UACS Sports, Fitness, and Health

University-Assisted Community School (UACS) Sports, Fitness & Health engages K-12 West Philadelphia students and University partners in before school, school-day, and after school programs focused on health and wellness, physical activity, team sports, and leadership. UACS Sports, Fitness and Health aims to cultivate and implement a sustainable and replicable model through programs like Young Quakers Community Athletics, the Penn West-Philadelphia Basketball League, Cross-Grade Sports, university-assisted physical education, university-assisted health and sexual health education, university-assisted recess, and SMART teams. In addition to ABCS course partnerships, Penn partner programs include Penn Athletics (including several intercollegiate teams such as Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Lacrosse, Women’s Lacrosse, and Track and Field, the Center for Student Athlete Success, Penn Performance, and thePenn Athletics Wharton Leadership Academy), Penn Medicine, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Nursing, African-American Resource Center, and the Penn LGBTQ+ Center.

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During the school day, UACS Sports, Fitness and Health brings Penn graduate and undergraduate students as well as Penn Medicine residents into elementary, middle, and high schools to teach general health and sexual health education. Using curriculum and training developed with the Center for Public Health Initiatives at Penn Medicine, these Penn partners provide critical, science-based education to younger students.

The SMART Teams program is designed to empower 6th-8th grade students by fostering teamwork, accountability, and goal-setting through weekly classroom sessions with Penn students and Netter staff. Each week, students are grouped into teams and tasked with setting individual goals that they will work towards with the support of their teammates. The program emphasizes team-based accountability, helping students stay on track and achieve their goals while learning the value of collaboration and personal responsibility. Through a variety of engaging activities, students gain the skills to set realistic goals, overcome challenges, and work together to make their aspirations a tangible reality.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Sara Kelly, Director of UACS Sports, Fitness, and Health at sdkelly@sas.upenn.edu