CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

University of Pennsylvania

Summary of Penn-West Philadelphia Public Schools Initiatives

The following is a summary of some of Penn's engagement with the West Philadelphia public schools. The summary largely focuses on Penn's academically-based community service courses, and especially their work with the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC) in its attempts to develop university-assisted community schools.

West Philadelphia High School Cluster
Bartram High School Cluster
- Turner Middle School
- Anderson Elementary School
University City High School Cluster
- University City High School
- Mayer Sulzberger Middle School
Multi-School and other West Philadelphia Initiatives

WEST PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER

West Philadelphia High School

1. In-School Construction, Trades-based Curriculum, and Work-based Learning. Carpentry classes provide participants with an opportunity both to learn a skill and to contribute valuable service to the surrounding community. As part of their in-school training, the students work on projects that fill community-defined needs. These have included play houses for local day care centers and recreation centers. A construction curriculum was published in 1993 with the assistance of the Graduate School of Education. The program also was initially developed as a result of student research papers in a Penn undergraduate history seminar.

2. Extended Day Construction Tech Apprenticeship Program. Under the guidance of the WEPIC teacher and a union carpenter, advanced students from the construction training program have completed a series of community service projects for community groups. Starting in the 1993-1994 school year, the students were linked to the housing rehabilitation work being undertaken by the West Philadelphia Partnership's newly formed Community Development Corporation. The WEPIC Construction Tech program is responsible for the renovations of two homes for low- income families. The program was initiated as a result of student research papers in a Penn undergraduate history seminar.

3. School-based Community Newspaper. Penn's Graduate School of Education assisted in the development of a community studies/writing program and a desktop publication center with over 30 computers. Students produce a school-community oriented newspaper, QWEST, that is widely distributed throughout the community.

The success of the West Philadelphia High and Shaw Middle School community studies/desktop publication programs resulted in the creation of a cluster-wide (West Philadelphia High School and its ten feeder schools) newspaper that is publishing four times in 1995-96.

4. Penn Courses working at West Philadelphia High School:

English 293 (Fall 1995) "Literature of Social Vision" is taught by Eric Cheyfitz and Farah Griffin. The course involves students and faculty from both Penn and West Philadelphia High in a common learning experience emphasizing the historic interactions between African- American and white communities in the United States.

History 204-303 (Fall 1996) "Teaching American History: A West Philadelphia Workshop," is taught by John Puckett. The course introduces students to the history of West Philadelphia from 1854 to the present; it also engages students in an examination of the uses of local history. Penn students become mentors to West Philadelphia High School students with whom they engage in local history projects. The course continues as an independent study in Spring 1996.

Shaw Middle School

The program at Shaw Middle School demonstrates high levels of Penn student and faculty involvement. Over 130 Penn faculty, staff and students are working at the school on a weekly basis in academic year 1995-1996. A significant number of additional Penn volunteers assist with cleanups and science education programs.

1. Neighborhood Improvement. On September 3rd, 1994, the Shaw Community Council sponsored the first community cleanup of the school building and grounds; activities included interior and exterior painting and planting new flower beds. Fifty students from PennCORPS (the pre-freshman community involvement project) as well as Penn's Maintenance and Utilities Department helped Shaw community members, teachers, staff, students, and parents to till new flower beds, remove tree stumps, and remove graffiti from the exterior of the building. Penn- assisted school and community cleanups have been repeated on several occasions and are ongoing.

2. In-School Program. Shaw teachers are working with Penn students, faculty and staff in the areas of environmental improvement, community studies and desktop publishing, health improvement, and school-to-work.

In July and December of 1995, successful retreats involving over 40 teachers and staff members and a dozen Penn students and faculty members (Education, English, Physics, Institute for Environmental Studies) developed a framework for collaboration and community-oriented problem-solving curricula that could function as the core component of a University-assisted community school. The following are some projects that are part of this framework:

Desktop publishing/journalism program that has created a school-based school and community newspaper, Class Act. This program is assisted by the Daily Pennsylvanian, and Penn student and staff volunteers provide computer training and technical assistance. 30,000 copies of the first edition were distributed by the Daily Pennsylvanian to the University and school communities in December 1994 and three other issues have been released since. A smaller, school-oriented newspaper has been started that now publishes bi-monthly.

Environmental science and improvement: Robert Giegengack, Professor of Geology and Director of Penn's Institute for Environmental Science, and his students are running the following projects:
- Robert Giegengack's spring course, Urban Environment and Urban Health, which helps Shaw students perform lead testing and implement exposure reduction initiatives for lead and household toxins throughout the school and community.
- Over 60 weekly volunteers who help teach environmental improvement issues to eight classrooms through an interdisciplinary curriculum developed with the teachers.
- A grant (with Wilson Elementary School) from the USDA that will create school and community gardens on the school grounds for use as environmental laboratories. The project will also plant street trees along the perimeters of both schools and help students become tree tenders throughout the community, which is losing street trees each year.
Health improvement curricula (i.e. health education through health improvement activities, such as peer education and community outreach activities) are being co-designed and taught by Shaw teachers and Penn Nursing and Arts and Sciences students.

A series of classes taught by Law students focuses on conflict resolution and violence prevention.

A school-to-work program (with Turner and Sayre Middle Schools), which is being co- designed by Penn, the School District's office of Education for Employment, and Shaw teachers. The program will expose students to all aspects of local industry through a problem-based learning approach.

