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Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses are at the core of the Netter Center’s work. ABCS students and faculty work with West Philadelphia public schools, communities of faith, and community organizations to help solve critical campus and community problems in a variety of areas such as the environment, health, arts, and education. Penn has 80-90 undergraduate and graduate ABCS courses each year, enrolling over 1800 students.
ABCS courses
- Integrate service with research, teaching, and learning
- Are a form of Community-Engaged Scholarship (CES)
- Bring together academic expertise and the expertise of the community via mutually-beneficial, mutually-transformational democratic partnerships
- Use collaborative local problem-solving to improve the quality of life and learning in the community and the quality of learning and scholarship in the university
- Foster structural community improvement (e.g., effective public schools, neighborhood economic development)
- Emphasize student and faculty reflection on the service experience
- Help students become active, creative, contributing citizens of a democratic society
Click here to browse Fall 2024 courses.
To register for an ABCS course: You can browse and register for ABCS courses on Path@Penn. To find ABCS courses, use the advanced search tool and find "Academically Based Community Service Courses" in the University Attribute dropdown menu. The most updated list of ABCS courses is on the Netter Center website.
Obtain your clearances for working with minors here.
For current and prospective ABCS faculty and students: Click here for information on ABCS resources.
For graduate students interested in ABCS, community-engaged scholarship, and related activities: Learn more Provost's Graduate Academic Engagement Fellows at the Netter Center and Penn Graduate Community-Engaged Research Mentorship summer program.