Penn Vet is committed to provide meaningful and engaging outreach programs with schools and organizations throughout the Philadelphia area. Through our clinical and educational-based programming we strive to inspire future generations in veterinary sciences careers and support STEM education while deepening our relationship with our community and partners.
Below is a list of programs that are offered at Penn Vet and through our partnerships.
Educational Community Engagement
These programs focus on educational programs outside the veterinary school and include K-12 students, undergraduate students, and community members.
-
Bi-Annual Penn Vet BioBlitz
The BioBlitz bi-annual events are Penn Vet-lead programs that bring together Penn Vet and the main Penn campus community of graduate students, undergraduate students, staff and faculty. All participants help with inventorying the wildlife that inhabits Kaskey Park and surrounding campus areas. Using the iNaturalist app, species observed within the Kaskey Park and Bio Pond area are identified and cataloged. Participants discover and learn from Penn Vet staff and faculty about the animals that frequent our campus, while collecting data that will support research and educational efforts to cultivate a sustainable campus ecosystem.
This bi-annual event is offered each fall and spring semesters, typically during Penn’s Climate Week in the fall and Earth Week in the spring.
Participants who help facilitate BioBlitz include staff and faculty from Wildlife Futures Program and the Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program; as well as colleagues from the Academy of Natural Sciences. Other participants include veterinary students, Penn Vet staff and faculty, undergraduate students, and Penn staff and faculty.
Contact:
Karen Verderame
Assistant Director of Outreach Education
karenver@vet.upenn.edu
-
Canine Handler Academy
Seventh, eighth, and ninth graders have the unique opportunity to be immersed in the working dog industry and learn about canines working in many disciplines including search and rescue, law enforcement, medical detection, and conservation. Students also gain additional skills in canine fitness, behavior, and positive reinforcement training.
Sessions are offered weekly, beginning late June and ending late July.
Contact:
Ruth Desiderio at ruthdes@vet.upenn.edu
-
Community Engagement Capstone
During the first week of the course, first year veterinary students participate in an interactive workshop exploring implicit bias, various forms of communication, as well as learning and teaching styles and techniques. During the workshop, students work with an experienced mentor to use these techniques to develop an activity/lesson on a topic of their choosing to excite middle school students in partnering schools about veterinary medicine. During the second week of the Capstone course, veterinary students present their lessons during after school programming for 7th and 8th graders at two of Penn's University Assisted Schools in West Philadelphia.
Contact:
Karen Verderame
Assistant Director of Outreach Education
karenver@vet.upenn.edu
-
Educational Pipeline
In the fall semester, staff work with local high school teachers from Sayer, Mastery Shoemaker, Robeson, and West Philadelphia schools to introduce students to different aspects of veterinary medicine. Presented in partnership with the Netter Center to integrate curriculum, staff, and undergraduate teaching assistants to deliver weekly lessons aligned with classroom learning objectives at these high schools. In the spring semester, high school students have the opportunity to participate in after-school programming on campus at Penn Vet to explore different science topics and careers in veterinary medicine and One Health. Veterinary students and Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program team develop and lead these lessons.
Contact:
Karen Verderame
Assistant Director of Outreach Education
karenver@vet.upenn.edu
-
New Bolton Center Community Outreach
Liz Arbittier is the leader in developing programming on the New Bolton Center Campus. This includes on-site visits and school programs. She also integrates programming across campus into the New Bolton Center Campus.
Contact:
Liz Arbittier
arby@vet.upenn.edu
-
New Bolton Center Experience for Saul HS Students
This is a multi-day, hands-on experience for selected Saul High School students who are interested in pursuing large animal and agricultural careers. Students stay on the New Bolton Center campus where each day they work closely with faculty, formally and informally, sharing meals, touring facilities on and off campus, shadowing clinical rounds with veterinary students, and participating in wetlabs. At the end of the week, the students deliver a short presentation on a topic of interest of their choice. This experience is sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Contact:
Rod Gilbert
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
-
Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (RSSA)
-
Running Strong for American Indian Youth Dreamstarter Health Profession Exploration and Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Native Youth Community Project
Dr. Evelyn Galban participates in Running Strong for American Indian Youth Dreamstarter Health Profession Exploration, which is a program providing Native Youth with exposure to health professions. She also works with the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Native Youth Community Project which provides Native Youth with exposure to professional careers and college prep, wellness and culture. These programs work with 5th-12th grade students.
