Philadelphia Impact

Penn GSE is deeply committed to the City of Philadelphia through both research and practice. Our students, faculty, and staff are involved in hundreds of initiatives throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area, ranging from high-quality after-school programs to research that sparks national conversations to the development of an acclaimed public school partnership with the School District of Philadelphia.

Featured News

Kandi Wiens speaking in front of an audience of superintendents at a Penn GSE School Study Councils meeting on burnout conducted December 7, 2022.

Superintendents discussed ways to avoid burnout at first in-person Study Councils meeting since the pandemic began
December 20, 2022

After nearly two years of COVID-19-related crises, superintendents are concerned about burnout for themselves and the educators, staff, students and parents they serve. Penn GSE’s Kandi Wiens presented coping mechanisms from her research studying leaders in other high-stress jobs.

A seated teacher, wearing a face mask and glasses, is surrounded by several masked elementary students and reaches across a table to engage with a student's paper.

Fortifying the Future

December 16, 2022
Dean Pam Grossman and President Liz Magill stand outside the Penn GSE building expansion project on a tour as the dean gestures at the construction.

A View From Campus

December 16, 2022
The words "Faces of Philanthropy" above headshots of David M. Brush and John Henry and a photo of Catherine Jerie holding a microphone and speaking in front of a Penn GSE banner

Faces of Philanthropy

December 16, 2022
Penn GSE Dean Pam Grossman (left) and the School District of Philadelphia’s new superintendent, Tony B. Watlington, Sr. (right) at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts on November 1, 2022.

Penn GSE welcomes Superintendent Watlington to Philadelphia

November 10, 2022
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A student teacher draws with a young child in a summer enrichment program

Penn GSE in Philadelphia

The Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn GSE) has partnered with the School District of Philadelphia and other city schools for decades to improve the academic achievement and life outcomes of Philadelphia children and youth. But our work extends beyond school, into a wide variety of community organizations across the city.

Our searchable Penn GSE in Philadelphia map offers a snapshot of the many ways that Penn GSE students, alumni, faculty, and staff are answering the call to action and service.

Related Programs

Education Entrepreneurship M.S.Ed.
Learning Sciences and Technologies M.S.Ed.
Counseling and Mental Health Services (Year One) M.S.Ed.
School and Mental Health Counseling M.S.Ed.
Professional Counseling (Year Two) M.Phil.Ed.
School Leadership M.S.Ed.
Urban Teaching Apprenticeship M.S.Ed.
Urban Teaching Residency M.S.Ed. with Certification(s)

Media Inquiries

Penn GSE Communications is here to help reporters connect with the education experts they need.

Contact us

Kat Stein
Executive Director of Penn GSE Communications
(215) 898-9642
katstein@upenn.edu 

Matthew Vlahos
Senior Associate Director of Penn GSE Communications
(215) 898-3269
vlahos@upenn.edu

Featured Research

West Philadelphia Collaborative History

West Philadelphia Collaborative History is a website with resources on the history of 20th- and 21st-century West Philadelphia, along with a series of programs to encourage community collaboration and to support educators seeking to use local history in the classroom.

Collaboratory for Teacher Education

The Collaboratory for Teacher Education at Penn GSE is a laboratory for the design, implementation, and study of experimental approaches to teacher education.

Penn Child Research Center

The Penn Child Research Center promotes the educational and psychological well-being of children through the application of informed social and scientific policy. 

Penn Futures Project

The Penn Futures Project is an ambitious and unprecedented initiative by the Graduate School of Education, the School of Nursing, and the School of Social Policy & Practice to collaboratively address pressing social issues that affect Philadelphia’s most vulnerable young people and their families.

The Penn Project for Civic Engagement

The Penn Project for Civic Engagement is a cross-University project that collaborates with media, business and community agencies to identify and address projects on emerging issues. It links citizen concerns to expert knowledge and media coverage, to develop real-world solutions that might not emerge otherwise.

PEDAL: Practical English for Daily Living

PEDAL: Practical English for Daily Living offers free English as a Second Language classes taught by students in the M.S.Ed. TESOL program. It provides courses for family members of staff, students, professors, scholars, and post-docs at Penn, as well as Community courses for West Philadelphians.

See all Penn GSE Research >

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