The camp welcomed participants from El Comité, a committed community group advocating for the rights and welfare of immigrant workers in the restaurant industry, and delved into the fundamentals of social science research, exploring how critical thinking and analytical skills can create positive change in the world.
Abby’s career trajectory embodies the transformative potential of the Center’s Social Justice Internship Program, which connects students with organizations that drive meaningful change in communities.
Carly Pourzand’s first day as the director of community-driven impact at the Penn State Center Philadelphia was not her first day on the job. She has been deeply invested in Philadelphia communities for more than a decade as an agent of change and advocate for communities.
Last month, the Penn State Center Philadelphia team rallied alongside local community members and activists at City Hall, marking a landmark moment in community advocacy.
More than 45 individuals, including social movement leaders and organizers, community partners, government officials, and Penn State faculty and researchers gathered with the goal of sharing insights about their communities and ideas to help share the future of the Center’s collective vision.
The summit was a vibrant collection of workshops, panel discussions, resource tables, and interactive sessions, each designed to empower parents with the tools and knowledge needed to advocate for their children effectively.
Dr. Kristen Goessling (director of participatory research at Penn State Center Philadelphia) was recently interviewed by The Action Research Podcast for its episode on Youth Participatory Action Research and Art.
The phrase “nothing about us without us” is at the very core of the Penn State Center Philadelphia’s mission and programs. Everything we do is rooted in community engagement and democratic participation — connecting with Philadelphia communities and leaders to support them in envisioning and implementing processes for change.
PHILADELPHIA — The Penn State Center Philadelphia has announced the appointment of Kristen Goessling as director of participatory action research (PAR). She is already a well-known change-maker in the areas of food justice and participatory field research and is the founder and principal investigator for the Philadelphia Participatory Research Collective.
PHILADELPHIA — Many people want change in their public schools. In Philadelphia, parents and families are seeking a ground-up approach to their child’s education; one where changes are made in response to an individual child’s needs, rather than a top-down approach that could leave them out of the decision-making process.