Contact:
Evelyn Galban
egalban@vet.upenn.edu
-
Saul High School Partnership
During the school year, Penn Vet works in partnership with classroom teachers to enrich the curriculum for 11th and 12th grade students at Saul High School by offering five weekly lessons centered in animal welfare and One Health. Students in 10th through 12th grades have the opportunity to apply to participate in the veterinary Educational Pipeline after school program in the spring semester.
Contact:
Karen Verderame
Assistant Director of Outreach Education
karenver@vet.upenn.edu
-
This is How We Role
This Is How We Role (TIHWR) is a program to introduce young children to the field of veterinary medicine, with the help of Penn Vet students. We present this program in collaboration with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, with the help of a grant from the National Institute of Health. This program of Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine is offered for six weeks to engage and expose young diverse audiences to veterinary medicine. Penn Vet students have the opportunity to teach second and third grade students from the Philadelphia School District about veterinary medicine through fun and engaging activities during Netter's University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) summer programming.
Contact:
Molly Church, MS, VMD, PhD
Regina Bynum, Netter Center for Community Partnership
-
UACS After School Program at Hamilton & Comgeys Schools
This is an after school program for middle school students at Andrew Hamilton School and Comegys School. Middle school students explore veterinary medicine, animal welfare, and One Health topics through engaging lessons and activities developed and delivered by Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program team members and clinical year veterinary students mentored by faculty and staff. The middle school students also have the opportunity to explore careers in veterinary medicine and animal sciences. These programs are in partnership with these University Assisted Community Schools and the Netter Center.
Offered bi-weekly September through the beginning of June.
Contact:
Karen Verderame
Assistant Director of Outreach Education
karenver@vet.upenn.edu
Clinical Community Engagement
These programs work in partnership with local organizations to provide veterinary care to community members.“
-
Martin Luther King Day of Service Wellness and Vaccination Clinic
This is a one-day annual event started in 2009 run by Dr. David Holt. It provides wellness examinations and vaccinations to pets from areas of the community underserved by veterinary medicine. Volunteer students, clinicians, and staff run the clinic on MLK Day in the Ryan Veterinary Hospital.
Contact:
David Holt
dholt@vet.upenn.edu
-
Penn Vet Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement Clinical Programs
The Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program operates via partnerships with animal sheltering and low-cost care organizations in Philadelphia including the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly), Pets for Life (PFL), Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA), Morris Animal Refuge (MAR), Providence Animal Center (PAC), Humane Animal Partners (HAP), Women’s Animal Center (WAC), and The Spayed Club. These organizations also have access to free targeted consultations by Penn Vet faculty and staff. Services provided include medical, surgical and population level clinical care and a free telemedicine/telehealth service through the Pets for Life program. From 2017-2022 over 18,500 surgeries, 2500 exams, and 47,900 service hours were provided to the community. Students from the primary care rotation and shelter medicine rotation participate in these programs.
Contact:
Brittany Watson
Director of Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement
brittawa@vet.upenn.edu
-
Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs Specialty Treatment Program
The Penn Vet Shelter Medicine’s Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs provides specialty care for shelter dogs that might not otherwise be able to receive care. Through this program, over 245 shelter animals have been admitted to Penn Vet’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital. From 2017 through 2020, over $850,000 of care was been provided for the care of shelter dogs at Ryan Hospital. This program is facilitated directly by the Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program for official program partners.
Contact:
Brittany Watson
Director of Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement
brittawa@vet.upenn.edu