3. Wednesday Evening School. In October of 1994, Shaw opened its first Community School program on Wednesday evening. This program is similar to Turner's. Penn volunteers created a basketball league and choir and provide tutoring support for K-12. Volunteers also co- teach drill team with community members, teach an arts and crafts course for students and assist with other courses. This is partially funded by a Pennsylvania Department of Labor grant to WEPIC.

4. Career Mentoring. PennVIPS is sponsoring a career mentoring program where approximately 30 Shaw students will come to Penn once a month to work individually with a mentor on school and career related issues.

5. Summer Institute. In 1996, five teachers are working with six Penn interns and 80 Shaw students on extending and further developing several school-year activities, including environmental improvement (including the school grounds, school gardens, and vacant lots in the community), health promotion (with an emphasis on diabetes outreach), and desktop publishing.

6. Penn Courses working at Shaw Middle School:

John Puckett teaches a course, Education 240 (Fall 1995) "Education in American Culture." The course involves undergraduates, working directly with 8th grade students and teachers at the Shaw Middle School, in the development of readings and video productions that act as a critical reflection on service learning and illuminate the impact of social factors on schooling and curriculum development.

John Puckett teaches a course, Education 623 (1996) "Curriculum Foundations: Theory Into Practice." The course, which involves Shaw's journalism and community studies programs, focuses on developing thematic community school curricula through theoretical reading as well as practice in partnership with the teachers.

Environmental Studies 404 (Spring 1996) "Urban Environment: West Philadelphia" is a seminar taught by Robert Giegengack. Undergraduate students in the course work with middle school students and faculty on projects to improve the environment in the neighborhoods surrounding Shaw Middle School, Turner Middle School (West Philadelphia), and Strath Haven Middle School (Wallingford). Education and outreach focuses on lead toxicity and abatement as well as on appropriate household chemical disposal.

English 292 (Fall 1996) "Special Topics in Film Studies" is a seminar taught by Craig Saper that examines the relationship between film, video, pedagogy and community building. As part of the course, students work with Shaw Middle School students and University City High School students to script and produce videos on their communities.

Sayre Middle School

1. A school-to-work program (with Turner and Shaw Middle Schools), which is being co- designed by Penn, the School District's Education for Employment Office, and Shaw teachers. The program will expose students to all aspects of local industry through a problem-based learning approach.

2. BRIDGES (Building Relationships to Insure the Development of Greater Educational Success) is a partnership with the University-Community Outreach Program (UCOP) of the Wharton school. BRIDGES works with 32 Sayre students and is a two-year mentoring program starting in 7th grade and finishing at the end of 8th grade. Each middle school student is paired with an undergraduate business student, who serves as a mentor.

Wilson Elementary School

1. Environmental Education. Wilson Elementary School is working with Shaw Middle School to expand the environmental education and improvement efforts started at Shaw in order to create a continuous, integrated, environmental improvement-based K-8 curriculum. This curriculum will be focused on community gardens near both schools and funded by a USDA grant to the Philadelphia Urban Resources Partnership.

2. Science Education. Five teachers are participating in the Penn-Merck science initiative in summer 1996. This effort is designed to increase teachers' knowledge about science, help them implement learning strategies that engage children in science, and strengthen science learning by integrating the science and language arts curriculum. The project also includes a year-long graduate seminar for teachers, partnerships between teachers and scientists, and peer-mentoring by participating teachers.

3. Computer Education. Penn student volunteers are working with school staff and students in computer literacy projects during the school day and after school.

4. After school Sports. Penn students are implementing after school sports programs in soccer and track and field.

5. Neighborhood Improvement. Penn students are assisting an ongoing community cleanup effort at the school through a series of joint cleanup efforts.

BARTRAM HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER

Turner Middle School

Of the 12 West Philadelphia public schools in which WEPIC operates, the program at the Turner Middle School is the most developed, functioning as the pilot program for the entire effort. WEPIC projects at Turner demonstrate high levels of Penn student and faculty involvement. Over 260 Penn faculty, staff and students participated in the academic year 1994-1995.

1. School Day Program. School-within-a-School operation includes 540 students and 18 teachers--just over half the school. Activities include:

6th grade: Sixth graders participate in a nutrition education program. Students learn about healthy nutrition habits, basic science relating to nutrition, and reading food labels. The nutrition curriculum has been developed with the assistance of Penn Professor of Anthropology Frank Johnston and Anthropology Ph.D. candidate Penny Gordon-Larsen who teach seminars in medical anthropology and human biology. As part of their course work, Penn students teach the nutrition curriculum and are working with the Turner students on the publication of a nutrition textbook appropriate to this African American community. The Penn Anthropology students are also involved in a longitudinal study of the nutrition status of Turner students. Penn Anthropology students in a different class also teach HIV/AIDS prevention to 6th graders who peer teach that information to other students. Anthropology interns funded by the Undergraduate Social Science Initiative (a grant from the Ford Foundation) are creating curricula and implementing other projects related to these courses. Also, Penn Dental students provide a series of oral health promotion seminars on general nutrition, oral hygiene, and careers in the dental field. This is part of a service learning course taught by Herman Segal, Associate Dean for Community Relations, Dental School.

