5/18
President's Engagement Prizes
Cosmic Writers brings free creative writing education to school-aged children
May graduates Rowana Miller and Manoj Simha lead Cosmic Writers, a project supported by President’s Engagement Prize that provides free creative writing instruction to K-12 students virtually throughout the world.
A one-stop shop for student-founded impact startups
College Green Ventures, a recipient of Penn’s 2022 President’s Engagement Prize, finds and supports student-founded impact startups. The organization aims to be a national hub for social impact on college campuses.
Celebrating the newest President’s Prize winners
Interim President Wendell Pritchett noted at the luncheon that this year’s recipients represent the biggest cohort yet—a testament to the “incredible strength of our applicant pool.”
Class of 2022 President’s Engagement, Innovation, and Sustainability Prize winners announced
Six prize-winning teams will design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
Seeking justice, support for incarcerated Pennsylvanians
As winners of the 2021 President’s Engagement Prize, Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon provide hope for wrongfully convicted people and a roadmap for inmates set for release.
Changing lives in refugee communities through access to clean water
As winners of the 2021 President’s Engagement Prize, May graduates Martin Leet and Leah Voytovich co-founded Maji, a nonprofit organization dedicated to projects that support refugee initiatives in Uganda.
Body Empowerment Project is a health-centered approach to self-care
Supported by the President’s Engagement Prize, two 2021 graduates founded a nonprofit focused on eating disorder prevention, bringing workshops to Philadelphia public schools, taught by Penn student volunteers.
Turning empty spaces into comfortable homes
Since 2018, the President’s Engagement Prize-winning team behind Chicago Furniture Bank has operated full speed ahead—already furnishing 5,500 homes for more than 14,000 people in need.
Penn seniors target eating disorder risk at Philadelphia public high schools
President’s Engagement Prize-winning project Be Body Positive Philly, led by seniors Christina Miranda and Amanda Moreno, is designed to address eating disorder risk among Philadelphia high school students.
Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
With Project HOPE, President’s Engagement Prize winners Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon will address the lack of support to wrongfully incarcerated people in Philadelphia and across the state.
In the News
A Philly exoneree works to free other wrongly convicted people. First up: His codefendant
Penn students and alumni, including the President’s Engagement Prize winning team behind Project Hope, have been working with the Terrance Lewis Liberation Foundation to support wrongly convicted people.
FULL STORY →
Penn hoops star Princess Aghayere is using her passion for teamwork to save girls’ lives in Liberia
The senior leader of Penn’s 2019 regular season Ivy Champions left Philadelphia after graduation, and traveled 4,600-mile to Liberia. With Penn friends Summer Kollie and Oladunni Alomaja, Aghayere started Rebound Liberia, a youth program whose goal is to use basketball to empower girls in the small West African country.
FULL STORY →
9 Penn students win big prizes to fund projects to promote social change
Penn has awarded nine graduating seniors with the annual President’s Engagement and Innovation prizes. President Amy Gutmann said, “Each of the prize recipients has demonstrated a purpose-driven desire to get out and make a difference in their community, across the country, and around the world.”
FULL STORY →