• The purpose of this course is to engage students in the rigorous process of mining experiences for material that can be transformed into a public performance piece. In-class writing, group discussions, and field work in the Philadelphia area. In this seminar, students will read groundbreaking playwright August Wilson's 20th Century Cycle: ten plays that form an iconic picture of African American traumas, triumphs, and traditions through the decades, told through the lens of Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood. Other readings include supporting material on Wilson's work and African American theatre, the works of contemporary playwrights whom Wilson has influenced (such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Tarell Alvin McCraney), and context on Penn's relationship with West Philadelphia. As an Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) course, this seminar gives students the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the plays, and history and culture that shaped them, by forming meaningful relationships with West Philadelphia residents. Wilson's plays provide the bridge between the two groups. The course culminates with students writing an original theatre piece inspired by the readings and relationships, which they will share at an end-of-semester performance.

• In EAS242: for the first half of the semester, students will teach hands-on lesson plans developed by the Netter Center, ECA, and the School District on residential energy efficiency, healthy homes, and career pathways in energy to 9th graders at local West Philadelphia high schools. In the second half of the course, students will work on projects with Penn and local partners on topics including weatherization, indoor air quality, carbon offsets, renewable energy, and more.
  

• Private and public sector firms increasingly use marketing strategies to engage their customers and stakeholders around social impact. To do so, managers need to understand how best to engage and influence customers to behave in ways that have positive social effects. This course focuses on the strategies for changing the behavior of a target segment of consumers on key issues in the public interest (e.g., health behaviors, energy efficiency, poverty reduction, fundraising for social causes). How managers partner with organizations (e.g., non-profits, government) to achieve social impact will also be explored. For the first time, this course is being offered as an Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) course supported by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships. As an ABCS course, students will engage in practical, collaborative problem-solving with partner organizations as part of the learning experience.  

• What is a participatory city? What has that term meant in the past, what does it mean now, and what will it mean going forward? Against the backdrop of increasing inequality and inequity, and the rise in a search for solutions, what role can citizens play in co-creating more just cities and neighborhoods? How can citizens be engaged in the decision-making processes about the places where we live, work, and play? And most importantly, how can we work to make sure that all kinds of voices are meaningfully included, and that historically muted voices are elevated to help pave a better path forward? This course will connect theory with praxis as we explore together the history, challenges, methods, and approaches, and impact of bottom up and top down approaches to community participation and stakeholder involvement in cities. Multiple opportunities will be provided to be involved in community engagement work for real-world projects in Philadelphia. This course is an ABCS and SNF Paideia Program course. Hear more about the course from the instructor herself in conversation with colleagues: Political Empathy: Perspectives from Psychology and Urban Studies

• This course will explore the concept of transport justice and how this idea can inform changes to public transit infrastructure. The first half of the course will set theoretical foundations through close reading and discussion of spatial and social justice theories, emphasizing questions of transportation and mobility. The second half of the course will feature a project-based application of these theories. Students will develop analyses to inform a planning at the intersection of Broad/Germantown/Erie in North Philadelphia. Students will be encouraged to explore multiple analytic approaches including: interviews and qualitative data collection; GIS and spatial analysis; quantitative analysis and predictive modeling, and more. The course will culminate in written and oral presentations given to partners from SEPTA, OTIS, and other planning agencies in Philadelphia.

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