7th grade: Seventh graders are peer teachers for other Turner students as well as students at three elementary schools on nutrition topics. The curriculum has been developed with the assistance from John Puckett, Associate Professor in Penn's Graduate School of Education, students from his courses, and a dissertation student. The seventh graders also host a Community Health Watch each quarter about a topic they have learned. This past year, Penn's Schools of Nursing and Dentistry have been instrumental in supporting the Health Watches. Topics have included hypertension, injury prevention, cancer, AIDS awareness, and substance abuse prevention. The students present what they have learned to an audience of family, siblings and community members. They have even done the hands-on work of taking blood pressures. Appropriate screenings are provided by Penn's School of Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry and other health care providers. Also, the Schools of Nursing and Social Work, through a grant from the National Cancer Institute, are working with students and teachers to create and implement school and community cancer prevention and health promotion programs. Seventh graders operate a fruit and vegetable stand, called Fruits are Us, and Vegetables Too. The fruit stand was developed by Turner students and teachers with the assistance of Penn undergraduates and is part of the nutrition education and promotion project. The fruit stand is open to the entire school and community several times each week; the store curriculum has expanded to include entrepreneurial and business concepts.

8th grade: Some eighth graders who participate in work-based learning travel weekly to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Misericordia Hospital, and Mercy Douglas Senior Center to be mentored in all phases of the operation of the hospital�dietary, neo- natal, respiratory, and administration--by an assigned individual. Other eighth graders are involved in a desktop publishing program and are mentored by Penn students. Also, Nursing students are working with two classes to train students in conflict resolution skills; students then peer teach these skills to younger students throughout the school. Law students are providing a series of seminars (to these and other classes) that focus on conflict resolution and violence prevention. Nursing and Sociology students are working with a number of students to create an after school peer mediation program.

2. Extended-Day Programs. WEPIC's after school enrichment programs are open to all students at Turner, not only those in the WEPIC School-within-a-School. These programs are taught by Penn undergraduate and graduate students in conjunction with school teachers. These include:

Peer Power Education Program. A drama project aimed at preventing teen pregnancy and promoting neonatal care, funded by a Healthy Start grant, is coordinated by Penn dissertation students in History and Sociology of Science and Folklore, the students learn about the topic and then write, produce and star in a "hip-hop" musical about making appropriate choices. These productions have been videotaped and class discussion guides developed.

Cultural Enrichment. Students take field trips to points of interest and cultural events, often at Penn's Annenberg Theater.

Landscaping/Community Beautification. Penn students assist this ongoing program that works with school staff, students and community members.

3. Saturday Morning and Wednesday Evening Community Schools. Over 300 community members take free academic, cultural and recreational classes. Eight out of 33 classes are taught by Penn staff or student volunteers and all classes are assisted by Penn student volunteers.

4. Summer Institute. The Institute has grown, through the support of a grant from the Burger King Corporation to the University, to include over 100 incoming sixth graders taught by 10 Turner teachers and 2 Penn Graduate School of Education students, and assisted by 15 Penn undergraduates, a recent Penn graduate and a theater professional. The curriculum focuses on health promotion, conflict resolution, writing for publication, technology, and environmental and community studies. The undergraduates work from 8:30 am to 2 pm with the Turner students on reinforcing the curriculum through story writing, games, and production of skits and presentations for the community. The Penn students did this as part of a research seminar on the "Strategies for Revitalizing Urban Schools and Their Communities: West Philadelphia as A Case Study" taught by Ira Harkavy and Amy Cohen.

5. Penn Courses working at Turner Middle School include:

Anthropology 205-301 (Spring 1996) "Health in Urban Communities," is a General Honors course taught by Francis Johnston. The course introduces students to the history of community schools and the West Philadelphia community, as well as teaching research methods and the anthropology of health. Students in the course develop curriculum and teach health topics to Turner Middle School students who, in turn, teach these health lessons to their peers. The course focuses on nutrition intervention to improve eating habits.

Anthropology 206 (Spring 1997) "Directed Research on Health in Urban Communities," gives students the opportunity to design and carry out independent participatory action research projects in conjunction with West Philadelphia teachers and students.

Anthropology 210-301 (Spring 1996) "Biomedical Science and Human Adaptability," is taught by Penny Gordon-Larsen, Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology. In the course Penn undergraduates teach and conduct research with Turner Middle School students. Undergraduates develop a procedure for evaluating growth status, which involves the design of a simple demographic and family health questionnaire; the Penn students also train Turner students to take anthropometric data, such as lean body mass and fatness, which is then analyzed by the undergraduates. Undergraduates also teach nutrition to the Turner students. The course, offered for five years, has spurred ongoing graduate and undergraduate research efforts to improve the nutrition of the community, including a nutrition textbook tailored to the Turner School.

Environmental Studies 404-301 (Spring 1997) "Urban Environment: West Philadelphia" is a seminar taught by Robert Giegengack. Undergraduate students in the course work with Turner Middle School students and faculty on projects to improve the environment in the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as those around Shaw Middle School (West Philadelphia) and Strath Haven Middle School (Wallingford). Education and outreach focuses on lead toxicity and abatement as well as on appropriate household chemical disposal.

History 200-922 (Summer 1996) "Strategies Toward Revitalizing Urban Schools and Their Communities: West Philadelphia as a Case Study" taught by Ira Harkavy and Amy Cohen. The course is a part of the Scott Paper Company Public Service Summer Internship which enables Penn undergraduates to engage in research focused on West Philadelphia. Penn's Pennsylvania Service Scholars, part of the only statewide higher education AmeriCorps program that allows students to combine service and scholarship, also participate in the program. Students participate in the undergraduate seminar on Urban Revitalization and work at one of the West Philadelphia public school Summer Institutes with Philadelphia teachers, Penn faculty and graduate students to develop and implement the programs. At Shaw the program is focused on health promotion, environmental studies, and writing for publication; and at Turner the program involves work in conflict resolution, environmental and community studies, writing for publication, technology, and health promotion. Over the last 6 years, the intensive twelve-week internship has been the catalyst for the development of many West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC) programs.

