New School Philosophy

Penn undergrads watched as their Philadelphia high school mentees schooled onlookers in college-level philosophy on May 9 as part of the “Pedagogy in Practice: Philosophy and Education in Philadelphia” conference—the culmination of a semester of work in Penn’s Philosophy of Education ABCS (Academically Based Community Service) course, designed and taught by Associate Professor of Philosophy Karen Detlefsen and doctoral student in philosophy Rob Willison. The course brought together Penn undergraduates and local high school students in an effort to both advance the college students’ role as educators and support the high school students’ academic development. Stressing hands-on, real-world problem solving, ABCS courses connect students and faculty with local organizations and initiatives in order to solve critical community issues in a variety of areas related to the environment, health, arts, and education. To date, over 160 ABCS courses from diverse schools and disciplines across the University have engaged in work in West Philadelphia through the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships.

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