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Climate Week 2020

Climate Week Starts Monday!

Climate Week is a University-wide, week-long event happening Sept. 21 – 25. Climate Week will feature a number of events organized by various schools and centers at Penn, all related to sustainability and climate. Visit the Climate Week website to check out the wide range of webinars, workshops, teach-ins, showcases, readings, climate storytelling, and a new set of 1.5* Minute Climate Lectures.
Read more in this Penn Today article!

Nature as Nurture: How 3 Philly Groups Are Improving Access 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 

1:00PM – 2:00PM 

Join the event here: http://bit.ly/natureaccess  

Join Penn Sustainability for an event featuring three local panelists as they highlight one critical issue of environmental justice – access to nature. Hear from Eugenia South from Penn Medicine, Kiasha Huling from University City Green, and Jerome Shabazz from the Overbrook Environmental Education Center about the impacts of nature on health, the history of the environmental movement, and how each organization is working to address issues of racial justice related to access to nature. 

Green Labs Panel 

Thursday, September 24, 2020 

2:00PM – 3:00PM 

Join the event here: http://bit.ly/greenlabs2020  

Help your lab reduce its environmental footprint, and come learn about Penn’s Green Labs commitment. Hear from lab staff who have gone through the commitment process about their experiences and specific sustainability initiatives within their labs. Our panel represents diverse labs across campus and will be comprised of: 

  • Emily Cribas, Perelman School of Medicine 
  • Sevile Mannickarottu, Penn Engineering 
  • Sarah Reidell, Penn Libraries 

ReThink Your Footprint

This year, Penn Sustainability’s ReThink Your Footprint campaign will align with Climate Week and will broadly encourage members of the Penn community to consider their environmental footprints and take action to reduce them. 

Engage Through Our Interactive Social Media Campaign 

During ReThink, we encourage the Penn community to take action to reduce their environmental footprint and engage with local organizations. Each day of the week, Penn Sustainability will highlight a different footprint (travel, shopping, etc.). Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and look for the posts where we ask YOU to tag organizations in your area! We will be keeping track of who participates, and one lucky social media participant will win a Penn Sustainability swag basket! 

Self-Report Recycling and Donations 

Since we cannot hold recycling and donation collection events on campus due to COVID-19, we are asking for students, staff, and faculty to self-report any specialty items that they recycle or donate during the week that are not recyclable via single-stream recycling. Items include clothing, shoes, writing utensils, printer cartridges, electronic waste, light bulbs, batteries, books, and much more. Philadelphia residents can schedule doorstep pick-up of electronics and clothing through Retrievr! 

Whatever you donate or recycle, please report it using our Qualtrics survey. We will be keeping track of who participates, and one lucky participant will win a Penn Sustainability swag basket! 

Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival
The Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival connects the Philadelphia community to critically important issues and the filmmakers behind the films while strengthening the global community that cares about the planet and filmmaking. 
The Philadelphia Environmental Festival is going virtual this year! From September 23—27, this year’s event showcases 50 inspiring films from around the world, plus filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, award announcements and more––and you can watch them all from the comfort of your home. 
Virtual Unlimited Passes and Single Tickets are on sale now ➡️ http://bit.ly/PHEFF2020


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WPPSA November Meeting

WPPSA arranged to have an instructor from MERT come to speak to us at our meeting on Tuesday, November 12th at 12:30 at 3401 Walnut Street, Conference Room 201 B Suite, entrance between CVS and Modern Eye.. They are a student organization within Penn’s Division of Public Safety. They offer 2 hour certification classes in Adult CPR, Child and Infant CPR, and AED use. https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/fire-and-emergency-services/medical-emergency-response-team/

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July & August 2019 Volunteer Opportunities

Become a Mentor in the Penn Workplace Mentoring Program!                                  

Encourage 7th graders from a local school to do well in school. Talk to them about the importance of college.

Share your area of expertise in your job with them and help them to think about their futures. Make a difference in the life of a young person!
Mentors meet with students once a month from September – May.

