indus
mal democracy in the worker cooperative of Mondragon, Spain (Greenwood
and Gonzales; 1992; Whyte & Whyte, 1991). Its considerable utility and theo
retical"significance notwithstanding, the research at MondragOn is not an "
institutional necessityfor Cornel1. 5 By.contrast, the University of Pennsylva
nia:s enlightened self-interest is directly tied to the success of its research
a
f
·_'t
I
University-Community Partnerships
37
efforts in West Philadelphia, hence its emphasis on communal participating"
action research. In short, proximity and a focus on problems that are institu'
tionaUy significant to the university encourage sustained, c~ntinuous
research involvement. Problem-focused research, in ~rn, necessitates sus
tained, continuous research partnerships between the university and its local
environment.
The center's participatory action research" project has. worked towar.d
increasingly higher levels of participation by community members inprob
lem identification and planning as well as implementation (Whyte, 1991). To
put it mildly, this has not been an easy process. Decades of community distnist
of Penn based on decades of community-destructive actions and inactions on .
the part of Penn take significant effort and time to reduce (Harkavy & Puckett,
1991a). The center's work with WEPIC has focused on health and nutrition,
the environment, conflict resolution/peer mediation, community perform
ance and visual arts, school!cOmlnunity publications, tedmology, school-to
career programs, and reading improvement. Each of these projects varies to
the extent to which they engage public school students, teachers, parents, and , ..
other community members in each' stage of the research process. The center's
overall effort, however, has been consciously democratic and participatory. As
WEPIC and related projects have grown and developed, and as co.nqete, posi
tive outcomes for schools and neighborhoods have occurred and continue to
occur, community trust and participation have increased. Nonetheless, differ- .
ent kinds ofprojects involving different disciplines, skills, and material and
led by different faculty members with different students, necessarily involve "
different levels of participation. Two very different faculty-led research proj
ects (one iri he~lth andmitrition, the other in sociolinguistics) exemplify how
the center has attempted to connect the university with the community..
Although these projects initially focuSE;:d on different public schools and neigh
borhoods in West'Philadelphia, they,both have developed a major concentra
tion in Drew. School, a Grades K through 8 school, bordering the university.6
. ANTI-iROPOLOGY 210
Professor Johnston's health nutrition project that emerged from Anthropol
ogy 210 has already been briefly described. It is the center's most developed
and comprehensive example of .communal participatory action resea,rch.
Because it began at the Turner Middle School (it is now in three other West
Philadelphia public schools), it is known as the Turnerl\!utritional Awareness
Project (mAP). Given its 9-year history at Turner, we will describe the pro
gram'at that location. mAP attempts to bridge the gap that separates the three
tn,ajor components of the mission of a research university: (a) teaching, (b)
research, and (c) service. Thisproject is based firmly on the principle that each
of these components can be carried out more effectively when integrated with
�Benson et al.
38
a
the bther two. The result is total experience that engages students,Jaculty,
and staff, bringing them to a common and unified focus on the problems of the
university's local environment.
"
.,
"
The 1NAPhas three majorpurposes: (a) toinstruct students in the relation
ship between food, nutrition', and health in urban America using an anthropo
logical perspective; (b) to describe and analyze the nutrition;'l.l status of the
middle school-age populationClf West Philadelphia and tomoilitor changes in
that status over time; and (c) to help alleviate nutrition problems by providing
Turner School students with informed choices about their food andnutri
tional h~bits. Although three service-learning courses iri,anthropology focus
on TNAP, the primary mechanism for carrying out the program is th~ course
entitled Anthropology and Biomedical SCience" (Anthropology 210). This
course is offered to undergraduates' typically in the ,third and fourth years of
their4-year cours'e of study, anditIargely draws students whose majors are in .
,the social and biologiCal sciences, as well as those who have an interest in com
munity service. The .enrollment for the class is kept to about 25, which is opti
mal'for the range of activities to be conducted. .
.
The ac.ademic/theoretical component Of the course takes place during two
weekly seminar sessions. Students discuss the.ir reading of materi<),ls dealing
with health, nutrition, and nutritional status; with issues related to'urbanHfe;
and with action research strategies for solving problems. Allof this is cqn
duct'ed within the context of the analysis of complex bio-social systems. The
readmgs arecho~en to present a miXture of tlH!ory and case studies and to pro
vide the major stimulus for clc:1SS discussions.