Social Work 708 and 718 (Fall 1996 and Spring 1997), taught by Jane Isaacs Lowe, are the two-semester graduate "Macro Practice" seminars that teaches social work practice with a focus on the social service needs of the Turner Middle School and its surrounding community.

Anderson Elementary School

Summer Institute. In 1995 Anderson implemented a Summer Institute for approximately 25 Anderson students that was assisted by a Penn graduate student in Education that was similar to the Turner program.

UNIVERSITY CITY HIGH SCHOOL CLUSTER

University City High School

The West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC), with the assistance of Penn's Center for Community Partnerships and the West Philadelphia Partnership, is working with University City High School (UCHS) to develop strong school-to-work transition programs in the Communications and Health Charters. WEPIC and Penn also are working closely with UCHS staff in other charters on curriculum development.

1. Health Charter (a school-within-a-school focusing on health careers) activities include:

Penn-Presbyterian and the Penn Medical Center each provide 15 paid apprenticeships. The 30 students spend either one day (for juniors) or two days (for seniors) per week at the worksite under the guidance of a mentor. The students also participate in skills preparation courses conducted by Penn students. The Medical Center, the Center for Community Partnerships, and UCHS teachers are developing a workplace-based curriculum for all students in the Health Charter.

In summer 1995 Penn Medical Center staff worked with UCHS staff and 17 UCHS students on a career exploration project at the Penn Medical Center where students worked as paid apprentices.

The Medical Center, the Center for Community Partnerships, and UCHS teachers are developing a workplace-based curriculum for all students in the Health Charter.

Students in Frank Furstenberg's Community Service and Community Research course brought in health professionals from the Deleware Valley to discuss a variety of health careers with the students.

2. Communications Technology Charter:

Penn communications offices are providing six internship positions for students in the Communications Technology Charter. This project is connected to a mentor program�each intern and 20 additional pre-interns are each joined with an individual undergraduate mentor from Penn. Two Penn graduate students and a Penn human resources professional are working with Charter teachers to develop a course for the interns that teaches computer-based literacy and office skills, professional socialization skills (dress, behavior, punctuality), and site-specific internship skills. The interns work at Penn once a week.

Peter Conn and his students in English 401 worked collaboratively with the University City High School teachers of English and Social Studies to develop and implement interdisciplinary curricula on American studies. Next year the course will meet at the high school and will co- enroll Charter teachers.

Students in Frank Furstenberg's Community Service and Community Research course worked with a group of students to create a video tape on teenage pregnancy. Communications students wrote the scripts, interviewed fellow students, worked the video recorders, and edited the material.

Several Penn undergraduate students helped to create an interdisciplinary, community studies curriculum focusing around oral history, desktop publishing, and photography projects. The project will create school-based school and community newspapers.

Students in Walter Licht's History course explored aspects of immigration with the families of UCHS students who were not born in the United States.

In summer '95, Penn students and UCHS staff created a summer jobs program for 25 UCHS students that created desktop-published community newspapers.

3. Magnet/Motivation Charter:

Eight students were co-enrolled in Peggy Sanday's Anthropology "Cultural Pluralism: Ethnography and Community Service" course and paired with Penn students on ethnography projects.

Four students were co-enrolled in Susan Watkin's Sociology course "The Family."

English and Social Studies classes worked with Ralph Rosen's students on the ways in which the study of "classical" Athens can provide a framework for evaluating the problems of modern Philadelphia.

4. Law Charter:

Law students provided a series of seminars that focused on conflict resolution and violence prevention.

Approximately one dozen students, working through Penn Law School's Public Service Program, worked in internships in local law firms. A Penn Social Work intern supervised the project.

Students in Michael Zuckerman's "American National Character" course worked as mentors with approximately 30 students.

Students in Frank Furstenberg's "Community Service and Community Research" course worked with seniors to study fatherhood and welfare reform.

5. Business Charter:

Students in Frank Furstenberg's "Community Service and Community Research" course worked with 9th and 10th graders to teach them spreadsheet skills. Students learned to construct spreadsheets and to analyze numbers. Students also learned the costs of teenage parenthood by plugging such costs into the spreadsheets they created.

6. Projects for students with special needs:

A school-to-work program with 15 students at the Penn Medical Center. Students spent four hours per day at the work site and attended a daily job skills course at the work site taught by a UCHS teacher based at the Medical Center.

A school-to-work program with 15 students in Penn's business services departments, including Penn Tower, the Bookstore, dining, and facilities management. Students spent four hours per day at the work site and attended a daily job skills course taught on campus by a UCHS teacher based at Penn and a Penn graduate student assistant. The high school participants were linked to 7 undergraduate mentors/job coaches from the University of Pennsylvania. These undergraduate job coaches were responsible for establishing job training strategies for their individual mentees. Projects with the job coaches included resume building, proper work behavior, people skills, and establishment of appropriate goals for each student. In 1996-97 a graduate student will conduct an ethnography of the project as part of a national replication project. Additionally, a desktop published curriculum will be produced.

7. School-wide projects include:

Frank Furstenberg (Sociology) lead a seminar for the lead teachers and some high school students on teenage pregnancy and research methods. This seminar met three times each semester to explore long-term intervention strategies to reduce teen pregnancy.

