We explore the cultural, historical, and social dynamics that influence education, striving to create equitable systems that respect and amplify the voices of all communities.
Our work challenges norms, sparks dialogue, and drives forward the understanding of how education can serve as a powerful force for social change.
Research & Action Initiatives
We study the cultural, historical, and social forces shaping education, working to build equitable systems that elevate all voices. Our work challenges norms, ignites dialogue, and advances the role of education as a force for social change.
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Digital Seeds/Semillas Digitales
Semillas Digitales (Digital Seeds in English) is a research-based initiative that collaborates with local stakeholders to improve education in coffee-producing communities in Nicaragua through holistic teacher support and technology integration.
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Ethnography in Education Research Forum
Convened by the Center for Urban Ethnography at Penn GSE since 1980, the Ethnography in Education Research Forum is the largest annual meeting of qualitative researchers in education.
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Office of School and Community Engagement
The Office of School and Community Engagement (OSCE) at Penn GSE connects Philadelphia students and families, educators, school leaders, and community organizations with the expertise and resources of the Penn Graduate School of Education.
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Teaching Beyond September 11th
A multimodal curriculum for high school and college educators and students about the ongoing global impact of 9/11, focusing on the years 2001-2021.
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Urban Education Journal
The Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education journal is an electronic, student-run publication and interactive forum to investigate critical issues in urban education.
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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.
Related News
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.
From first-time presenters to seasoned scholars, the Penn GSE community showed up big at AERA 2025 with fresh ideas and powerful conversations.
Arrington aims to inspire students to think independently and be creative while demystifying and critically examining academic institutions’ expectations for writing and literacy.
The Practical English for Daily Living (PEDAL) program at Penn GSE provides an opportunity for TESOL students to practice their teaching with language learners across the University and around the world.
As teachers and researchers, Penn GSE alumni are at the forefront of the movement to educate savvy news readers who can parse fact from partisan fiction.
Nelson Flores’ Becoming the System examines how bilingual education has historically framed Latinx students through a deficit lens, urging new narratives that empower students to define their own identities.
The institutions’ memorandum of understanding is being renewed following a literacy and community engagement research conference held at Penn Oct. 14–15.
Educators face mounting challenges navigating political and social discourse, and this fall will test them. Abby Reisman offers four ways to open classroom conversations.
K–12 and college educators discussed the promise and pitfalls of AI at the conference.