For Penn Faculty
To support the creation and implementation of Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses, the Netter Center offers the following resources:
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Support connecting to community partners in West Philadelphia and Philadelphia, including schools, communities of faith, non-profits, Penn offices, and other local organizations.
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Access to partnerships with University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) in West Philadelphia, which have programming during the school day, afterschool, evenings, weekends, and summers to support the holistic needs of students, families, and the local community. Netter Center site directors collaborate closely with each school and its community to determine activities that best serve their specific needs and interests. The Netter Center’s UACS programs in West Philadelphia are located at Comegys School (grades K-8), Hamilton School (K-8), Lea School (K-8), Mitchell School (K-8), Mastery Charter School - Shoemaker Campus (7-12), Robeson High School, Sayre High School, and West Philadelphia High School.
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Class visits and other ongoing support from Netter Center staff to prepare students for community engagement, collaboration, and reflection
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Clearances and Background Checks for students working with minors
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Recognition, awards, leadership, and publication opportunities for exemplary students involved in ABCS
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Surveys evaluating the impact of the course on students' personal, professional, and civic development
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Marketing and promotion of the course via listservs, newsletters, and social media
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Opportunities for students to continue engaging with the course partnerships and projects after the course ends in work-study or volunteer capacities
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Additional resources available on the following topics upon request: ABCS & Service Learning; Problem-Solving Learning and Participatory Action Research; Reflection; History of West Philadelphia/Penn; School District of Philadelphia; K-12 engagement; Questions of Race, Class and Privilege; Democracy, Community Schools and University-Community Partnership; Netter Center & Related Faculty Publications
For more information, please contact:
- Anna Balfanz (ABCS Coordinator), abcscoordinator@sas.upenn.edu
- Jarrett Stein (food and nutrition partnership courses), steinjm@sas.upenn.edu
- Paulette Branson (health, sports, and fitness partnership courses), pbran@sas.upenn.edu
- Katey Givan (STEM partnership courses), givan@sas.upenn.edu
- Suzana Berger (arts, culture, and humanities partnership courses), suzanab@sas.upenn.edu
- Regina Bynum (K-12 partnership courses), bynumr@sas.upenn.edu
If you are interested in creating a new ABCS course or adapting an existing course into ABCS, please reach out to Anna Balfanz at abcscoordinator@sas.upenn.edu to learn more.