Equitable Education
Obtaining a quality education is a foundational human right and a critical component to the creation of sustainable development. Access to inclusive education provides individuals with the skills needed to maintain their quality of life, while also equipping them with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to our future world problems. Access to quality education is one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, economy, gender equality, and stability.
Of the fifty states, Pennsylvania is the sixth-most reliant on local funding sources for education, with 56 percent of education funds raised locally in 2016, according to the U.S. Census. With much less school funding than other states, Pennsylvania’s districts must heavily rely on property taxes to cover costs. In addition, the financial spending gap between the state’s wealthiest and poorest schools has grown in recent years. According to federal officials, Pennsylvania’s spending gap between rich and poor school districts ranked as the nation’s worst in 2015.
As Pennsylvania’s sole land grant institution, Penn State continues to bring positive impact to humanity through teaching, research, and engagement. Here at Brandywine, we recognize that real success is measured beyond the classroom; it’s the positive impact made on our local and global communities.
Programs & Campus Activities
Community-Based Federal Work Study. Opportunities to earn your federal work study grant while working for a community organization of interest.
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- Nittany Lions Reads. Earn your federal work study by working with children to improve their math, science, and reading literacy through local schools and non-profit organizations.
Volunteer Opportunities
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- Chester Children’s Chorus. Become a reading and math tutor. Summer and year round.
- Middletown Free Library.
- TM Thomas Preschool Program. A volunteer program where international students share their culture with preschool students in Chester.
- Tyler Arboretum International Story Time. A program where students read children’s books in different languages to young members of our community.
Global Programs/Service Trips. Take trips to foreign countries to learn about communities on a global scale.
Student Clubs
Civic and Community Engagement Club. For any individuals who are inspired by giving back to the community through volunteer work. This club is meant to encourage students to serve the local community without financial reward, to develop a stronger understanding of humanitarian needs, and to promote the practice of good citizenship and right conduct. Club Contact: Sumaya Islam, svi5094@psu.edu
Connected Community Club (Tri C). This club is to provide a platform for POC and minority students to vent about worldly/national issues. It also provides them the chance to talk about their own experiences and what we can do as a community to support one another. Even though the platform is for POC and minorities, students who don’t identify as either of those are welcome and encouraged to join to see how others are effected and what we can do as a community to better support each other. The goal of this club is to create a safe environment and actively engage students at Penn State without the fear of being judged or misunderstood. Our second goal is how we can help those outside of our community, such as signing petitions for justice and how to raise awareness. Club Contact: Rabia Rafiqzadah, rjr5764@psu.edu
Media Chapter of NAACP. The Media Chapter of NAACP invites Brandywine Students to join our local organization. The mission of the NAACP Youth & College Division shall be to inform youth of the problems affecting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; to advance the economic, education, social and political status of African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities and their harmonious cooperation with other peoples; to stimulate an appreciation of the African Diaspora and other people of color’s contribution to civilization; and to develop intelligent, effective youth leadership. NAACP youth units across America are engaged in social justice activism addressing issues at the local, state, and national level. The primary focus issues for the Division are the following: Voting Rights and Political Representation, Economic Sustainability, Education, Health, and Juvenile Justice. Local Chapter Contact: Dallas Barber, ddb30@psu.edu
Multicultural Club. The Multicultural Club seeks to enhance the knowledge and acceptance of the various cultures on our diverse campus. Additionally, we strive to promote cultural awareness to foster a greater understanding of the human spirit and the importance of global diversity. Our goals for the 2020-2021 academic year include: promoting cultural awareness and acceptance; providing a safe space where students get to share their culture with others as well as learn about different cultures; host primarily virtual events that allow students to showcase their culture to our campus community; continue to engage in community projects in the safest manner possible; and help students dealing with culture shock to become more familiar with American and other cultures. We will know that we have fulfilled our mission once we see individuals being more attentive and accepting when listening to another person talk about or present aspects of their culture. Also, if students are more enthusiastic about engaging in cultural events and activities, this confirms that our mission is being fulfilled. Club Contact: Kennesha Busby, kab6745@psu.edu
Joining one of Brandywine’s student clubs and organizations is a great way to get involved on campus and build valuable leadership skills.