Early in the course, the Penn stud.ents are introduced to the 1NAP, its pur
pose and, design: and to the research done by earlier classes. They are made
aware of the longitudinal nature ofthe project and of their role as part of a con
tinuing effort. They visit the school and receive a brief onsile orientation by
Turner staff and students.
For their work.atTumer, the Penn students are divided into four groups.
One group, .about half of the class, is responsible for teaching nutrition to .
Tumer'students on a weekly. basis througho\.lt the semester, Under the guid
anceof a gr~duate 'teaching assistant, lesson plans are discussed and formu
lated. This group of Penn students uses the'lesson plans to teach about nutri
tion, food, and the health outcomes of the Turner students' dietary choices. A
secpnd group pf Penn students is charged with carrying ou t the collection and
analysis of dietary data at Turner; in this activity, they interview individual
students, collect 24-hour rec!lll~ of food intake, and enter,the data into comput
ers for analysis using appropriate software. A third group carries out an
anthropometrkdetermination of nutritional status, focusing on physical
growth, body fatness, and the prevalence of obesity, which is a maf~r problem
among the urban poor. The fourth group (the smallest) involves students in
related research on a range of topics, including observational studies 'of the
local school lunchroom; type and distribution of restaurants and grocery
stores in the area, children's attitudes about f()od, and other issues important
I
University-Community Partnerships'
.
.
39
in a nutritional ecosy?tem. Data collection and analysis.arepresented as an
ongoing research project subjeCt,to the principles of research design, reliability
and validity, and both quantitative and qualitative analysis;
Rather than being separated from the Penn researchers, Tumer students are
incorporated as fully' as is practicable into these activities. If is fundamental to
the1NAP that participant involvement in the program is essential to chang
ing beha vior. The traditional quasi-experimental model of research, experts
using experimental and control groups, is replaced by a par~icipatory model
in which the research process itself is a democratic intervention. Turner stu7
dents are broughtmto close contact with researchers and learn that the daily
problems they face can be understood by the methods of formal analysis.
The interaction of theory andonsite research is developed throughout the
semester. Penn students regUlarly report to the seminar on their group proj
ects; results are written up and presented at the end of the-semester. The Penn
, students also present their findings to Turner staff and students.
.
The course has thus far achieved its goals. From the standpomt of research,
it has produced basic descriptive data presented at university seminars and
scholarly meetings and p\lblished in the scientific literature Oohnston & Hal
lock, 1994). These data focus on aspects of the qualit}r of the diets of the Turner
students, and the high prevalence of obesity, which is among the highest yet
reported for American youth of anyethnic group. These data have also.stiinu
lated at least one do.ctoral dissertatJon that seeks to disen~angle further dietary .
and cultural correlates of obesity.
.
.
From an instructional standpoint, the course has become part of the under
graduate major m anthropology; it is increasingly overenrolled as students
respond to its unique approach to learning. It fias provided a springboard for
. two additional courses, one that focuses on enh~cing nutritional behavior
and another, that invqlves the longitudinal evaluation of the 1NAP.
From a service standpoint, the TNAP involves all three grades cif the Turner .
School (Grades 6 through 8). A nutrition center is being established at the
school, tha t will enable the students to learn princip les of nu tri tion at their own
pace and mQnitor their own dietary intaKe and nutritional status. Increased
participation of Turner students as research assistants will help them make
informed choices about di€t and its health consequences; it will'also increase'
their sense of efficacy as they learn to bring ideas .and principles of action
research to bear on the problem in their daily lives.
II
~.
II
II
LINGUISTICS 161 .
Functioning in quite adilferent way is an action (a~ distinct from a partid
,~
.-
p~tory action) research project led by Bill Labov, a professor of linguistics and
, dlrector of the Linguistics Laboratory at Penn. Professor Labov is intensely
concerned with the low reading achievement of African American youth in .
Poor urban school districts. He has worked to develop a comprehensi~e
,
i
,
�~.
40
,.
Benson et al.
research program toanalyze reading deficiencies and design interventions to
overcome them.
,
. A highly distingl.iished sociolinguist, frofessor La_bov has long had a theo
retical and empirical interest ~ Afri~an American linguistic patterns. His deci
sion to focus on solving "the reading problem" of West Philadelphia teachers
-and school children was spurred by two Penn undergraduates who werE!
m~mbers of our seminars. They proposed to Professor Labov that he offer an
academically based community service Course that would go beyond the
Ebonics controversy and make positive use of African American cultural and
linguistic pattems'to improve reading perfoimance~ Impressed by the:~tU
dents'ideas, interest, and passionate engagement with the problem, Labov
hlredone of them as an undergraduate teaChing assistant (with support pro
vided by the Ce!lter for -CommunitY Partnerships) and offered the course in
-..
the spring of 1998.