Students in Frank Furstenberg's Practice in Social Applications course worked with UCHS students on college planning, how to fill out a college application, how to write a personal essay and how to pick a school. The undergraduates also conducted a survey of the senior class to get baseline data on their future plans and on their opinions about University City High School.

In summer '95, five UCHS students were engaged in mentoring relationship with Frank Furstenberg's Penn student interns who are doing a telephone survey on teen sexuality. The survey was constructed with the help of school administrators, teachers, parents and students. Students learned research skills, writing skills, and presentation skills. The mentees continued to work with Furstenberg throughout the school year as part of the 1995-1996 Sociology seminar. They will be at Penn for five hours per week and will be given wide exposure to the University.

8. Penn Courses working at University City High School include:

Anthropology 561-401 (Spring 1996) Peggy Reeves Sanday teaches a new course, "Cultural Pluralism: Ethnography and Community Service." The course, part of a new core of courses in the anthropology department combining cultural anthropology with service, teaches students to study themselves in the context of their family, community and ethnic background. Students apply those concepts at University City High School in a service-oriented ethnographic project on issues of school-to-work transition, the culture of school disaffection, and inter-cultural interaction within the school. Students from University City High School participate in the course.

Classical Studies 125 (Spring 1996) Ralph Rosen teaches a course on "Community, Neighborhood, and Family in Ancient Athens and Modern Philadelphia." The seminar focuses on the ways in which the study of "classical" Athens can provide a frame for evaluating the problems of modern Philadelphia. Undergraduates in the course work with students at University City High School.

Education 202 (Spring 1996) "Urban Education" is taught by UCHS Principal James Lytle. The seminar will provide students with an overview of issues in contemporary urban education. As a part of the course's ethnographic component, Penn students shadow West Philadelphia public school students, including University City High School students.

Education 240 (Fall 1996) "Education in American Culture." is taught by John Puckett. The course involves undergraduates, working directly with 8th grade students and teachers at the Shaw Middle School, in the development of readings and video productions that act as a critical reflection on service learning and illuminate the impact of social factors on schooling and curriculum development.

Education 623 (1996) "Curriculum Foundations: Theory Into Practice." is taught by John Puckett. The course focuses on developing thematic community school curricula through both theoretical reading and practice in partnership with the teachers, including UCHS's school-to- work programs.

English 292 (Fall 1995) "Special Topics in Film Studies" is a seminar taught by Craig Saper that examines the relationship between film, video, pedagogy and community building. As part of the course, students work with Shaw Middle School students and University City High School students to script and produce videos on their communities.

English 401 (Fall 1996) "Teaching American Studies" is taught by Peter Conn . The two credit course exposes students to an interdisciplinary curriculum combining American literature and history. Working collaboratively, the seminar and University City High School teachers of English, Social Studies, Art, and Music develop interdisciplinary curricula. The course incorporates much of the High School's curriculum as a point of departure for its own research. In addition, undergraduate students serve as assistant teachers at University City High School. The course continues as a collective independent study in Spring 1996 (Cross listed Amcv 401).

History 204-302 (Spring 1996) "The Migrant Experience in America: A Look at West Philadelphia," is taught by Walter Licht, Associate Dean, Graduate Division, School of Arts and Sciences. The course treats West Philadelphia as a destination, a place to which tens of thousands of people have migrated in the last century. Students are introduced to a general historical literature on the migration experience, with particular attention to the process of getting and keeping work, and then engage in cooperative research projects that take them into archives and, more importantly, into the community for first hand interviewing. A significant emphasis is on job networks that existed in West Philadelphia among various immigrant groups. The course works with students in the Communications Charter at University City High School. Developing job networks for University City High School students is one of the thrusts of the course.

History 443 (Spring 1996) Michael Zuckerman teaches a course on the "American National Character." The course asks if there is a national character and how knowledge of the American national character can help solve the problems of Philadelphia. Students in the course work as academic tutors and develop recreation programs for University City High School students as a part of their examination of the national character.

Thomas Sugrue (History) will teach a new course on "Institutions and Neighborhood Change: West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia, 1940-1990." Students in the seminar will work with University City High students to gather data on neighborhood institutions, develop historical maps of institutions, engage in archival research, and conduct oral histories with institutional leaders and their constituents. The data will assist community organizations and urban planners in their understanding of the history of local institutional and neighborhood change.

Sociology 006-402 (Fall 1996) "Race and Ethnic Relations," is taught by Elijah Anderson. The course analyuzes dominant-minority group relations in different cultures throughout history, with special emphasis on contemporary American society. The course will work closely with University City High School and 15 University City High students will be co- enrolled in the course.

Sociology 302 (Fall 1996) "Community Research and Community Service," is taught by Antonio McDaniel and continues in spring 1997. In the course, undergraduates do research and service with teachers and students at University City High School. Each Penn student works with the school community on an individualized project which focuses on school-age pregnancy. Undergraduates collaborate with a teacher to incorporate the project into the school day curriculum. In addition, five high school students are engaged in a pre-college internship in conjunction with the course.

Urban Studies 324-401 (Spring 1996) Daniel Romer and Hillard Pouncy teach a new course, "Seminar on Strategies to Reduce Intergroup Tension in Multi-Cultural Settings: West Philadelphia and Penn as a Test Case," explores various approaches to reducing intergroup tension with particular emphasis on Penn and its surrounding community, including the public schools and neighborhoods. The seminar reviews what is known about ethnic and cultural group tension, including methodologies for assessing group tension. Students are then encouraged to study the ethnic and cultural tensions that exist at various local sites, including the public schools, the neighborhoods, and Penn. Specific intervention strategies are proposed that might alleviate tensions and increase intergroup cooperation. The seminar also brings together faculty from University City High School and others concerned with intergroup tension in Philadelphia.

