For five years and under the direction of Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community (SEC), the Projects for Progress (P4P) initiative has supported teams of University staff, students, and faculty in their efforts to address serious issues that impact everyday lives in the city of Philadelphia. This cohort of Penn P4P teams will receive up to $100,000 each to support education, health, and urban agriculture in Philadelphia. SEC received 16 applications for the award this year.

“It is always exciting to see the thoughtful proposals that come in from the applicant teams, especially when they use this opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving,” said Nicole Maloy, who oversees the initiative and serves as director of the Office of SEC. “As we all know, incorporating a range of perspectives leads to greater innovation and better results, so that’s exactly what you want to have whenever you are attempting to generate real-world solutions.”

Ms. Maloy emphasized that all of the applicants deserve accolades for embodying Penn founder Benjamin Franklin’s assertion that serving humankind is “the great aim and end of all learning.” University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity & Community Reverend Charles “Chaz” Howard agreed. “Penn is at its best when we are in a posture of service,” he said.

As Dr. Howard congratulated the 2025 co- hort, he noted his hope that others would find encouragement in their example. “This year’s award recipients, like their predecessors, will help our University and our community to keep working to be our best selves.”

This year’s Projects for Progress recipients are:

The College App Classroom 

The College App Classroom is a free 28-lesson modular course created to address the curricular gap for students and their supporters who need vetted instructional resources about applying to college and financial aid. The course is currently piloted in six schools. The project’s goal is to build sustainable models to increase college access for students across the School District of Philadelphia.

• Danielle Fitzgerald, senior content producer, communications in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions
• Lamesha Brown, director of the Penn College Achievement Program (PennCAP) at Penn First Plus
• Ronald Harvey, director of the Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (PennRSSA) in the Division of Student Engagement
• John Haggerty, senior associate director of undergraduate aid in Student Registration & Financial Services
• Ellen Rhudy, associate director of instructional design in the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation (CETLI)

Providing Access to Health (PATH) 

PATH aspires to address the lack of availability and accessibility of health system navigation support among under-resourced communities. The team will assist community members in applying for public health insurance, finding providers, scheduling appointments, managing medical bills, and securing medications. PATH will establish support sessions at community sites, develop a call center for follow-up, and create a platform for medication procurement and delivery.

• Bayan Galal, medical student in the Perelman School of Medicine
• Ziad Hassan, medical student in the Perelman School of Medicine
• Jaya Aysola, executive director in the Penn Medicine Center for Health Equity Advancement, and associate professor of medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine
• Christina Bach, psychosocial content editor, OncoLink, Penn Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology
• Allison Hoffman, professor of law in Penn Carey Law

Urban Food Systems Community of Practice 

This award will establish the Urban Food Systems Community of Practice (CoP), uniting Philadelphians to improve the city’s food system. It will address the varied needs of urban growers through the Urban Growers Institute and Keep Growing program. This CoP will facilitate collaboration between Penn staff and students and food system leaders in Philadelphia.

• Emylee Fleshman, program coordinator for Public Health and Well-Being, Wellness at Penn
• Maris Altieri, UACS nutrition systems and education manager at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships
• Elliot Bullen, research associate and project manager at PennPraxis in the Weitzman School
• Frankie Cameron, program manager in the Penn Center for Public Health at Penn Medicine
• Doris Wagner, professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences