Penn GSE students are involved in a range of campus activities. Our student organizations are founded and managed by Penn GSE students, representing the identities, issues, and interests of our diverse community.  

Announcements of events for all Penn GSE student organizations can be found in the Inside Penn GSE newsletter and on the Penn GSE Calendar. To submit an event for inclusion in Inside Penn GSE, fill out the Inside Penn GSE form.

Organizations at Penn GSE

GSE Student Government (GSESG) is an important part of student life at Penn GSE. In addition to representing the student body of Penn GSE, the GSESG supports and allocates funds to all Student Organizations. Contact Student Government if you want to get involved during the academic year.

Black Intellectual Group

CAMRA at Penn is a unique research collaborative dedicated to experiments in research representation. CAMRA staff and affiliates work at the intersection of scholarly communication and emerging technologies, and an array of media. Principally, CAMRA aims to support cutting-edge research with an explicit focus on providing practical guidelines for future research and practice. We aim to create a space in which students and professors can experiment with and be funded for projects which use multiple forms of representation – video, web platforms, etc.  Moreover, CAMRA creates workshops so that students and professors learn how to use, for example, film or wikis in their scholarly projects. Email ssmf@camrapenn.org for questions. Website: www.camrapenn.org.

Doctoral Student Advisory Board 

Educational Linguistics Forum (ELF) explores the dynamic relationship between linguistics and education by supporting and promoting student research in the trans-disciplinary field of educational linguistics. Please contact edlxforum@googlegroups.com. 

GSE Working Groups is dedicated to fostering cross-divisional and student-organized communities at Penn GSE. These spaces allow students, faculty, and others interested to engage with people from different fields and perspectives. Through these working groups, we nurture and develop intellectual, academic, and social communities and networks. 

L.E.A.R.N. is an interdisciplinary graduate student organization with the goal of creating a forum for students who are interested in improving the quality of education in America’s schools. This year, L.E.A.R.N. will invite guest speakers to campus, moderate brown-bag discussions among Penn graduate students, provide career and networking opportunities for students interested in education reform, and host our annual Spring Education Conference that brings together hundreds of students and professionals on Penn's campus. L.E.A.R.N. also oversees several advocacy projects that will provide experience for graduate students interested in representing public school students in suspension and expulsion hearings, educating parents on special education rights, or conducting cutting-edge policy research to assist educational advocacy non-profit organizations. For more information, contact info@learn-network.org or visit www.learn-network.org. 

Mentor and Mentee at Penn (M&M) aims to provide support and guidance to current students through mentorships and connections with alumni. We strongly believe in “the power of connection,” specifically in a strong and supportive connection among present and past Penn GSE students. We have a central mentorship program that pairs up 1) new students with experienced students; and 2) current students with alumni. We also host networking events to help students connect with alumni, teach practical skills to participants, and spread the idea that mentorships are crucial to human development. For more information, visit the Mentor and Mentee at Penn website or contact gse-mnm@upenn.edu. 

OutEd is a student organization that aims to create a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment for LGBTQQIAPP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and polyamorous) and allied students, faculty, and staff in Penn GSE. We facilitate open and honest dialogue around gender and sexuality issues in education, and provide educational and social programming for all. OutEd hopes to encourage positive social change in Penn GSE and beyond, by promoting our four core tenets of advocacy, academic dialogue, education, and community outreach.​ For more information, please contact GSEOutEd@gmail.com or like ​us on ​Facebook​ at ​​https://www.facebook.com/UPennOutEd​.​

Penn-OISE Collaborative Link is a joint student/faculty organization, which fosters and supports connections and collaborations between Penn GSE and the University of Toronto-OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). The main purpose of this organization is to promote international conversations about language and literacy and to support collaborative work across the two institutions. The group organizes several videoconferences per year, where young scholars share their research and explore relevant literature from the field. Additionally, the group is committed to forging collaborations through on-site academic conferences both at Penn and OISE. For more information, please contact Rachel Skrlac Lo at upennoiselink@gmail.com.

Student Community in Reading Writing Literacy (SCRWL) The purpose of SCRWL is to provide a group that is driven by the unique needs of reading, writing, and literacy doctoral students at all stages of their studies. This community enables students to act as resources to one another in our field and professional lives. For more info contact upennscrwl@gmail.com.

