NEW Tenth Anniversary Initiatives! 

 As we celebrate a wonderful decade for this growing community of educational leaders, we very much look forward to continued development of the program.  Below are some exciting NEW initiatives to be launched as a part of our Tenth Anniversary celebration!

Become a Mid-Career Network Associate: Continue your association with Penn in your professional endeavors by becoming a Penn Mid-Career Network Associate!  All students and graduates in good standing who are active in the program may indicate so in professional presentations, in articles you author, etc.  E.g., should you publish an article, you can indicate, in addition to your professional title, that you are a “Penn Mid-Career Network Associate.”  Participation in any program activity during the prior year will allow you continued use of this title.  We hope you will find it useful in distinguishing your work, just as we hope it tells a wider world about this emerging community at Penn.  We anticipate special Network Associate events and activities.

Annual International Study Tour: Piloted with an adventurous group of Mid-Career students and alumni this year in Nicaragua, next year we will continue with what we plan to be an annual  international study tour.  We are pleased to announce that next year we will be visiting schools and educators in Chile, meeting with policymakers, academics, principals, teachers, civic organizations and public officials.   Tentative dates are June 25-29, 2012, so mark your calendars!   Program details, including cost and final schedule, will be shared this Fall.

Mid-Career “Post-Doc” Series:  Publishing Workshop: So, in theory you want to publish that article, and in concept you would like to share with the wider world what you found in your dissertation or in your ongoing practitioner research … but who can squeeze that in?  And how to start?  To meet this frequently-expressed need, Mid-Career will pilot its first “post-doc” next summer during the program week in July.  This initial post-doc program, open to all Mid-Career alumni, will involve advance consultation by each participant with a faculty mentor and writing coach, a week of intensive writing and editing on campus during July, and submission for publication by Friday of that week.  Participants will be able to join current Mid-Career students for meals and common events, while meeting daily with their writing coach or faculty mentor.  We will pilot this next July 8-13, 2012; further details, including cost, will be released in the Fall.

PENN Educational Leadership Co-Operative: A handful of Mid-Career alum-led districts, PCEL, and a collaborating university in the Midwest, have joined together to develop new innovative leadership tools.  Our overall objective is to launch a sustainable, short-cycle, market-based and field-directed way to translate the insights of experienced practitioners into ongoing leadership development.  As a first effort, we are now developing two new online branching simulations (one in budgeting in tight fiscal times, and one in instructional leadership), which will be available this summer.  Districts have indicated an interest in using these within selection processes, as a focal point for principal professional development, and so on.  The group sets direction for the sims, tailoring it to the ongoing development needs in their districts and programs.  They and their staff provide input and editorial review, keeping practitioner control on authenticity and utility.  If you or your school/district might be interested, please see Mike Johanek for further information.

Mid Career Fund and Development Initiative: In response to requests we have received asking how you might give back to Mid Career, we are excited to announce that you can now offer resources directly to a Mid Career Fund by visiting: www.gse.upenn.edu/giving . Through this fund, you can now honor a program faculty or cohort member, help develop the scholarship fund or offer financial assistance for program development. Please contact Lauren Henry (lahenry@gse.upenn.edu) with any questions.

Penn Publishing Platforms for Educational Leaders: Our field and time require that greater voice be given to leading reflective practitioners.  To advance that goal, two new publishing vehicles for Mid-Career students and alumni are being launched this next AY.  First, we will initiate a Penn GSE leadership blog, with biweekly editions, from across the varied educating sectors represented in GSE’s programs.  Tentatively named The Penn Leadership Inquiry, the blog will feature faculty, students and alumni from Mid-Career, Higher Education, CLO and other programs.  Second, arising particularly from recent student interest, we plan to initiate what we hope to be an annual publication of educational leadership work generated by Mid-Career students and alumni.  The volumes, tentatively named Leading Thoughts, will likely feature dissertation work, module writings (e.g., foundation essays, literary autobiographies), and current professional investigations.  More information on both volumes will be forthcoming soon.

New Mid-Career Networking Platform: With this event, we’re proud to launch officially our new web platform, one that will allow those interested in the program to use one platform from their first inquiry through student days if they enroll and through to their involvement as alumni.  The platform allows convenient access to cohort members and all other members of the network, with opportunities for discussion, sharing of resources, etc.   Job opportunities, newsletters, current resources, etc. will be regularly updated.  We plan to continue development  of its functionality and welcome your suggestions for ways in which the platform can best serve your practice.   Special thanks to Mid-Career Alumni Fellow Randy Ziegenfuss for his current work on this, building from Mark Franek’s contributions last year.