Mayer Sulzberger Middle School

1. Replication Project. In academic year '93, Sulzberger began a replication of the Turner school-day model and summer programs. A Penn Graduate School of Education student is working with Sulzberger teachers to develop a service learning curriculum. The staff is focusing upon conflict resolution skills training and violence prevention.

2. Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention. Law students are providing a series of seminars that are focusing on conflict resolution and violence prevention.

3 Creative Writing Workshop. Members of PennVIPS (Volunteers in Public Service), Penn's faculty and staff volunteer organization, work with approximately one dozen 7th and 8th grade students in year-round creative writing workshops.

4. School Improvement. Penn's Maintenance and Utilities Department launched Operation Fresh Start at Sulzberger in June 1995. This is the first of what will be an annual one-day event involving approximately 100 volunteer Penn trades people from Local 835 Operating Engineers Union and management from Penn's Physical Plant Department rehabilitate and maintain facilities at a University-assisted community school in West Philadelphia. The program is coordinated with the principal, School District, and trade unions.

5. Penn Courses.

Anne Whiston Spirn (Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning) is developing a new graduate course in landscape architecture focused on "Landscape and Community in the Mill Creek Watershed." The course will enrich the social studies and science curricula at Sulzberger Middle School. Penn students and students and teachers at Sulzberger will work with the neighboring Aspen Farms community gardeners.

Anne Whiston Spirn (Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning) is also developing a new undergraduate honors seminar in the Urban Studies Program titled "The Urban Watershed" for 1996-1997. Penn students and students and teachers at Sulzberger will work with the neighboring Aspen Farms community gardeners.

MULTI-SCHOOL AND OTHER WEST PHILADELPHIA INITIATIVES

1. The Undergraduate Social Science Initiative, which is funded by the Ford Foundation and coordinated by the Penn Program for Public Service, is sponsoring approximately 50 students to work in local schools, particularly Turner Middle School and University City High School. Students are working on a range of projects including nutritional evaluation and improvement, violence prevention and peer mediation, and implementation of school-to-work transition programs. The initiative sponsors academically based community service through both service- learning courses (approximately 40 students) and individual internships (19 students).

2. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant To Link Intellectual Resources And Community Needs at the University of Pennsylvania is sponsoring graduate and undergraduate Penn students to work in local schools, particularly Turner Middle School and University City High School. The Kellogg Foundation focuses on the practical appliaction of knowledge and resources to improve quality of life, in both the present as well as the future. Students are working on various projects related to: Nutrition and Health, Environmental Studies, and Cultural and Community Studies. The Kellogg Foundation sponsors academically-based community service learning courses (approximately 50 students) and individual undergraduate and graduate student fellowships (18 students).

3. Penn's Information and Computing Services department has dedicated an Internet server [partners.upenn.edu] to Penn's West Philadelphia school partners. This is part of a "technology and communications initiative" that ultimately intends to link the schools to Internet gateways and to Penn's computing systems. Staff from Bartram High School, West Philadelphia High School, University City High School, Turner Middle School, Shaw Middle School, Sulzberger Middle School, Anderson Elementary School, and Wilson Elementary School have received modems and Internet accounts. We are in the planning stages to create ongoing technical assistance, teacher development and curriculum development programs for elementary, middle school and high school teachers in the West Philadelphia and University City High School clusters. (This program involves WEPIC, the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative, the Penn-Merck Science Collaborative, and the School District.)

4. Penn's Data Communications and Computing Services department and the Center for Community Partnerships played a key role in the School District of Philadelphia's receipt of a $5.3 million Technology Challenge Grant from the US Department of Education. Penn is assisting this city-wide initiative by providing technical support, computer literacy training, Internet access and email accounts to approximately 300 West Philadelphia teachers. Additionally, Penn, with Bell Atlantic, will provide approximately eight schools with high speed connections to Penn and the Internet.

5. Penn's Data Communications and Computing Services department and the Center for Community Partnerships worked in the summer '95 and '96 to create the homepage infrastructure for a comprehensive, hyper-media, Internet-accessible database on West Philadelphia [partners.upenn.edu]. West Philadelphia students, through projects based in the school-day curriculum, will be the information providers for this vibrant, constantly updated, community- accessible database.

6. Through the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation, the Penn-Merck Collaborative for the Enhancement of Science Education brings together the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and School of Veterinary Medicine, the Merck Institute for Science Education, and the School District of Philadelphia to enhance the teaching and learning of science in Philadelphia elementary schools. This effort is designed to increase teachers' knowledge about science, help them implement learning strategies that engage children in science, and strengthen science learning by integrating the science and language arts curriculum. Its primary focus is on teachers in the 25 elementary schools in the District's southwest region, the West Philadelphia region adjacent to Penn. The project includes a Summer Institute, a year-long graduate seminar for teachers, partnerships between teachers and scientists, and peer-mentoring by participating teachers.

7. Penn's Maintenance and Utilities Department is launching Operation Fresh Start, an annual one- day event in which sixty volunteers (Penn trades people from Local 835 Operating Engineers Union and management from Penn's Physical Plant Department) rehabilitate and maintain facilities at a University-assisted community school. This is coordinated with local schools through the principal, the School District, and trade unions and builds upon the Maintenance and Utilities Department's work at Shaw Middle School in fall 1994. The first Fresh Start site was Sulzberger Middle School in June 1995.