All sessions are held on Penn’s campus. Training is held in September.

Volunteer today! Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

School supplies for the Annual Penn Volunteers in Public Service School Supplies Drive.                               

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 23
Don’t forget to collect school supplies for the Annual Penn Volunteers in Public Service School Supplies Drive. Donations are shared with local West, and Southwest public schools involved in the University Assisted Community (Sayre, Lea, Comegy’s West, for example), as well as students from Mastery Charter School. We also get request for items from local shelters, day care centers, and from families.

Support school children by providing books, pens, pencils, book bags, calculators, crayons, rulers, dictionaries, elementary school story books and
other items children need to help them be successful in school. Below is a complete list of suggested items for donation:

  • Binders/Dividers
  • Dictionaries 
  • Staplers
  • Glue/Tape 
  • Calculators
  • Crayons 
  • Pencils/Pens
  • Umbrellas 
  • CD’s/DVD’s
  • Rulers 
  • Notebooks
  • Bookbags 
  • Bookcovers
  • Markers 
  • Index Cards
  • Folders 
  • Lunch Boxes/Bags
  • Pens 
  • Schoolbags
  • Pencil Cases 
  • Tissues
  • Hand sanitizer 
  • Paper Towels
  • Scissors 
  • Construction Paper
  • Display Boards 
  • Planners

Please feel free to take donations to any of the following convenient locations:

President’s Office 100 College Hall Brenda Gonzalez  898-0447
Provost Office 353B 3401 Walnut  Susan Curran 898-6841
Human Resources 600 Franklin Building Syreeta Gary 898-6018
Van Pelt Library IPC, Room 454 Rachelle Nelson 898-9048
Netter Center 3819 Chestnut –Suite 120 Isabel Mapp 898-2020
ISC 265C 3401 Walnut St Maureen Goldsmith 573-8771
Wharton 1000 SH-DH Jennifer O’Keefe 898-1092
ISC 203A Sansom West Kathie Ritchie 573-3561
Research Services 5th Floor – Franklin Bldg. Elizabeth Duggins Peloso 746-0234
FMC 2929 Walnut/Suite 1st Fl. Gretchen Ekeland 898-3633
Comptroller’s Office 312 Franklin Building Celestine Silverman 898-7593
FRES 3101 Walnut Carole Mercaldo 573-8795
Physics & Astronomy DRL 2E5 Michelle Last 898-5954
Nursing 3rd/4th Flr Mailroom Fagin Hall Pat Adams 573-1630
Dev. & Alumni Relations      FMC – Suite 300                        Alise Hammond                                    746-2686
African American Res. Ctr. 3643 Locust Walk Colleen Winn 898-0104

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu  for additional information.

Teach at the University Assisted Community School (UACS Nights)!

Have a special talent? Want to teach it to members of the surrounding community? Our exciting program called University Assisted Community Schools Nights continues.  Teach adult learners your expertise. Teach resume writing, interviewing skills, computers, employment prep, dance, hair braiding, cooking, and or a subject you are passionate about. Teach once a week for a one or two hour period for four to six weeks.

We also welcome classes that can be taught in one session. Classes are normally held from 6 – 8pm. Convenient location TBA.

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

Penn Adopts A Classroom

An exciting opportunity for you and your colleagues to “adopt” a Philadelphia school classroom, and help teachers with needed supplies for their rooms.

Provide needed classroom items like reams of paper, pens, pencils, tissues, hand sanitizer, notebooks, folders, glue sticks, disinfecting wipes,
Calculators, index cards, scissors, backpacks, pencil sharpeners, dividers, protractors, highlighters, markers, construction paper, book socks,
combination locks, personal organizers, Post-It, tape, stapler and staples, etc.

Work with classrooms involved in Community Schools operated by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Schools include Lea,
Sayre, West, and Comegys. You would have the opportunity to select the age group you prefer. A classroom would be assigned to you with a wish-list.
You and your colleagues can spend the summer collecting the supplies.

