Civic House strives to have deep, reciprocal relationships with our community partners that provide a spectrum of opportunities for students at all levels. An ideal relationship would allow students to engage with an organization that might have multiple levels of responsibility according to their progress in our Student Development model.
We believe that our community partners are essential co-educators to this developmental learning and growth process for our students.
Meet Our Community Partners
We are currently partnering with a wide range of community organizations based in Philadelphia and beyond.
Scaffolded Civic Engagement Pathway
Well-developed community partnerships are essential for creating change within our communities. Civic House is committed to partnerships with community organizations that focus on long-term, sustainable partnerships. These relationships are intended to be intentional and reciprocal. Civic House recognizes there is power is developing a long term approach, working with key partners year after year. This dedication to our partners promotes more significant change, resource development, and capacity building in our communities, as well as allows for personal and professional growth for each of our students.
Our Philosophy on Community Partnerships
Civic House seeks to engage in partnerships which have the potential to develop into deep, reciprocal relationships built mutual trust and respect. Through the development of these relationships, partners should come to expect from us:
- Collaboration: We seek to collaborate on the creation of objectives, goals and other ideas related to our shared programs.
- Commitment: We recognize that our partners’ willingness to share their communities with us and our students is a gift and privilege. We honor that gift by committing to engage consistently and over a sustained period of time.
- Humility: We value the significant contributions that our partners make as co-educators in the creation and sharing of knowledge.
- Community: Along with students, our partners are central members of the broader Civic House community. We extend a sincere welcome to our partners and hope that they will begin to see us as an extension of their own communities.
- Social Justice Lens: We seek to build a community of practice informed by a social justice lens. As such, we engage our students in educational programming based around our social justice framework.
- Communication: Strong and honest communication is a critical building block to any successful relationship. Our partners should expect that Civic House is deeply committed to timely and effective communication, including brainstorming, problem-solving and information-sharing.
- Resource-Sharing: Civic House recognizes the privilege inherent in our being members of the University of Pennsylvania and the accompanying resources to which we have access. Where possible, we hope to share these resources (i.e. meeting space, access to faculty, advertising opportunities, etc) with our partners.
Common pathways for organizations to partner with the Civic House include the Community Engagement Internship, Penn Alternative Breaks, and the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project.
To find out more about ways to engage, see additional program information.
Contact
If you are interested in partnering with us, please reach out to one of our Associate Directors below.
Khadijah Seay, Associate Director (Civic Scholars & PennCORP) seayk@upenn.edu
LaDonna Marrero, Associate Director (WPTP & PAB) marrerol@upenn.edu
Dacia Carter, Associate Director (CEI & CEP) dacia@upenn.edu