Students
Get Involved at Civic House
Below you can find ways to get involved through Civic House programs or employment opportunities.
Program Involvement and Leadership Opportunities
Each Civic House student program involves an application process and a required educational component to prepare them for responsible community engagement.
Please reach out to staff with any questions such as information about applications, program requirements, student community-building, community partners where students typically engage, funding for community-engagement, and student leadership opportunities.
PennCORP
A pre-orientation program for incoming Penn students. PennCORP introduces students to the Philadelphia community through community engagement projects, interactive social justice workshops, and thoughtful dialogue and reflection about the social issues affecting the Philadelphia community.
Leadership Opportunities: undergraduate students can apply to be Student Leaders or Student Directors.
Available to: incoming Penn students invited to apply
Applications available for 2026 program: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: Khadijah Seay
Civic Scholars
A sustained four-year experience integrating community engagement and scholarship. Program components include a specially designed seminar, civic engagement experiences with Civic House community partners, and intentional community-building activities to bring together students from each yearly cohort and across classes.
Leadership Opportunities: Civic Scholars has leadership positions available through the Civic Scholars Advisory Board (CSAB) to support relationship building and development, and student staff opportunities through the Curriculum Team.
Available to: first-year students can apply during their first semester and begin in the spring, continuing through graduation
Applications available for 2030 cohort: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: Khadijah Seay
West Philadelphia Tutoring Project
Hosted at Civic House as well as local school partners, students work one on one with a student from the Philadelphia area, working primarily on reading, writing, and math skills. All tutors must attend orientations and educational workshops to learn about best tutoring practices as well as broader educational issues. WPTP is a student-led program, with a student board of directors, committees to lead educational opportunities, community-building events, and tutoring logistics.
Leadership Opportunities: As a student-led program, WPTP has several opportunities for students to serve as leaders including site directors at Civic House to support and coordinate particular time frames of tutoring, committee members to organize events, family support, and educational opportunities, and board members to oversee the direction of the program.
Available to: all students invited to apply at the beginning of each semester
Applications available for Fall 2026: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: LaDonna Marrero
Penn Alternative Breaks
Over fall, spring, or summer break, students participate in meaningful social justice work by prioritizing the voices and needs of those impacted by injustices, cultivating sustainable community partnerships, and facilitating collaborative learning. We provide students with the tools to explore their identity and how it affects their position in the communities we work with and in society as a whole. By integrating education, reflection, and direct service, we hope to foster an ongoing commitment to social change.
Leadership Opportunities: After participating in PAB, students can apply to lead an alternative break, which includes arranging logistics, working with community partners as hosts and co-educators, facilitating learning and reflective opportunities for students, and communicating with Civic House staff.
Available to: all students invited to apply as applications become available
Applications available: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: LaDonna Marrero
Community Engagement Program
Students are paired with a Civic House community partner organization through a matching process and engage in regularly scheduled community engagement, typically 2-3 hours per week. To supplement the work done away from Penn’s campus, CEP hosts workshops with dinner every other week to reflect on students’ civic engagement experiences.
Leadership Opportunities: Students in CEP can apply to become both team leaders of students who work at the same community partner, and program leaders to work with Civic House staff on program development, leading student reflections, and supporting both student and community partners through logistics and engagement.
Available to: all students invited to apply at the beginning of each semester
Applications available for fall 2026: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: Dacia Carter
Community Engagement Internship Program
Penn students receive funding to support academic year-long and summer internships at our core community partner organizations. Students attend every other week social justice workshop meetings with the other interns to explore aspects of their identity, the root causes of social justice work, and engage in reflection. Interns commit to working 10 hours/week for the full academic year or 35 hours/week during the summer with the partner organization.
Leadership Opportunities: Over time, students can develop their role with community partners over time to take on leadership positions supporting other volunteers, leading projects, or connecting the organization to Civic House and campus resources.
Available to: all students invited to apply at the beginning of each semester
Applications available for fall 2026: stay tuned!
Applications due: stay tuned!
Contact: Dacia Carter
Student Staff Positions
Office Assistant
Available to: Students interested in supporting Civic House and its approach to community engagement. No current available positions.
Overview: Office Assistants (OAs) provide administrative support to Civic House initiatives related to community engagement and social justice. OAs oversee daily house operations, collaborative projects, educational initiatives, and leadership opportunities. Responsibilities might include greeting and assisting guests, answering phones, daily logistical needs, and providing program support as needed.
Qualifications and Requirements: In addition to organizational skills and time management, OAs must have experience or interest in community engagement, service, or advocacy, and an ability to reflect the approach Civic House takes to its work that is relationship-based and led by community-voice. OAs must be able to commit to in-person, stakeholder-facing work at Civic House within open hours that are M-F, 10am-8pm.
Communications Assistants
Available to: Students interested in supporting Civic House and its approach to community engagement, with experience or interest in web design, social media, marketing or related fields. No current available positions.
Overview: Communications Assistants (CAs) provide support to Civic House efforts to share its work with its stakeholders via social media, newsletters, its website, and other forms of digital outreach. CAs oversee the creation of monthly newsletters, social media and website updates, and other initiatives to reach potential participants in its programs such as students and community partners. and leadership opportunities. CAs also have regular office hours at Civic House to meet with supervising staff, stay informed about programs and events, and gain firsthand knowledge of its work and community.
Qualifications and Requirements: In addition to skills in digital media, OAs must have experience or interest in community engagement, service, or advocacy, and an ability to reflect the approach Civic House takes to its work that is relationship-based and led by community-voice. CAs must be able to commit to some in-person, stakeholder-facing work at Civic House within open hours that are M-F, 10am-8pm.
Program Assistants
Undergraduate students with interest in supporting the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, Penn Alternative Breaks, or who want to develop their own project related to community engagement can apply to work with Civic House staff in a paid position. Contact LaDonna Marrero for more information.
Graduate Assistants
Civic House hires graduate students to provide essential support to our core programs. Assistantships typically require 20 hours per week and often include attending student events and workshops that occur on nights and weekends. Graduate students are generally hired through the university’s graduate assistant hiring process, but please reach out directly for more information.
- West Philadelphia Tutoring Project
- Penn Alternative Breaks
- Civic Scholars and PennCORP
- Community Engagement and Internship Programs
Student Support for Individuals or Student Groups Doing Community Engagement
– Co-sponsorship of an event to support community efforts or educate campus and community members about social justice issues
– Hosting events or workshops related to community engagement in our building
– Connecting students or groups to community partners with aligned needs and interests
– Advising individual students pursuing community engagement projects