· program. Among other things, if involved Penn undergraduates who sup'
· vised students from West Phihidelphia High School,_who, in tum, tutored \t\
son students, Inaugurated intl;e spring of 1996, the potentially promising pI
· gram was, accor~ingto teacher~ and Penn students, at best only a mod.
success. In January, 1997, however, with the addition of-graduate student COl
'dinator Bettina Baker, whose field of academic interest is early education, t
proS!am significantly unproved. Moreover, Baker introduced Labov to t
Wilson after-school program as it possible empirical site for his theoreti<.
· work. As a result, the theoretically derived reading techniques Labovh.
· been developing came to be used with an initial group of 40 students. Bak
also recruited a number of Penn undergraduates supported by PresidentCli
ton's America Reads program to work with the Wilson students from 3:00
4:30 p.m., four days a week. The early results proved to be impressive. Bak
has described the findings as follows:
One main goal of Linguistics 161, "The Socio-Linguistics of Reading," is to
make an action-oriented, detailed studY,of reading unpiiirments among Afr!- .
can ·American children at the WilsonElem~ntary School, a nearby 'public
school. Undergraduates in the course meet with Children experiencing read
ing:problems and attempt to diagnose the source of their difficulties. Using.
soprusticated measurement techniques, the Penn. students obtain samples of
reading errors cOmmittep by the children; this enables the~ to compare their
performance against other children having fewer reading problems. Having
. '. analyzed his students~findings, Professo~ Labovis now developing a reading
program to overcome the impairments obseryed in .the Wilson School
..
'
.childrert.
Encouraged by'the work of the spririg 1998 semester,Professor Labov
<;iecided to expand' the project considerably during the 1998-1999 academic
year. :to do thaf, he is giving four linguistics courses (undergraduate and
graduate)around the reading Unprovement program .and extending it to
. another public school in West Philadelphia, the Charles Drew School, One
. course focuses on·Penn UndergraduatE!s developing linguistically and cultur
ally appropriate narrative texts and illustrations to teach reading. Another
course trains Penn students to work as tutors _in the Wilsort and Drew schools.
To help develop linguistically ~d culturally appropriate materials, an inno::
vative goal of Linguistics 161 is to understand the role that hip-hop music
s
plays a. a SOCialiZing influence on AfncanAmerican youth. In current an-d
future seIninars, undergl:aduates
study how elementary school children
acquire and use hip-hop language. The undergraduates and Professor Labov
will then try to design a more effective program to teach standard English and
develop new curricula that ase hip-hop materials as a culfurally valuable
learning tool.
.
,
.
.
will
Professor Labov's COurses are connected to after-school programs at both
Wilson and Drew. Initially, the after-school program at Wilson had been
deSigned by undergraduates in one of ~ur seminars as a peer-tutoring
'University-Community Partnerships:
Th.e program~ssessed thepre:'and post.interventi~n Jerry Jons Infonnal
Re~ding Inventory (IRl) scores of 40 rand'omly selected subjects and·a
matched control group. The subjects were in Grades 2 through 5;-and
were one to two years behirld in reading grade level before pinticipating
in ... [the] extended dayprogram ... at Wilson .... All of the 40 subjects'
~IRl scoresincr~asedby one -grade. level after 3.5 month's enrollment iri·
'. the program; whiCh met 4 days p~r week for 1.5:t'!ours per day: Thirty
three of the 40 subjects w~re caught up to thei~ classroom reading grade
level (approximately two grade reading levels). Three of the seven sub
jects who were not caught up to their grade levels were recently from'
Ethiopia (ESL students) and one was in a leiUT\lng support (IEP) pro
.graln. There was a statistically significant increase In average IRl reading
'scores of spedaleducation participants. The:4th grade participants had .
':statistically significant gains in SAr-9 reading scores. The student's aver:
_" ageSAT-9 'achieyement test scores increased froJll "below basic" to
"basic" levels on the fest. (Baker, in.progress)
.
.
Ii
'1
r
~
W~hesitate to make too much olearly roUnd statistical successes; worke'
·this kind can only be carefully evaluated over the very long haul. But the in
pressive results cited above help explain the program's rapid expansion. As (
1999·2000, the extended day program enrolls 40 students at Wilson and 40 sh.
dents at Drew. Staffing the programs (and illustrating the resources poter
tially available for such programs) are 76 Penn America Reads work-stud
students, 13 Penn volunteers, and 9 elementary school teachers. Activities ir
elude literacy tutoring, help with homework, and literacy-based enrichment.
