Examples of Good Practice from University of Pennsylvania

Academically Based Community Service (ABCS)

Coordinated by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the University of Pennsylvania has developed a model program in ABCS. ABCS is service rooted in and intrinsically linked to teaching and research as a component of Penn’s undergraduate and graduate classes. ABCS advances beyond traditional service-learning since it aims to bring about structural community improvement (e.g., strong community organizations, neighborhood economic development, and effective public schools). As part of their ABCS experience, students work in the public schools or the West Philadelphia community at large. Since the inception of ABCS, approximately 160 ABCS courses have been developed. In the 2007-08 academic year, more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students participated in 59 ABCS courses. ABCS courses are offered in eight of Penn’s 12 Schools and a wide range of disciplines.

Centers and Programs on Campus that Promote Civic Engagement

In addition to the Netter Center, the University of Pennsylvania supports a number of centers and programs that encourage student civic engagement and leadership development. To highlight just two of these: Civic House is the Penn’s 
hub for student led community service and social advocacy work. Civic House promotes mutually beneficial collaborations between the Penn and 
West Philadelphia communities, and beyond. 
Through education, community connections, and other resources, Civic House prepares students for responsible and effective civic engagement and leadership. Robert A. Fox Leadership Program works to enrich the 21st century Penn undergraduate educational experience in ways that excite and equip students for present and future leadership roles in whatever realms of human excellence and endeavor may call them. The Robert A. Fox Leadership Program provides three sets of Leadership Events, four types of Leadership Experiences and two curricular contributions.

University-Assisted Community Schools

Since 1985, a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania, led by the Netter Center, and West Philadelphia school and community partners, has helped to transform existing public schools into university-assisted community schools throughout the local neighborhoods. Currently eight university-assisted community schools function as centers of education, service, engagement and activity for over 6,000 students, parents, and community members. Innovative collaborations have come to define this award-winning program, which has been widely recognized — and strategically replicated — for its effectiveness in improving both the quality of learning and quality of life of children in urban neighborhoods. The distinctive component of this model is that the work is integrated into both the public schools’ and Penn’s curricula, creating a collaborative problem solving approach through multiple levels of schooling—K-12 and higher education. This academic link fosters sustainable partnerships.

This page is part of a series of Examples of Good Practice.