Arrangements will be made in September for you to make your donations
to your adopted class.

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

Sheltered Yoga Volunteer Opportunity

As you may know there is a gap at the end of every summer between when Summer programs for at risk youths end and the start of the school year. During this time there is a very realistic chance that many of these at risk youths will not have access to a breakfast or lunch during these weeks.
For the last three years, Sheltered Yoga, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit in the Greater Philadelphia area, tries to filled that void for at least one of those days, by creating an activity that involves some fun, along with Sheltered Yoga programming activity and a healthy lunch. The first year was a basketball clinic called Hoops, Hatha and Hope. The second and third year was a Martial Arts experience called Kicks, Karma & Kindness. This year we are planning on running the Putts, Prana and Peace event in two locations that Sheltered Yoga serves, Philadelphia & Mercer County, NJ.

We are hoping to find volunteers to interact with the kids in the Sheltered Yoga programming, by participating in a round of miniature golf with them. We are currently working on getting the Franklin Square Mini-Golf location near the Ben Franklin Bridge.

The day will include a yoga/meditation session, along with the mini-golf, and a lunch. We also like to provide the kids with a bag of school supplies so they can go into the school year prepared.

We would like to get the volunteers from one company/business as it seems to provide an opportunity for camaraderie and bonding for the employees.
As of this moment several days are available at Franklin Square between August 19-30, so we are flexible on a weekday date at this time
If you are interested at all, please write to: Michael Kostinas michaelk@shelteredyoga.org for more information on Sheltered Yoga. Which you can also find at www.ShelteredYoga.org

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

Become a Dropsite Volunteer!

Dropsite volunteers are located throughout the University and provide the site for collections during our annual school, food, gift and change drives. All that is required is for you to set up a collection area, put up a flyer and collect the donations. There are only approximately 3 – 4 activities per year.

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

Donate to Penn VIPS

Leftover conference bags, tee-shirts, pens, etc.? Donate them to Penn VIPS. We will share them with school children and members of the community.

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@upenn.edu for additional information.

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The WPPSA is Looking for a Treasurer for 2019-2020

The Weekly Paid Professional Staff Assembly is looking for an individual to serve as treasurer for the 2019-2020 year. We have filled all of our Executive Board and University Committee leadership positions for next academic year, with this one exception.

The Treasurer is the fourth executive officer of the WPPSA is accountable and responsible for handling the finances and maintaining all financial records of the Board. Such records should be made available for audit upon request from the Board. This is a shared position with another elected official, but each individual is equal in authority.

If you are interested, please send an email to Laura Naden with a statement of interest and a short biography by end of business day, Monday, May 6.

Voting for the Treasurer position will be conducted online from May 10th – 20th.

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Employee Resource Fair 2018

Join us!

The Penn Professional Staff Assembly (PPSA) and the Weekly-Paid Penn Professional Staff Assembly (WPPSA) are joining together to present the Employee Resource Fair on Tuesday, October 2, 2018, 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm in Bodek Lounge and Reading Room, Houston Hall. This initiative is supported largely through the Offices of the Executive Vice President and Human Resources. Stop by for information on the services and resources available to employees, receive giveaways and raffle prizes, and network with colleagues. Dozens of offices and resource centers will be present to provide information and answer questions on resources available to all Penn employees. If you are a weekly paid employee you owe it to yourself to visit our (your) table.

Who: WPPSA or Weekly-Paid Professional Staff Assemly. A University sanctioned (approved) organization generally representing the “not directly academic related working class” in all University matters.

When: October 2, 2018, 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm

Where: Bodek Lounge and Reading Room, Houston Hall

What: Find out what WPPSA is all about; how WPPSA can make your Penn experience more beneficial, fun and enjoyable; how you can become a member of WPPSA

For more information on the Fair please contact ppsa@lists.upenn.edu.

We look forward to seeing you!