September 8, 2022
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Penn GSE alumni rally together at West Point for Army-inspired leadership retreat

Pushups. Pullups. Sprints. Rows. Thirty students and alumni went to America’s preeminent military academy to catch up with their classmates. Along the way, they tried to catch their breath.

  • Alumni
August 31, 2022
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dean pam grossman

Dean Pam Grossman travels to Norway to receive honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo

Dean Pam Grossman travels to Norway this week to celebrate her acceptance of the Doctor Honoris Causa award from the University of Oslo. She is the sole recipient of the school’s educational doctorate, while other industry leaders will receive the award for their work in areas such as law, medicine, and mathematics.

  • Teaching & Learning
August 29, 2022
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Jonathan Zimmerman shares his five "best books about student activism"

"I’ve spent my adult life studying the ways that human beings imagine education, across space and time," wrote Zimmerman, a leading historian of education. "In a diverse nation, what should kids learn? And who should decide that?"

  • Language, Literacy & Culture
August 24, 2022
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a teacher in front of a class

After dropping her son off at college, a Penn GSE faculty member shares the higher ed advice she gave him

Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher reveals the “hidden curriculum” you get when you have a professor as a parent.

  • Higher Education
August 16, 2022
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Man with crossed arms in front of bookshelf

Professor Michael Gottfried talks about chronic absenteeism in California schools

Being chronically absent means missing 10 percent or more of the school year. "It's happening across the nation,” says Gottfried, who spoke with the San Francisco Examiner for a recent story. “And the data show it's particularly bad in big cities.”

  • Education Policy & Analysis
August 10, 2022
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a student reads a book

Penn GSE camp counselors share their experiences supporting Philly kids over the summer

A team of emerging Penn GSE professionals earned valuable on-the-ground training as counselors this summer, teaching kids tools such as breathing, mindfulness, and motivation.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Counseling & Psychology
August 9, 2022
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teacher in front of a math classroom

From summer camp to game-filled festivals, Penn GSE makes math meaningful for West Philly kids

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Responsive Math Teaching project shows Philadelphia teachers and students how rewarding math can be.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Teaching & Learning
August 5, 2022
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a teacher reads a book in a virtual classroom

Virtual kindergarten program keeps Philly kids smiling — and sets them up for success

It's not easy to get a room full of 5-year-olds to pay attention. It's even trickier when the 5-year-olds are in 25 different rooms.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Education Policy & Analysis
  • Teaching & Learning
August 3, 2022
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Focused on the fun side of learning, Penn GSE's holistic summer program preps kids for the school year

In its second year, the Office of School and Community Engagement's six-week summer program helps students with both academic difficulties and socio-emotional struggles.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Teaching & Learning
July 27, 2022
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kids fly drones at Hamilton Elementary

At a STEM-driven summer program, middle schoolers pilot drones to learn about coding and computing

The Penn GSE program shows West Philadelphia middle schoolers how to steer drones through spacious classrooms at Hamilton Elementary and the Penn Alexander School.

  • Philadelphia Impact

Pages

February 18, 2020

What I Wish I Knew

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

Money is stressful, but don’t let the stress take precedence over the pursuit of your degree. I have personally used these tips to help relieve some of my own finance-induced anxiety. Your time at GSE will go by fast. Keeping money under control, whether through these tips, a budget, or other strategies, will allow you the flexibility to take full advantage of your program and the many resources the university offers.
Reflections
February 18, 2020

Why I Chose Penn GSE

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

It is that time of year once again where prospective students are considering their graduate school options. Already, people have reached out interested to learn more about the Education Policy Program at Penn. One of the first questions is always “Why did you choose Penn?”
Why Penn GSE
February 18, 2020

Best Places to Study on Campus

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

The graduate student experience is an amalgamation of networking, building your skills, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and most of all reading.
Coursework
January 16, 2020

Best Spots in Philly

Posted by Scott Kominkiewicz '20

One of the first things that struck me was how many vegan-only restaurants there were in Philly and, moreover, how good they were.
Finding Jobs
January 16, 2020

A Day in the Life

Posted by Kate Conroy '20

Seeing other Masters students in my cohort after school is great because we get to share stories from the day and give each other feedback on problems we’re having in our classroom. It’s so important to have other teachers in your life. We will never be able to come up with all the solutions we need on our own, and often, the thing we really need the most is someone else’s perspective
Reflections
January 16, 2020

Why I Chose Penn GSE

Posted by Lentner Jaraba '20

Penn GSE is an institution that serves the community it surrounds. It provides various resources to its community, especially to the schools in the city. Two of the resources are research and social justice.
Why Penn GSE
January 16, 2020

Favorite Philly Finds

Posted by Mandy Duong '20

Although I just moved here four months ago to start my program, I quickly fell in love with Philly and all of its quirks.
Favorite Finds
January 16, 2020

Handling Coursework

Posted by Michaela Ward '20

I’ve loved my coursework. I’ve been consistently excited about my classes, and have really enjoyed feeling my own academic commitments clarify with time.
Coursework
January 16, 2020

Moving to Philly

Posted by Mike Hogan '20

I moved to Philadelphia this past summer from Buffalo, in upstate New York, and before that spent a year living in Boston. One of the things that I love most about living here, beyond the affordability, is the strong sense of community that I felt in Buffalo with the amenities, diversity, and resources of Boston.
Transitions
January 16, 2020

On Taking Those Difficult Courses

Posted by Rachel O'Connell '20

So, here’s my silly confession: quantitative data terrifies me.
Coursework