Introducing the Penn Rising Senior Summer Academy – the first of its kind in scope and scale, completely free, and designed just for your student.
In response to the unprecedented disruptions to the delivery of education and college access supports during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Pennsylvania is offering the Penn Rising Senior Summer Academy (https://provost.upenn.edu/pennrssa) to support the 14,000+ rising seniors attending School District of Philadelphia public and charter high schools in these extraordinary times.
Our mission is to:
- Increase student access to high-quality learning experiences through engaging academic instruction and enrichment opportunities which incorporate hands-on, enjoyable experiences with real-world applications
- Actively promote student and family engagement
- Create a program environment which consistently communicates high expectations for student participants
- Equip students for postsecondary success by increasing their skills, knowledge, confidence, motivation, and preparedness to successfully complete the postsecondary application and enrollment process.
Students can choose from two virtual program options, both of which are completely free of charge.
- OpenRSSA
OpenRSSA is self-paced online course open to all rising seniors on the topic of college preparation. With extensive content for real-world application, participants can work through the online on their own schedule to earn a certificate of completion that can be displayed on resumes and college applications, as well as professional networks such as LinkedIn.
OpenRSSA at a glance:
Who: All rising seniors attending School District of Philadelphia public and charter high schools
What: Free, self-paced, online course in College Preparation
Where: Online modules available through Coursera
When: Anytime – participants can complete the courses at their own pace
- PennRSSA Academy
The Academy component of PennRSSA is a virtual four-week intensive summer program designed to immerse up to 2,500 rising seniors in an academic, career, and postsecondary preparatory experience. Instruction and mentorship will be offered to cohorts of 25 students each, supported by a dedicated network of approximately 100 Penn graduate and professional student teaching assistants and subject matter experts from all 12 academic schools at Penn. Designed with the input of specialists of online learning, the Academy simulates the traditional Monday-Friday school week, with a combination of live instruction and asynchronous learning for students to complete on their own time. At the conclusion of the program, students can receive 1 credit on their high school transcript, as well as a certificate of completion that can be displayed on resumes and college applications, as well as professional networks such as LinkedIn.
The Academy at a glance:
Who: All rising seniors attending School District of Philadelphia public and charter high schools; up to 2,500 applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis
What: Free online intensive summer program in academic, career, and postsecondary preparation
Where: Online modules in Canvas and Google Meet
When: Program runs July 6-31, 2020, with an orientation day in late June/early July
Ready to learn more?
- Sign up at https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d11bNcrtSGsmYcZ and receive additional information about next steps
- Visit our website provost.upenn.edu and read about our team
- For any questions, please contact us at penn-rssa@upenn.edu.
Division of Student Engagement
University of Pennsylvania
St. Leonard’s Court | 3819-33 Chestnut St, Suite 130 | Philadelphia, PA 19104-3171
penn-rssa@upenn.edu
