Say hello the Penn Learning Network

May 8, 2025
A headshot portrait of Lara wearing a herringbone blazer and smiling against a neutral background.

Lara Paparo, GED’06, GRD’22, is executive director of Penn Learning Network.

Penn GSE has recently launched the Penn Learning Network, a newly unified center that brings together under one umbrella two of the School’s existing offices dedicated to professional development: the Penn Literacy Network (PLN) and the Center for Professional Learning (CPL).

By merging these two long-standing leaders in professional learning, the Penn Learning Network builds on a shared legacy of empowering educators, leaders, and professionals through high-impact programs rooted in research, practice, and innovation.

As the Penn Learning Network, the center will continue to offer the signature literacy-focused offerings of PLN, along with CPL’s expansive portfolio of professional learning programs that span coaching, leadership development, and applied practice across K–12, higher education, and beyond.

“The high-quality professional learning experiences that have been offered by both PLN and CPL aren’t changing,” said Penn Learning Network Executive Director Lara Paparo, GED’06, GRD’22. “But by joining forces into one center, we can better streamline our operations to bring expertise and research into practice across content areas and professional contexts.”

 Explore Penn Learning Network’s current open enrollment offerings.