The Community Engagement Program (CEP) is a student-facilitated program based out of Penn’s Civic House. CEP connects Penn students with Philadelphia-based nonprofit organizations while providing a space for reflection and education. Students are paired with a Civic House community partner of their choice and engage in regularly scheduled community engagement. To supplement the work done away from Penn’s campus, CEP hosts workshops with dinner every other week to reflect about students’ civic engagement experiences.
“I found this to be a really fulfilling experience. The people who work/run the organization are all very nice and welcoming. In addition, it was nice to get away from campus for a few hours and engage with the greater West Philly community! Finally, it felt like, even though I was only a small part of the volunteer base, I made an impact.”
-CEP Fall 2019 Participant
Our Vision
The Community Engagement Program promotes leadership in students while working towards responsible and sustainable partnerships with community organizations. Students use Civic House’s Social Justice Framework to develop critical lenses about issues affecting Philadelphia communities, explore their identity and how it impacts civic engagement work and learn about building sustainable relationships with community-based organizations.
Requirements
Students commit to 1-4 hours each week at one of our community partners for the duration of the semester. Everyone meets bi-weekly for our educational workshops and discussions. Students are encouraged to continue at their community partner into the next semester, but it is not required. Two absences from service and meetings are allowed each semester.
Contact Us!
2023-2024 CEP Coordinators:
Ashley Duchi, Community Partnership Coordinator
Yeeun Yoo, Community Partnership Coordinator
Julie Pham, Program Coordinator & AmeriCorps VISTA