As we welcome the new year and semester at Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, we are excited to introduce and launch SP2 Community Teamworks (CTW). This pilot volunteer service program enables students from our five degree programs to work alongside SP2 faculty, staff and alumni on projects that will have positive impacts on organizations and agencies in West Philadelphia. Although our students already contribute more than 250,000 hours yearly to our local community through internships, practicums and field placements, we believe there is always more that needs to be done. CTW will give the entire SP2 community the opportunity to work together. The goals of this project are twofold: one, we will be able to make sustainable improvements that will hopefully continue long after the day of service is completed; and two, CTW is a meaningful way to build a stronger community within SP2.
Our plan is to start small with three projects selected from proposals submitted by students, faculty, alumni, and staff. CTW projects will occur during the months of March and April and each service project will be completed in one day. Project leaders will work closely with community partners to prepare for the day’s events. Although I am not planning to serve as a team leader, I look forward to participating on a CTW team and enthusiastically anticipate expanding this program to include other schools and programs at the University of Pennsylvania.
By: Dean Richard Gelles
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