A school-day program has recently bt;!en added. Approximately 70 Peru
students supported by the America Reads funds are placed with classrooD
teachers from Grades pre-K through 8 at both schools at least one day a wee~
With America Reads tutors and students from Professor Labov's seminar,th
�Benson et al.
42
progTam has' help~d significantly to reduce Class size during literacy jnstru~
lion and after-school activities. Not surprisi,ngly, we have found that reducing
class size enables ,teachers to provide more attention to individual students,'
and constitutes one of the.most significantbenefits made possible by an effec
tive universityi'school partnership.
We think it important to note that Professor Labov's reading improvement'
project is extra~rdmarily comprehensive. It has effectively integrated a theo
retically based;majoraction research project, a series of Penn undergraduate
and graduate seminars, and a vol~nteer program to develop. a highly creative
and innovative model. Combiriing the skill; expertise, and. cutting-ed'ge
theoretical work of a senior faculty member and the intensive training ,of
graduate and undE;'rgraduate students, the program'exemplifies in practice
the valuable results that can be achieved whe!1 academically based commu:.
nity service projects work with local public schools. Given the importance of
ending the "minority differential" in reading, the findings from this project
.have majornational signifieance. So much so, in fact, that the Oakland School'
Board (the focal pomt of the Ebonies controversy), California State Univer
sity':'"Hayward;and Penn have been generously funde(;f by the United States
Department oft::ducation's Office of Educational ResearCh lnnovationto fur
ther develop and extend the reading improvement project described abov~. '.
;,
CONCLUSION
J{
In t.his artid~, 'We have examined a rri~ltipr~ng~d, collaborative strategy for'
concretely' st;>lvirig,some of the chronic problems of communal life in postiI:l,.:
dustrial Am.er~ca. In 1985~the WEPIC coalition launChed a "neo-Deweyan:'
strategy and,gradually began t,o reverse a~ide of long~standing grievances
resulting from Penn's institutional expansion anddisengage~ent from 'the
. sodal problems of its neighboring community. Today"the coalition functions
in its general aim and movement as a communal participatory action research
project; with university-assisted community schools as the core component, ,
supported by academically based community'serVice. '
In an early article, we described our \Vork as a "long march" through ·the'
instit~tions(Harka\'y ,& Puckett, 1991b). Although WE;'.are still on thaUong,
march and have very larto go, we have made some ~al advances in the past 15 "
years. The ~pjC coalition has given significant impetus to action-oriente~
social research i..t} West Philadelphia and th.e development of academicaUy
based community service. Perhaps even more important for long-term school, ..
community, and university change (Le., fora succe~sfullong march), Penn has
put an urban agenda at the core of its academic/institutional mission. Ahd
even more important, Penn and a number of other higher educational
University-Community Partnerships
43
institutions across the country are beginning to show signs of functioning as
agents (or realizing Dewey's democratic vision of the "GreatCommunity." We
find this development to be truly encouraging.
.
.To conclude by restating the quote from De\yey (1927/1954)that we pr~vi
ously cited, "Democracy must begin at home, CIlld its home'is the neighborly
community" (p: 213). In our judgment, building local democratiC neighborly
communities.is the primary path to ac~demic,iristitutional, and social excel
lence for American highereducation.7}f that path is to lead us there, then aca
: derriics and practitioners will have to construct'the path collaboratively and
democraHcally. And if that occurs, American higher education would be well
on its way toward (finally!) overthrowmgPlato and implementing a Deweyinspired implementation revolution.
.
Notes
Lin recent yearS, with th~ aid of genei5us grants from the HUD Office of Uni~e~itY of Part
.nerships, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Jessie Ball duPont ~und, the center has significantly
expanded ,its work with nonprofit organizations, particularlycommunity'-bilsed organizations
andcommunities of faith. Two major new efforts, Program in NonPrQfits Uni"lr.ersities, Communi
ties, and Schools (!<ellogg supported) and, Program in Communities of Faith, Universities,
Schools, and Neighborhoods, and organizations (duPont supported) integrate Penn's various.
efforts with schools, communitY-baSed organizations, and communities of faith.
2, Fora fuller·discussjon of Dewey's utopian goal of cosmopolitan democratic'communities
and university-assisted community schools,
Benson &:'Harkavy (1991. 1997). We created Un i
versitiesand ComrTumity Schools in 1989 as ameans t6 advance mutually benefiCial, innovative part
nerships between universities and local schools:in general, and univerSity-assisted community
schools in particl,dar.