8. As part of the Dental School's 35 hour mandatory community service requirement, Dental students perform oral screenings and oral hygiene education throughout the City. Most of the 5,000 screenings each year are with children in the public schools. Additionally, a service learning course (approximately fifteen students) taught by Herman Segal, Associate Dean for Community Relations, provides a series of eight oral health promotion seminars to two Turner Middle School classrooms on general nutrition, oral hygiene, and careers in the dental field.

9. As part of the Law School's 35 hour mandatory community service requirement, approximately 70 Law students provide a series of ten to twenty law related classes at a number of Philadelphia schools, including University City High School, Bartram High School, Bartram Health and Human Services Academy, Rhodes Elementary School, Lea Elementary School, Turner Middle School, Sulzberger Middle School, and Shaw Middle School. The classes use a discussion of law and legal theory to demonstrate alternative solutions to conflict. Approximately thirty teachers who partner with the Law students participated in a three-day summer development program.

10. In conjunction with the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative, Penn has created "regional electives." One disadvantage of breaking big high schools down to charter size (400-500 students across four grades) is that the charters will typically be too small to justify certain electives. We are dealing with this across the region by organizing some of these electives at Penn and making them available to students from the four high schools in our region: University City, Bartram, Overbrook, West Philadelphia High School. Professor of English Peter Conn has put together a physics course taught on Penn's campus, giving 25 or so high school students access to Penn labs. Although the course is taught by high school teachers, a Penn Physics professor functions as a mentor.

11. Penn students and staff volunteers working with WEPIC are teaching computer skills to teachers in several schools. Weekly after school sessions are provided at Turner and Shaw Middle Schools and Wilson Elementary. The volunteers also provide in-class assistance to each school's teachers and students. This project will expand significantly in '96-'97.

12. The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP), co-directed by a faculty member from the Graduate School of Education and a teacher on special assignment from the School District, works with 282 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers throughout the School District to inquire about writing, teaching, and learning in their own classrooms and schools. Established in 1986 as an urban teacher collaborative and school-university partnership, PhilWP is a site of the National Writing Project, the largest staff development project for teachers in the country. Approximately 41 of the teachers work in West Philadelphia Schools.

13. The West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, coordinated by the Program for Student-Community Involvement, works with approximately 350 Penn students who tutor local middle school and high school students weekly on a one-to-one basis. The Project operates in over 20 West Philadelphia schools and is in its seventh year.

Several of the participants in the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project take a related course in the Graduate School of Education:

Education 323 (Fall 1996) "Tutoring in West Philadelphia Public Schools: Theory and Practice" is taught by Linda Hansell. The course provides an opportunity to tutor and to reflect critically on tutoring in relation to an exploration of issues in urban education in the context of West Philadelphia. Each student in the course is involved in tutoring in a West Philadelphia school. (Cross listed Urbs 323)

ADDITIONAL ACADEMICALLY-BASED COMMUNITY SERVICE COURSES

Courses Supported By The Center For Community Partnerships That Focus On West Philadelphia And The Public Schools

Undergraduate Courses

Afro-American Studies 400 (Fall 1996) Wesley Pugh, Program Evaluator and Researcher, School District of Philadelphia, teaches "Realizing W.E.B. DuBois' Strategy of Science and Social Science Reform for African-American Liberation: West Philadelphia as a Test Case." The course examines the philosophy, strategy, and life of DuBois with a focus on his concept of the "Talented Tenth." Students become involved in community service in an effort to translate DuBois' vision for West Philadelphia.

Anthropology 203 (Fall 1996) "Methods in Urban Ethnography," is taught by Julia Paley. The course teaches qualitative research techniques within the context of anthropological theory. Students will engage in community service as well as community participatory action research. (Cross-listed Afam 204, Urbs 213)

Anthropology Independent Study (Fall 1996) taught by Penny Gordon-Larsen, involves undergraduate majors in an intensive research experience in West Philadelphia. Students contribute to a study of obesity among middle school youth and develop their own research projects around this topic.

Education 605 (Spring 1996) "Education Policy" is taught by Rebecca Maynard. The course evaluates the West Philadelphia Partnership's school-to-work programs in conjunction with the West Philadelphia schools.

General Honors 210-301 (Spring 1996) "A Seminar in Faculty-Student Collaborative Learning," is taught by Lee Benson, Robert Giegengack, Ira Harkavy, and Francis Johnston. It is an experimental seminar designed to explore the effectiveness of faculty-student collaboration in the design of University seminars and courses.

General Honors History 214 (Fall 1996) "Seminar in Community in Modern Society: Universities and the Reconstruction of American Urban Communities; Penn-West Philadelphia/Philadelphia as a Strategic Test Case," is taught by Lee Benson and Ira Harkavy. The seminar provides an overview of major theories about the role, present condition, and likely future of local communities in modern societies. The seminar focuses specific attention on the "problem of American cities" in the late 20th century. Most students enrolled in the course choose to combine theory with activity in local public schools. The course continues as an independent study in the Spring. (Cross listed Urbs 78)

General Honors History 214-401 (Fall 1996) "Seminar in Urban University - Community Relationships: Penn - West Philadelphia as a Strategic Test Case" is taught by Lee Benson and Ira Harkavy. The seminar asks how American universities can reinvent themselves to help spark an urban renaissance in the 21st century. The seminar asks how the University of Pennsylvania might be reinvented to realize William Penn's vision of the Good City and Ben Franklin's vision of the Good University.

