Penn GSE News Archive

Meresa García, an Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program student at Penn GSE, has embarked on a mission to promote literacy and education in Philadelphia. Her journey into advocacy was ignited by her lifelong love for books and her realization of the challenges facing public school students in the city.

Amid the aftermath of pandemic-induced disruptions, college students are grappling with significant challenges in mastering basic math skills, a consequence of the shift to remote schooling. These setbacks have left a particularly pronounced impact on vulnerable student groups, says Dean Strunk.

The project's first 3-year degree pilot recently launched at the University of Minnesota Rochester, one of more than a dozen colleges and universities planning similar programs with the project. The idea of a 3-year bachelor’s degree is on track to become ubiquitous, Zemsky says.

Mark Ziegler-Thayer started out as a part-time kindergarten teacher’s assistant. The experience changed their life. Two master’s degrees later, they are now working to effect change at the national level in a prestigious, two-year Presidential Management Fellows program, where they hope to increase access to high-quality and equitable education for all students.