.
." ,
'.
.
' . .
3. For an illuminating diScussion of the concept of organizationalleaming, see Whyte (1991),
p,articularly pages i37-241.
'
"
,
.4: A fuller definition of Public Interest Anthropology can be found in Peggy Reeves Sanday's
. "Opening Statement: Defining Public Interest Anthropology," ,presented at Symposium on
Defining Public Interest Anthropology, 9"" Annual Meeting of the American AnthropologiCal
Assodation, Philadelphia; December 3, 1998. Sandy~s statement is located at http://www.,
sas.upenn.edu/-psanday /pia.99.html .
"
,
5. For more background on Mondrag6n participatory action research, see the work of 'Whyte
,
. '
and Whyte (1984, 1991).
6. An artideinthe Phiwdelphia Inquirtr en,titled "Philadelphia Schools Awardl!<i $35 Million
for Improvements" reported: "Charles Drew School,in PhiladelphIa, snowed more 'improvement'
on the state's standardized reading and:math than any other school in the state, ,1999 results'
, show" (Snyder, 1999). Although reason~ for this extrai)rdinarily impressiveperforinance are
many, Penn's concentrated efforts at Drew, induding the projects in health and nutrition andsoci
olinguistics, would ilppear to bea significan(contributing factor.
'
..
. 7. For a discussion of the concept of social excellence and its application to higher educational
tnstitutiims, see'Deutsch ( 1 9 9 9 ) . '
.
see
�Benson et al.
44
Refereo<:es
W.
'University-CommunitY Partnerships
45
Whyte, W;F., & Whyte, K. K. (19S4).l.Larningfrom thefield: Aguidejrom erperirn~. Newbury Park,
. CA:Sage.'
.
"
.
Whyte, W. F., & Whyte, K. K. (!~1). Making Mondro.gon: Thegrowtho.nd dynamics ofthe worker COOP:
erati~ complex (2nd ed.). Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.
Astin, A. (1997). Liberal education and democracy: The ease 'for pragmatism. In R. Oni.H(Ed.),
EducDtion and democracY: lit-imagining liberal learning in America (pp. 207-223). New York: Col
. ' ,
lege,Entrance Examination Board.
Baker. B. (I 999). Effects ofa university-assisted community school based extended dIly program in literacy
acquisition ro.tesofinner city childn'7i:Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University ofPennsyl
vania, Philadelphia.
Benson,L., ok Harkavy, I. (1991). Progressing beyond the w,:!liare state. Universitieso.nd Community
"
SchOOls,2(l/2), 1-25. '
Benson,t., ok Harkavy, I. (1994) Anthropology 210, academically-based community service and
the advancement of knowledge, teaching, and learning: An experiment in progress. Uniflersi
,tieso.nd Community Schools, 2(1/2), 66-69.
..
~
. Benson, t.. ok Harkavy. 1. (1997): School and c~mmunity in the global society. Universities and Com
mimity Schools, 5(1/2),16-71.
Bok,D.C. (1990). Universities o.nd thefutureof America. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Boyer, E.. t. (1994, March 9). Creating the new American college. Chronicle ofHighu Educatio';, M8..
Churchman, C. W., ok Mitroff, 1. 1. (1998). The management of science and the mismanagement of
the world. In W. N. Dunn (Ed.), The experimenting society: Essays in honor ofDono.ld T. Campbell
(pp. 11;)3-123). N.ew Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishing.
'
'
,-,
~ ..
. Deutsch; C. (l999):But is it good for children? Universities o.nd Community Schools, 6, 68--70.
:Dewey, J; (1902/1976). The school as social centre: lourno.l Ofthe Procttdings of the NaHono.l Educa
tiono.l Association. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey: The mtddle works, 1899-1924, 2, 80:-93.
, 'Illinois: Southern Dlinois PreSs.
'
Dewey, J, (192711954). The public and its problems. Denver, CO: Alan SwaUow.
'"
',:
Gardner, J. W. (1998, February 10). Remarks to the Campus Compact Stra~egic Planning Commit
" tee, San Francisco.
, "
' ,
'
, Greenwood, D., & Gonules, J. t: (i992): IhduStl-ial democracy as proCess: Participatory .action
c
, research in the Fagor cooperative of Mondrag6n. the NetherlandS: Van Gorcuin.
