Secondary Education | Penn Today

Despite obstacles, black colleges are pipelines to the middle class, study finds. Here’s its list of the best

Robert A. Nathenson of the Graduate School of Education comments on his work studying the hurdles faced by historically black colleges and universities.

An open letter to college-bound students and their parents

Dean Eric Furda of Admissions co-signed an open letter to students going through the college-admissions process. “If your work on an application finds you wondering where to turn for help, support or reassurance, contact us,” the letter reads. “Helping you is not our job; it is our privilege.”

high school students in lab coats face an instructor in a reproductive science lab.

Reproductive science by experts, for teens

High school girls who take part in the Penn Academy for Reproductive Science get a hands-on lab course with top epigenetic and reproductive health experts.

Do conservative students face bias in the college classroom? Penn State prof and lifelong Republican says very little, if any

Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education commented on Penn State professor Matthew Woessner’s career as a conservative in academia. “It’s hard to be a Republican in liberal academia and I think he’s done it very well,” said Zimmerman. “He’s been true to his discipline and his beliefs. I don’t share his political beliefs, but I admire him.”

aerial view of five kids laying and sitting on the ground working on laptops in a school hallway

Coding with kids

Since 2017, Penn Engineering computer science students have taught Philadelphia-area middle school students in multiple after-school coding clubs. The goals are to nurture an interest in computer science and increase confidence.

Where does affirmative action leave Asian-Americans?

Two studies led by Camille Z. Charles of the School of Arts and Sciences found an overrepresentation of black immigrant students at “highly selective” colleges and universities, compared to black American descendants of enslaved people. “I think there are American blacks whose families have suffered generationally who are being squeezed out,” she said.

A Penn Dental Medicine instructor sits with a dental model tool in hand beside a replica of head with an open mouth while seven high school students in white lab coats, gloves and masks watch the demonstration.

Summer Mentorship Program introduces high school students to dental medicine

Penn Dental Medicine hosted a group of high school students as part of Penn’s Provost Summer Mentorship Program, a four-week, college-career immersion program, aimed to inspire first-generation and under-represented minority students in Philadelphia to view higher education as an achievable goal.

New Jersey anti-Semitism bill would limit free discussion

Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education writes about the legal risks for American universities that boycott Israel.

Brotherhood, debt, and the black college rising

A study by Janelle Williams of the Graduate School of Education suggests that the current political climate under the Trump administration has drawn more black American students to HBCUs in recent years.

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