Community Engagement Program
Mission
The Community Engagement Program (CEP) is a student-facilitated program based out of 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.
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.
Student Leaders
Yeeun Yoo (she/her)
Major/minor:
Majors in Urban Studies & Sociology, minor in Asian American Studies
Graduating Year:
2026
Community Organization I am partnered with:
Moder Patshala & Petey Greene Program
Why I engage, and what I would like to do in the future:
I find so much revolutionary joy and love when I have the opportunity to form meaningful, lasting relationships with the community partners I volunteer at. In the future, I am thinking of a career in labor law or research, or both!
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.
Applications for Spring 2026 will open in January
Program Director
Dacia Carter
Associate Director of Community Partnerships and Engagement
dacia@upenn.edu