campus support
For over 40 years, the Penn Women's Center has been active in promoting the rights of women on campus and beyond. The mission of the Penn Women's Center is to promote gender justice, and to empower, support, and advance personal and professional development for women and female-identified persons. The Penn Women's Center seeks to achieve this by sponsoring student groups, highlighting the work of women and female-identified persons, advocating on a wide range of issues, and providing confidential crisis and options counseling.
Learn more about the Penn Women's Center.
The Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH) is a hub of academic, personal, and professional growth for University of Pennsylvania students interested in Asian American culture and the Asian American Diaspora. Through advising, leadership development, advocacy, social and cultural programming we expand student access to the University's resources.
Learn more about PAACH.
Penn's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Center increases the general Penn community's awareness, understanding, and acceptance of its sexual and gender minority members. The primary activities of the Center are outreach and education, supportive services for individuals and campus organizations, including network facilitation, and advocacy for sensitive, inclusive University policies and practices. Whether you are questioning your identity, in the process of coming out, proudly identify as LGBTQ+, or an ally, the Center is your space.
Learn more about the LGBT Center.
La Casa Latina: Center for Hispanic Excellence is a crossroad of academic, personal, and professional growth for University of Pennsylvania students interested in Latinx and Latin American cultures. Through advising, leadership development, academic, social, and cultural programming, La Casa Latina expands access to the University's resources to help students achieve their fullest potential.
Learn more about La Casa Latina.
Natives at Penn (NAP), founded in 1994, is a student organization representing Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native students on Penn's campus, which is on Lenape land. Undergraduate and graduate students meet with university faculty and staff to increase awareness of contemporary Indigenous issues, attend interschool events such as the All-Ivy Native Conference, attend events hosted by local tribes, and host Penn's Annual Powwow. NAP is a member of Penn's United Minorities Council, and is supported by the Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC).
Learn more about the GIC.
The Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC) is Penn's resource for enhancing students' intercultural knowledge, competency, and leadership through our programs, advising, and advocacy. The GIC also offers numerous courses for credit, programs, and services designed to engage students around diversity and enhance their cultural competency skills for the 21st century.
Learn more about the GIC.
Makuu: The Black Cultural Center is a nexus of academic, professional and personal growth for University of Pennsylvania students interested in Black culture and the African Diaspora. Through advising, leadership development, network facilitation, and cultural programming, we extend academic, social, and cultural support while expanding Penn's resources and enhancing our campus community.
Learn more about Makuu.
As a world-class research institution Penn is committed to helping our students create breakthroughs and new knowledge in their chosen fields. Organizations such as the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) makes hands-on undergraduate research possible for our students. By demystifying the process by which Penn students identify, apply, and receive the research fellowships and grants that are right for them, CURF continues to help empower Penn students to be leaders in their field and change the world as undergraduates.
Learn more about academic research and CURF.
Learn more about the Reach-A-Peer Helpline here.
Penn's Civic Scholars program allows students who are leaders in the classroom the opportunity to engage with the City of Philadelphia and become leaders in the community they call home. Students who complete the four-year Civic Scholar experience earn a certification upon graduation and designation on their transcript.
Learn more about Civic Scholars.
The most historic city in America is your new home. Our city isn’t just about history, though. It’s a mix of then and now with an eye toward the future. A hub of art, culture, and innovation -- you will never run out of things to do in Philadelphia. Penn is also actively involved in Philadelphia. We are passionate about the city we call home and our students do more than discuss social issues, they take action.
Learn more about Penn's relationship with the City of Philadelphia.
Penn is committed to supporting both first-generation and low-income college students in their pursuit of higher education. We have multiple support systems on campus such as the FirstGeneration, Low Income (FGLI) program which began in 2016. Students who will be the first in their families to graduate from college, or who come from low-income families, receive guidance regarding their academic, personal, and social needs while providing a close-knit sense of community. Additionally, student-led organizations such as Penn First provide support through mentorship programs and social events.
Learn more about Penn's resources for first-generation college or low-income students.
The Office of the Chaplain supports the academic mission of the University by facilitating and encouraging initiatives concerned with the moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of university life. The Spiritual and Religious Center (SPARC) provides space for regular prayer, scripture study and meditation sessions for individuals and groups. Spaces can be reserved in advance or used on a drop-in basis. Our Office serves and supports a wide range of student organizations, fellowships and religious communities on our campus. We also develop programming designed to improve interfaith understanding and build meaningful, collaborative relationships across religious difference. And our Chaplains are always nearby to offer support or space to talk.
Learn more about spiritual and religious life at Penn.
The Wellness at Penn initiative provides support, resources, and practical tools for wellness across the Penn community. It affirms wellness as a core priority and necessary driver of life on campus; and it offers a wide range of opportunities to reflect and engage on issues of wellness, stress, mental health, resilience, happiness, personal and academic goals, and the meaning of success.
Live your passions at Penn—and find others who share them. Penn is home to over 450 student groups that cover everything from academics, the arts, community service, cultural groups, political groups, and recreational organizations. Can't find exactly what you want? Starting a club and creating a community is easy and accessible.