History 204-900 (Summer 1996) "Strategies Toward Revitalizing Urban Schools and Their Communities: West Philadelphia as a Case Study" taught by Ira Harkavy and Amy Cohen. The course is a part of the Scott Paper Company Public Service Summer Internship which enables Penn undergraduates to engage in research focused on West Philadelphia. Penn's Pennsylvania Service Scholars, part of the only statewide higher education AmeriCorps program that allows students to combine service and scholarship, also participate in the program. Students participate in the undergraduate seminar on Urban Revitalization and have worked at one of the West Philadelphia public school Summer Institutes with other Penn faculty and graduate students to develop programs focused on health and nutrition, conflict resolution, technology, writing for publication, and environmental and community studies. Over the last 6 years, the intensive twelve- week internship has been the catalyst for the development of many West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC) programs.

History and Sociology of Science 265-401 (Spring 1996) Robert Kohler teaches a new course, "Environmental History," consisting of discussions and readings in environmental history, including some study of cities as environments. In addition, some students work with teachers in local schools to facilitate both accessibility of literature on environmental history and adaptation of this literature for use in local classrooms.

Graduate Courses

City and Regional Planning 590-401 (Fall 1996) "Seminar on Planning, Universities and the Quality of life in American Cities: Penn--West Philadelphia as a Strategic Case Study," taught by Ira Harkavy and Lee Benson, will examine the broad issue of the relationship of universities to their local environments. Specifically, the seminar focuses on the history of Penn's relationship to West Philadelphia and the extent to which Penn's actions (or inaction) have both positively and negatively affected the quality of life in its local geographic community. Beginning with Paul Cret's plans in 1913, we will review and assess the University's various planning efforts. Significant attention will be devoted to how Penn planning can make significant contributions to improving the local environment. More generally, the seminar will investigate how Penn activities to improve the quality of life in West Philadelphia can exemplify planning's potential to contribute to overcoming the problems of the American city.

City and Regional Planning 702-001 Studio (Spring 1996) "A New Vision for the 40th Street Corridor," is taught by Norman Day. Studio participants will prepare an urban design plan and implementation strategy for future activity and development in the area between 38th and 42nd Street from Powelton Avenue to Baltimore Avenue. This studio's activities are closely coordinated with LA 702 Studio, taught by Professor Robert Hanna (see below).

Education 601-001 (Fall 1996) "Education Policy" is taught by Rebecca Maynard. The course evaluates the West Philadelphia Partnership's school-to-work programs in conjunction with the West Philadelphia schools.

Education 623-001 (Spring 1996) "Curriculum Foundations: Theory Into Practice," is taught by John Puckett. The course focuses on developing thematic community school curricula through both theoretical reading and practice in partnership with West Philadelphia school teachers.

Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning 702-001 Studio VI (Spring 1996) "A Town and Gown Partnership for the Twenty-First Century" is taught by Robert Hanna. The course focuses on the area between 38th and 42nd Streets and Filbert Street and Baltimore Avenue, where the University and West Philadelphia communities meet and interact. This studio provides students with the opportunity for real-world problem-solving in the form of site analysis, problem and opportunity identification, formulation of alternative strategic planning options, testing of options and final site and/or building design resolution. This studio's activities will be closely coordinated with CP 702 Studio, taught by Professor Norman Day (see above).

Social Work 708-001 and 718-001 (Fall 1996 and Spring 1997) taught by Jane Isaacs Lowe is the first of a two-semester graduate "Macro Practice" seminar that teaches social work practice with a focus on the social service needs of the Turner Middle School and its surrounding community. The class readings are related to theories, strategies, and skills involved in designing interventions at the macro level and in working with communities.

Social Work 708-002 and 718-002 (Fall 1996 and Spring 1997) taught by Michael Reisch is the first of a two-semester graduate "Macro Practice" seminar that teaches social work practice with a focus on action research with the West Philadelphia public schools.

Social Work 718 (Spring 1997) taught by Jane Isaacs Lowe is the second of a two-semester graduate "Macro Practice" seminar.

Courses Planned for Spring 1997

History 200 (Spring 1997) Lee Cassanelli will teach "Urban Diasporas in Comparative Perspective: Africans and Afro-Americans in Philadelphia and the World." A look at historical and contemporary patterns of rural-urban migration, social networks, cultural adaptation, and intergroup relations among people of African descent in Africa, Europe, and the Americas, using Philadelphia as a detailed case study.

English 293 (Spring 1997) Al Filreis will teach "The Literature of the Holocaust." The course combines critical readings with movie screenings and visits from Holocaust survivors in order facilitate greater understanding of the Holocaust. Penn students will cooperate with twelfth grade AP English students and faculty from Edison High School through direct contact and on-line services. The purpose is to integrate the curricula of the two classes and establish an intellectual partnership with local North Philadelphia youth.

Antonio McDaniel (Sociology) will teach a new undergraduate seminar on "Racial Identity in Philadelphia" which will examine the impact of high school, family, and neighborhood context on racial socialization; the course will work with West Philadelphia and University City High School students.

Michael Reisch (Social Work) will teach a new graduate seminar that will "Educate Students for Community Action Through Action Research" and will work with West Philadelphia schools and their communities.

Julie Saecker Schneider and Andrea Zemel (Fine Arts) have developed a new seminar "Community, Collaborative and Public Art," which will work with West Philadelphia schools and their communities to create public art works.

Contact: Cory Bowman, Assistant Director, Penn Program for Public Service.
Last modified 10/31/96.
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