News

Penn GSE was one of the hosts—alongside the PA Governor’s Office, Penn Engineering, and PennAI—of the “Unlocking AI for Public Good” summit at which experts from around the University and policymakers from throughout the Commonwealth explored how generative AI can be responsibly harnessed for public benefit.

Principal Julia Snyder, GED’10, discusses the gains of today and the plans for tomorrow at the Henry C. Lea School in West Philadelphia, one of Penn GSE’s partner schools.

With this new funding, the Pioneering AI in School Systems (PASS) program will expand to five school districts or regions across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware in December and will be offered free of charge to participating districts.

The William T. Carter Professor of Child Development and Education is an expert on at-risk youth, parental engagement, and intergenerational learning.

After participating in Penn GSE's Experiences in Applied Computational Thinking (EXACT) professional development program, Nick Pesola transformed his school’s curriculum by launching a computer science program and leading efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into classrooms.

A new study coauthored by Penn GSE’s Michael A. Gottfried is the first to show that teachers’ ability to teach in students’ home language, combined with a shared racial or ethnic background, drives greater academic gains.

Professional Counseling student Truth Mjumbe built Recall Aid, an AI-powered memory-support platform inspired by his own experience with epilepsy, his grandfather’s dementia, and his father’s work preserving civil rights histories.

Penn undergrad Cole DuHaime, a student in Penn GSE's Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program, taught math to seventh graders over the summer in a service opportunity made possible by Generation Teach and the Ben Franklin Scholars Program.

Rapelang Rabana and Joe Wolf, Dr. Cathy N. Davidson, and Dr. Frederic Bertley are recognized for their pioneering contributions that have advanced learning opportunities and impacted countless lives.

Seven finalists pitched their ventures live at the HolonIQ Back to School Summit in New York City.

As part of the fellowship, the Education Policy doctoral student who studies absenteeism will connect with graduate students from across campus who are all working to bridge their research and global policymaking.

The 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards recognized both Penn GSE’s Philadelphia Writing Project and a startup founded by alum Rina Madhani, GED’19, for their contributions to literacy and community engagement.

Penn GSE's Pioneering AI in School Systems (PASS) program helps local teachers and school and district leaders build competence in AI governance, policy, oversight, and practical application.

The program’s faculty includes a cadre of sought-after leaders in the field who live around the globe—from South Africa to the U.K.—and are able to come together in one classroom, thanks to technology.

Effective climate policies require not only a robust scientific foundation, but also community input.

The program brings together faculty and staff from across disciplines to engage with the state’s diverse regions and develop solutions to shared challenges.

The former Morehouse College President previously led the White House Initiative on HBCUs.

A proud graduate of Penn GSE’s Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management, Hall comes to the School from Penn’s Division of University Life, where she served as assistant vice provost for strategic planning and operations.

The seven innovators will compete for cash and prizes at the live pitch event on Thursday, September 11, at Quorum in Midtown Manhattan, held as part of HolonIQ’s Back to School Summit in New York City.

The five-year program kicked off this summer with programming that empowered adolescents to assess their skills and imagine what’s possible for their careers.

Jiang is designing AI learning experiences that empower all teachers to make their subjects relevant, inclusive, and interdisciplinary.

A global leader in intelligent tutoring systems, Isotani joined the Penn GSE faculty this summer, drawn by the School’s commitment to rethinking education through innovation.

Whether you're interested in education reform, prison education, or empathetic leadership, add these to your playlist and hear directly from the changemakers shaping the future of education.

How Penn GSE and the Franklin Institute are redefining AI literacy for youth.

The professor’s latest book gathers research on language development and pedagogy among children learning a foreign language and presents it in a manner that bridges research and practice.

As program leaders pass the baton and celebrate its 25th anniversary, faculty, mentors, and alums all share what makes the program special.

The latest book by the associate professor, who is also a Penn GSE alum, outlines common obstacles to educational equity for Black, LGBTQ+ youth and suggests research-backed guidance for their teachers to help foster their success.

The list of 17 Fulbright recipients from Penn so far this year includes two Urban Teaching Apprenticeship alums from the Class of '22: Emily R. Antrilli and Emma Steinheimer.

As he steps up his role from executive director to assistant dean for teacher preparation and undergraduate education, Sexton is using what he learned completing his executive doctorate over the last two years to “lean into strategic thinking.”

It will support the senior lecturer’s research on climatic hazard effects on learning in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For this new certificate, the School has partnered with the Association for Talent Development, the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop and enhance employee knowledge and skills.

Report commissioned by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact recommends reliable funding and targeted outreach.

“Startling benefits” with new approach

New online course gives K–12 teachers practical tools to implement generative AI with confidence and purpose.

The second year of the Catalyst Innovation Summit brought together over 170 founders, investors, researchers, and educators for discussions of the edtech market, the importance of research-backed solutions, applicable lessons, and more.

The Penn GSE Tutoring Initiative at Andrew Hamilton School won second place in the 2025 Phillip B. Lindy Award for Excellence in K-16 Partnerships.

Penn GSE welcomed scores of alumni back to campus to celebrate, reconnect, and learn from a timely faculty panel about how educators can facilitate open and constructive classroom conversations during polarized times.

Hartman joins Penn GSE as director of the Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management and senior fellow, effective July 7.

With funding from the Neubauer Family Foundation, the program was created in direct response to the School District of Philadelphia’s call for targeted support in Algebra 1 instruction.

On May 17, in the Palestra, Penn GSE commemorated the achievements of the roughly 700 master’s and doctoral graduates at this year’s Commencement ceremony.

The McGraw Center for Educational Leadership hosted Obama’s education secretary for public conversation with Dean Katharine Strunk.

A new study from Penn GSE’s Center for Benefit–Cost Studies of Education puts numbers on California's educational challenges.

The newest member of the dean’s Senior Leadership Team, Grady joined Penn GSE from the Columbia University’s School of Nursing.

Weaver examines the broad implications of the evolving role of college athletics and the coming impacts to institutions and students.

The newly named office in Catalyst @ Penn GSE merges the expertise and expands the impact of two offices: the Penn Literacy Network and the Center for Professional Learning.

This award will support the assistant professor in Penn GSE’s Policy, Organizations, and Leadership division in a five-year research plan on institutional responses to truancy.

From mentoring and instruction to leadership and creativity, this year’s awardees represent the values that define Penn GSE.

Rameen Iftikhar, who completed a master’s degree in international education development in January, will pursue a Ph.D. in education at University of Cambridge.

In a San Francisco public radio story, Quinn discusses how desegregation-era policies triggered lasting enrollment shifts and funding challenges in San Francisco’s public schools.

From first-time presenters to seasoned scholars, the Penn GSE community showed up big at AERA 2025 with fresh ideas and powerful conversations.