Harklivy, I.,Johnston, F. E., &.Puckett, J;-t. (1996). The University of Pennsylvania's Center for
Community Partnershipsas'an organizational inriovation tor advancing action reSearch. Con
cepts o.nd Transformation; 1(1); 15-29. .
,'
"
t".
,Ha rkavy, I.,ok Puck!!tt, J. t. (l99lit). The role of mediating structures in university and cornmuriity
.:~
revitalization: The University of Pennsylvania and West Philadelphia as a casestildy. Journo.l of
Research and Development in Education, 25(1), 10-25.
'
v
Harkavy, I., ok Puckett, J. L, (1991b). Toward effective university-public school partnerships: An
Ltt Benson is a professor emeritus of history and 0. Distinguished Fellow of theCenterfor Community Po.rt
analysis oca contemporary model. Ttachm Co~ege Record,.91(4), 55~581.
ne:ships 0.1 the Uniuersityof Pennsylvo.nia. Hecollo.borates with Iro. I1arknvy and Jo~n Puckett on action
Harkavy.I., ok Puckett, J. t. (1994). Lessons from HuU HoUse for the contemporary urban univer
o~ttd restilrdt and teaching designed to exemplify their conviction thO-t the primary mission of A mmcan
. sity. Sodal StriliceRtView, 68(3),299-321.'
."
Ul1lversities is to practically help realize o.n optimally democraJic society and world. He is coexecutive editor
. Johnston; F. E., & Hallock, R. J. (1994). PhYSical growth, nutritional statuS, and dietary intake of
of Universities and Community Schools o.nd ,lJuthor of sfr books,
.
African-America!' middle school students from Philadelphia. American lourno.l ofHuman Biol
Iro.'Harkavy is asSociate vice presidt;nt a,nddirector afthe Centerfor Community P~rtnerships,University , .
~~m~~"
'
of Pennsylvania. He teaches in the departments of history, urban studies, and city and regional planning;
Provost's C:;:o~cil on Undergraduate Education: (1995, May) ..'rhe 21st century Pennundergradu
, He is cotxecutive editorofUniversities and Community Schools o.nd o.n editorial bco.rd memberofNon
. ate experience: phase one. University of Pennsylumia Almano.c Supplement, 5-1-5-4;
Profit and Voluntary SeCtor Quarterly. The West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC), a 1S-year
po.rmership to create university-assisted community schools thO-t connect the University of Pennsyloonia
. Sanday" S. R. (1998, December 3). "Opening statement: Definirig public interest ~nthropology."
o.nd the West Philo.de1phia community emerged and developed from seminars and reseo.rch prOjects he dl
, ,URt: http://.wwv,:.sus.upenn.edu/-psanday.99.html ' .
".
"
,
rrets with
'
,Sch~lm~n: t. (1997). Professing the liberal arts. In R. Onill,.(Ed.), Education and democro.cy:·Re ot/rD colleo.guts o.t Penn..
Joh~ Pucutt is associate Professor, chair ofthe Division ofEducationall.Lailersh{p, and o.ssociate dean at the
,.,mag~ntng libero.llearning in America. N!;w Yor~ Cambridge University Press.
Unwersity of Pennsylvania GrudUilte School ofEducation, He teo.ches'courses on the social forces and con
Uruve~lty of Pennsylvania. (1996). Annuo.l report 1994-1995. Philadelph)a: University ofPennsyl.
texts ofurban educo.tion,'For the po.st 12 yto.rs, he has helped create o.nd'report on thelheory and praclrceof
. . '
"
varua (pp. l-ll). "
community schools and o.co.demically-bo.sed community smnce in West Philo.dtlphia,
Whyte, W. F. (Ed.). (1991). Partidipatory action itsearch. Newbury Park, CA:!:iage. .
:,~.
-.
�
Dublin Core
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Kendra Brooks - Subject Series
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Domestic Policy Council
Kendra Brooks
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36031" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/647992" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
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The Kendra Brooks Subject Files contain correspondence, reports, articles, memos, and various printed material. Other documents include background information for education events and meetings. The files include material pertaining to charter schools, national testing, SAT preparation, school safety, school modernization/construction, affirmative action, Blue Ribbon Schools, class–size reduction, teacher quality, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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157 folders in 16 boxes
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[Education - WEPIC] [West Philadelphia Improvement Corps]
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Domestic Policy Council
Kendra Brooks
Subject Files
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Box 14
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/KendraBrookssubjectfile.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/647992" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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1/17/2012
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647992-education-wepic.pdf
647992