School News
SP² Graduated 172 on May 14
Congratulations to the Class of 2007! The School’s Commencement Ceremony was held on Monday, May 14 in the University’s beautiful Irvine Auditorium. Recent graduates will recall their graduation ceremonies in Harrison Auditorium at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, but the School’s continued growth necessitated a move to a larger venue. This year’s evening ceremony honored five PhD graduates, 147 MSW graduates, and 20 Nonprofit/Non-governmental Leadership graduates, as well as the eight students in the first graduating class of the Master of Science in Social Policy degree program.
Emanuel Jones, MBA, delivered the Commencement address. Mr. Jones, a 1981 University of Pennsylvania graduate, is the Georgia State Senator for District 10, and the President and CEO of Legacy Automotive, which is the Atlanta area’s third largest African-American owned business. Student speakers Victoria Stanhope (PhD program), Anastasia Shown and Malik Cooper (MSW program), Ariel Kraten (NPL program) and Alisha Scruggs (MSSP program) all delivered unique and engaging speeches before the awarding of degrees for their respective programs. The Ceremony also included the presentation of the Excellence in Teaching Awards (see Faculty News) and the Student Graduation Awards (see Future Leaders section below). A reception for graduates, families, guests, faculty, and administrators was held immediately after the Ceremony in Houston Hall.
SP² Launches Pipeline for Promise Program
For many students, a transition from the Community College of Philadelphia to the University of Pennsylvania means much more than simply crossing the Schuylkill River. This summer, SP² is bridging the two in order to open doors to graduate education, social work, and other helping professions. Through the new Pipeline for Promise program, ten Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) students are enrolled in a tuition-free University undergraduate course on social welfare. In addition to their coursework, students gain introductions to leading area social work practitioners, experience an introduction to an Ivy League atmosphere via campus tours and interactions with students, and receive opportunities for mentoring experiences. The program was made possible through a gift from the Lomax Family Foundation; Claire Lomax, Esq., a member of the SP² Board of Overseers, welcomed the group at a breakfast on Wednesday, May 30, and explained why she and her family believed so strongly in the value of this program. Program Director Dr. Anthony Bruno, DSW also serves as an adjunct faculty member at SP².
One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare
There is only one One Child, Many Hands conference, but it included many outstanding presentations. Presented by the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice and Research, with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Lead Sponsor, One Child, Many Hands provided a sampling of “cutting edge work from the multiple disciplines that touch the lives of children, youth and families.” Between May 30 and June 1, more than 200 conference registrants participated in workshops on a range of child-welfare topics, led by more than 80 presenters from across the country. Additionally, conference participants heard a Keynote Address from Dr. Marilyn Benoit, Past President of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and luncheon addresses from Amy Berg (Academy Award-nominated filmmaker of the documentary Deliver Us From Evil) and Dr. David Sanders (Executive Vice President of Systems Improvement at Casey Family Services). One of the highlights of the conference was the special documentary film festival in Zellerbach Theater at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: the evening featured the winning original documentaries submitted by local students, as well as Amy Berg’s moving and provocative portrayal of the three-decade history of a Catholic priest’s sexual abuse of children in his own words. Conference co-sponsors included NASW Pennsylvania and NASW Delaware chapters.
Funding for Out-of-School Time Resource Center
The Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) has received funding from the William Penn Foundation for (at least) three more years. Beginning in June 2007, the OSTRC will adopt a more regional approach: using the activities and research it has implemented in the past to more rigorously support and enhance professional development in the Philadelphia area. That said, the Center will still continue to build its relationships and exchanges with national colleagues.