The Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships announced ABCS Course Development Grants to create academically-based community service (ABCS) courses that integrate research, teaching, learning and service. ABCS students and faculty work with public schools, communities of faith, and community organizations in West Philadelphia/Philadelphia to help solve critical campus and community problems in a variety of areas such as the environment, health, arts, and education. ABCS courses are a form of community-engaged scholarship. Over 250 ABCS courses have been created and taught so far, and 80-90 undergraduate and graduate ABCS courses are offered each year. Click here to see a list of the current ABCS courses.

Funded by the Netter Center, ABCS Course Development Grants are designed to assist faculty with developing new or substantially restructured undergraduate and graduate courses.  The grant intends to fund course supplies and/or time spent on course development. Grants provide up to $10,000 to be spent over two years.

The Netter Center also provides a set of ongoing resources to all ABCS courses. These include: teaching assistants, transportation to sites, background checks for students as necessary, and support with developing community partnerships. Grantees would have access to these in addition to receiving the course development grant funding. Proposals should not request funding for food or for resources already provided.

Proposed ABCS courses should be intended to be taught on an ongoing basis.

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

• Academic excellence
• Integration of research, teaching and service
• Democratic partnership with schools, community groups, service agencies, etc.
• Focus on Philadelphia, especially West Philadelphia
• Evidence as to how the course will engage undergraduate and/or graduate students in local real-world problem-solving activities
• Potential for sustainability

Please format proposals as follows:

• Cover page
  • 1.1 Name, title, department, school, mailing address, proposed semester of the first course
  • 1.2 Title of the proposal
  • 1.3 Total amount of funding requested
  • 1.4 100-word abstract of the proposal (include a description of how the course will involve collaboration with the community and benefit the community)
• A one-page biographical sketch of applicant
• A two-to-four-page proposal
• Budget detailing how you intend to use the requested funding

Learn more about ABCS Course Development Grants, including additional information about the budget, here: http://www.nettercenter.upenn.edu/what-we-do/abcs-courses/abcs-course-development-grants

The Netter Center would be pleased to provide feedback on draft proposals before final submission. Final proposals for grants should be submitted by April 15, 2024. Please direct questions, drafts, and final submissions to abcscoordinator@sas.upenn.edu.

—Dennis DeTurck, Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board
—Matthew Hartley, Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board
—Terri H. Lipman, Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board
—Loretta Flanagan-Cato, Director, Graduate Certificate in Community-Engaged STEM
—Ira Harkavy, Barbara and Edward Netter Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships