Tier Two For Teachers

The Office of School and Community Engagement (OSCE) at Penn GSE directly supports the mission of the School and the University in engaging meaningfully, intentionally, and with documented impact with the city of Philadelphia. Our aim is to facilitate and support partnerships with schools and communities in order to improve the educational outcomes and overall wellbeing of children and youth in Philadelphia. The creation of the OSCE enables Penn GSE faculty and staff to engage more efficiently and effectively across institutional boundaries—within the University itself and between Penn, the School District of Philadelphia and other schools, and community organizations across the city—in addressing the challenges facing the city and its youth. Our Model The OSCE oversees an evolving portfolio of projects that share key characteristics: They are responsive to a request or need coming from the community. They leverage existing internal resources and relationships to provide added value to the external community. They address an important question or issue related to the educational and social/emotional advancement of children, youth, and families. They provide opportunities for sustained impact and increased capacity within an institution that serves children, youth, and families. There is an existing mechanism for assessing impact and outcomes. They provide opportunities for replication, translation, and other forms of taking lessons learned to new contexts, systems, or settings.