Students Confronting Racism and White Privilege (SCRWP) provides a discussion space for those who are interested in engaging in conversations surrounding racism. The group was founded by white students with the purpose of confronting their own white privilege. Today, SCRWP is a multiracial coalition of students examining race-related issues in ourselves, our schools, and our society. The group provides a space to do internal work on race and identity that often doesn't happen in classrooms. The only requirement is a desire to take an anti-racist stance in learning about race and whiteness, and a willingness to face discomfort, uncertainty, or anger in the process. For more info, contact scrwp.gse@gmail.com.

Students 2 Scholars

TC@Penn (Teaching Chinese@Penn) is a student organization within the Penn Graduate School of Education. In order to promote Chinese language and culture, we offer free Chinese language classes and tutoring to students at Penn. We also host teacher-training workshops for teachers who serve for TC@Penn and other cultural workshops and events open to all students. Currently, we are looking for graduate students who are interested in promoting Chinese culture and language. For more info, please contact teachingchinese.at.penn@gmail.com.

Turkish Student Association provides a platform for bringing the Turkish community in Philadelphia together, for promoting exchange of information, and for introducing Turkish culture and Turkey to the international community. Contact: turks@dolphin.upenn.edu.

We Support Diversity of Mind (WSDM) was founded to enhance the overall community for students of color at Penn GSE. Through academic, social/networking, and community engagement events, WSDM provides support, awareness, and leadership opportunities for Penn GSE students of color and seeks to build bridges to faculty and alumni of color to maximize the student learning experience. For more information, please contact Ufuoma Abiola at gse.wsdm@gmail.com.

University-Wide Graduate Student Organizations

Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) is the University-wide government for graduate and professional students, interacting regularly with the President, Provost, Board of Trustees, and other University officials. GAPSA is governed by elected representatives from each of Penn's twelve schools and a student executive board. GAPSA also works with the student governments of individual schools and with other specialized student governments at Penn. 

Black Graduate And Professional Student Assembly (BGAPSA) is a student organization committed to enhancing the quality of life for Black graduate and professional students and facilitating dialogue across the different graduate and professional groups. To learn more, visit http://upennbgapsa.wordpress.com. 

Black Graduate Women's Association (BGWA) is devoted to providing a space that fosters well-being, dialogue, scholarship, community, and leadership development in the lives of graduate women of the African Diaspora at the University of Pennsylvania and beyond. Contact: bgwa.upenn@gmail.com. 

Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Penn (CSSAP) strives to improve the mutual understanding and friendship among CSSAP members, to protect members' legal rights, to provide members with necessary services, and to contribute to the cultural diversity of the Penn community. Contact: cssapsurvey@yahoo.com. 

Korean Graduate Student Association introduces Korean culture and tradition to the University of Pennsylvania community. For more information visit http://www.pennkogsa.org. 

Lambda Grads  is the university-wide LGBTQ student organization, representing all LGBTQ graduate and professional students at the University of Pennsylvania. We work to cultivate an active and welcoming community for LGBTQ students and their allies. To learn more, go to http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/lgrads/. 

Latin American Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (LAGAPSA) enhances the quality of life for graduate and professional students of Latin American, Latino, and/or Hispanic descent at the University of Pennsylvania through a centralized, campus-wide organizational structure that addresses their academic, social, political, and cultural needs and concerns through programming, services, and advocacy. To learn more, go to https://upennlagapsa.wordpress.com. Contact: lagapsa.upenn@gmail.com

Jewish Graduate Student Network is a program of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, serving all of the Jewish graduate and professional students in Philadelphia through campus and city events. For more info, visit http://jewishgrads.org.

Muslim Student Association seeks to build faith and community by fostering a space under the guidance of Islamic principles. For more information, visit https://pennmsa.com/. 

Pan Asian American Graduate Student Association (PAAGSA) seeks to improve the academic and social lives of Asian and Asian-American graduate and professional students at Penn and increase their awareness about Asian/Asian-American issues. For more information, visit  http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/paagsa/. Contact: paagsa@gmail.com.  

TEDxPenn is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. TEDxPenn was created in 2010 to share innovation and research within the Penn community and to create a forum for discussion. We realize that much of the work done by Penn alumni, faculty, and students goes largely unnoticed on campus. It is our goal to provide a forum in which to spread that knowledge and transform the way we think. In turn, we hope that the Penn community will be challenged by what they experience to change their community for the better. For more information, contact tedxpenn@gmail.com or visit www.tedxpenn.com.