Key Faculty
Jennifer M Zosh, jmz15@psu.edu.
Kristen Goessling, kpg5193@psu.edu.
Lynn Hartle, lch1@psu.edu.
Vippy Yee, vxy3@psu.edu.
Relevant Courses
*Visit LionPath Class Search if you’re interested in enrolling in any of these classes. Make sure to select “Brandywine” as your campus, and select the specific term/semester you are enrolling for. Some courses are only offered in the fall, while some are only offered in the spring.
CI 295A– Introductory Field Experience for Teacher Preparation: for students interested in early childhood education as a major/career, gaining experience by observing and assisting in a variety of school and community settings. Observing as well as tutoring individual children and small groups in pre-K and kindergarten through fourth grade.
CIVIC 211- Foundations: Civic and Community Engagement: This course emphasizes concepts and case studies that focus on the people’s role in shared governance. This course also provides a foundation for understanding how a wide range of other individual and collective practices have an equally important role to play in building and sustaining community.
ECE 453 – Parent Involvement in Home, Center, and Classroom Instruction: This course explores parent involvement, programs, and methodologies that strengthen bonds between home and community for educators of children.
EDUC 100 – First Year Seminar in Education: This course explores theories of teaching and learning, the education of teachers and other school employees, issues of professional practice, and selected topics in national educational policy. Small group discussions and activities are a strong part of this course.
HDFS 129- Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies: Introduction to psychosocial and family development at all stages of the individual and family life cycle.
HDFS 175- Introduction to Youth Development and Arts-based Social Justice: An inter-domain course that’s intended to help students develop a critical understanding of the ways that sociopolitical factors influence youth development. The course will examine youth development as an indicator of broader community development and explore the interdependencies between the two by drawing both from the interdisciplinary fields of youth development and arts-based social justice.
HDFS 229- Infant and Child Development: Introduces students to the study of children from the prenatal period to (not including) adolescence. Students will become familiar with the most prominent theoretical ideas about child development.
HDFS 239- Adolescent Development: Introductory course that explores the developmental processes that shape our lives between puberty and the end of college.
HDFS 249- Adult Development and Aging: Basic introduction to concepts, theoretical perspectives, and key empirical studies on adult development and aging. Students will become familiar with key developmental trends and challenges that must be addressed to achieve healthy growth and development throughout adulthood and late life.
HDFS 301- Values and Ethics in Health and Human Development Professions: Examines bases for choices among values in personal and professional relations in human development processes and supporting services.
HDFS 345- Contemporary Urban Issues and Social Justice Frameworks: Opportunity for students to explore the relationship between contemporary urban issues and family development. Students will evaluate urban development from a Human Development perspective and with a critical eye to how urban development has accounted for the distinctive needs of different segments of the public.
HDFS 411- The Helping Relationship: Theory and research related to interpersonal conditions which facilitate personal growth; intensive interpersonal competency training.
HDFS 424- Family Development in an Economic Context: Students will look at economic conditions influencing family functioning, familial effects on the economy, strategies to enhance work-family relations.
HDFS 455- Development and Administration of Human Service Programs: Fundamentals of program development and administration of human service programs in community settings. Emphasis given to program content, strategies, and the overall planning process.
HPA 101- Introduction to Health Services Organization: Examination of the social, political, historic, and scientific factors in the development and organization of health services.
SOC 5- Social Problems: This course is designed to introduce students to the main societal issues facing humanity at the present time and in the foreseeable future. Although the course examines a number of social issues in the United States, it generally takes an international and inter-cultural perspective. Students look at current social problems such as economic, racial, and gender inequalities; social deviance and crime; population, environmental, energy, and health problems.
SOC 15- Urban Sociology: Students look at city growth and decline, impact of city life on individuals, families, neighborhoods and governments, as well as urban lifestyles.
