by Daniel Katz

This semester, first-year students have been examining the root causes of social issues. Recently, they explored capitalism and its implications for capacity and wellness.

Sophomores have been participating in “book” (or media) clubs centered on social justice topics as a way to uplift historically marginalized voices and perspectives.

After identifying core values, the juniors have begun developing their capstone ideas by creating concept maps around the issues they may want to focus on such as Penn and PILOTs, immigration, the carceral system, and more.

Meanwhile, seniors are completing their capstone projects, which include work examining Civic House’s curriculum, Penn’s admissions of students from West Philadelphia, and other topics related to equity and community engagement.

Civic Scholars is a sustained four-year experience that integrates community engagement and scholarship as students explore social change alongside their academic work.