Nexus On-Demand Writing Support: Many of you have acknowledged the great support offered by our writing and research coaches, insightful and helpful assistance in strengthening your work.  Please know that this support does not end with your studies.  If you are trying to polish a publication or presentation, please feel free to tap their expert assistance!  Contact Kathleen Riley (rileyk@dolphin.upenn.edu )  or Shannon Andrus ( shannonandrus@yahoo.com ), and/or set up a time to visit during a Nexus session some Saturday Commons.

Regional Dinners: A number of you have already enjoyed dinners and lunches held in Philadelphia, DC, and New York, a great chance for building community over some good food and libation.  We plan to make these an ongoing feature of the program, and hope you’ll attend one in your area soon!  (And if you’re in a newer city to Mid-Career – did someone mention Atlanta? – please let us know if you would like to bring together a group!)

Going Digital: Remember fondly the piles of books and bulkpacks you enjoyed during your Mid-Career years?  Starting with Cohort 11, next Spring, Mid-Career will go paperless and distribute iPads in lieu of print materials.  Faculty will be working this year to integrate features of the new mobile and cloud technologies into various modules across the program.

Opportunities for Involvement:

• Support Mid-Career admissions by interviewing prospective students
• Become an Alumni Mentor
• Attend or present at a Saturday Commons
• Keep us updated on professional news that we can share with the network – job changes, professional presentations, publications, awards, grants, etc. – we like to brag!
• Connect with alum via Nexus and work together or on your own to publish or present
• Attend the 10th Anniversary Kick Off Celebration on July 8th and 9th, 2011
• Attend the various recruitment events and information sessions throughout the year
• Help us recruit by recommending colleagues to the program
• Help facilitate online discussions, blogs, etc. on the soon-to-be launched new platform.
• Apply to serve as a Mid-Career Alumni Fellow
• Attend area gatherings and offer input for the next one!
• Contact us at mcprog@gse.upenn.edu for more ideas or to get involved if you aren’t already!

Alumni Benefits:

• Membership to Mid Career Network:

o   Receive biweekly Network News with programmatic announcements and opportunities

o   Open invitation to all Mid Career events and opportunities including; Saturday Commons, webinars, involvement with IAELN (Inter-American Educational Leadership Network (http://www.gse.upenn.edu/paeln) including international travel, networking and development.

o   Receive publication support through Nexus and the program writing coach.

o   Preferred rate at the University City Sheraton on 36th and Chestnut.

• Penn Alumni Card: All Penn GSE alumni are eligible to obtain a Penn Alumni Card.  This card provides exclusive Penn Alumni benefits, including the following: a 10% discount at the Penn Bookstore; a 10% discount on tickets to the Annenberg Center’s Penn Presents and Dance Celebrations performances; free use of the Penn Escort Services and the Penn Bus; $2 off admission to the Morris Arboretum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; and (newly expanded) access to the VanPelt Library.
• Expanded Access to VanPelt: Access to library subscription electronic resources is now available to alumni within library buildings. Upon presentation of an Alumni PennCard at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center Circulation Desk, 9am-8pm weekdays, a credential will be issued that will provide single-day access to a public computer and the library's collection of e-resources.  (Due to license restrictions, not all resources are available.) You are able access this opportunity up to 10 days per calendar month, and while only 10 alumni per day are able to use this opportunity.
• Career Planning/Services: Penn GSE is now offering career services directly through the GSE Career Services Center. Contact Jim Alton (jalton@gse.upenn.edu), Associate Director of the center for more details.
• Career Networking: The Penn Alumni Career Network, or PACNet, is a searchable database of alumni who have volunteered to provide career-related guidance and support to current students and fellow alumni. Search PACNet’s database of career advisors based on a variety of criteria, such as industry, job type, undergraduate major, geographical location, and mentoring interest.
• Permanent Email Forwarding: Penn GSE alumni are eligible for permanent email forwarding through the University.  For more information, join the Penn Alumni Community.  Please note that your GSE student email address expires approximately six months after your graduation date.  Any other internal GSE IT resources and access, as well as Penn Card access, expire immediately following your graduation.
• PENNefits: All Penn GSE alumni are eligible for University-wide PENNefits, including discounts on Kaplan Test Prep, insurance, computers, and car rentals and access to Penn Alumni Podcasts and the Penn Alumni Travel Program.