School of Social Policy & Practice

Admissions Online Information Session for Master's Programs
2025-11-22 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-12-16 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-01-15 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-01-27 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Online
Learn more about our Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Social Policy, and Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership degree programs. We will also discuss dual degree options in conjunction with other schools at Penn, part-time study options for working professionals, and financial aid information. SP2 Admissions and program staff will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2, becoming part of the Penn community, and working for social good in and beyond Philadelphia.
Please register here.

Redesigning Philanthropy: Using Storytelling, Empathy and Tech to Engineer Impact
2025-12-01 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
Our December speaker is Ruth Jean-Marie founder and CEO of the August Project and Consulting Group. Ruth will speak on the current and potential roles of storytelling, virtual reality/tech, and empathy to create substantive impact. We will engage the duality of storytelling as a source of empathy and as a tool for social impact, wondering what sort of impact can be expected, and the moral implications of this work.
Participants will couple the value of storytelling with contemporary approach to connection: virtual reality and technology, exploring how collected stories strengthen intracultural connections and their value in philanthropy work.
Speaker Bio: Ruth Jean-Marie earned her Master’s of Science degree in Human Rights and International Law from New York University. She founded The August Project, a non-profi t that leverages objective storytelling to do good, better. Her opinions on the geopolitical relationship of Haiti and the rest of the world have been published in Ebony, TravelNoire, Blavity, The Haitian Times, America Hates Us and more. She is on the Forbes List Next 1000 Upstart Entrepreneurs and has been named an American Express Founder of Change. Most recently, she completed the Global Social Impact House(GSIH) with Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS) at University of Pennsylvania.
From co-creating a sneaker with Nike (that sold out!) to hosting workshops on how giving technically works, The August Project’s goal is to create better do-gooders, an archive of thoughtful narratives and more empowered people on the ground. The Brooklyn-born daughter of Haitian immigrants, Jean-Marie says she wants to reframe how poverty is treated and looked upon.

Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) Online Information Session
2025-12-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
This information session will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about our Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) program. Program staff and leadership will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2 and the Penn community.
Please register here.

M.S. in Social Policy (MSSP) Online Information Session
2025-12-03 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-16 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
This information session will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about our Master of Science in Social Policy (MSSP) program. Program staff and leadership will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2 and the Penn community.
Please register here.

M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership (NPL) Online Information Session
2025-12-03 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
This information session will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about our Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership (NPL) program. Program staff and leadership will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2 and the Penn community.
Please register here.

Master of Social Work (MSW) Coffee and Conversation
2025-12-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Caster Building – Room 311, 3701 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
This on-campus session will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about our Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Program staff and leadership will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2 and the Penn community.
Please register here.

Master of Social Work (MSW) Online Information Session
2026-01-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
This information session will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about our Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Program staff and leadership will be on-hand to answer all of your questions about studying at SP2 and the Penn community.
Please register here.

The Politics of Well-Being: Identity and Well-Being
2026-01-22 16:30 - 18:00 | The Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics – Forum, 133 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
How do race, gender, sexuality, and other aspects of identity influence well-being? This conversation centers on how identity-based disparities are embedded in social policy, housing, education, and healthcare systems. Our speakers will explore how intersectional approaches to well-being can illuminate paths toward greater justice and inclusion.
With Amy Hillier & DeMarcus Jenkins

The Politics of Well-Being: Place and Well-Being
2026-02-19 16:30 - 18:00 | The Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics – Forum, 133 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
Where we live matters. This panel explores the geography of well-being: how neighborhood infrastructure, environmental justice, urban design, and housing access shape physical and mental health. We’ll look at how place-based policies can foster or undermine equitable outcomes — and how communities reclaim agency over space.
With Millan AbiNader & Alice Xu

The Politics of Well-being: Health and Well-being
2026-03-19 16:30 - 18:00 | The Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics – Forum, 133 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
This event takes a deep dive into health as a cornerstone of well-being. From mental health to public health systems, the panel will explore how health policy reflects our political priorities and ethical commitments. With interdisciplinary voices from social work, public health, and policy, this conversation will assess the challenges and innovations shaping health equity today.
With Jacqueline Corcoran, Meredith Doherty, Malitta Engstrom & Jennifer Prah

NPL Lunch & Learn – Climate Justice as a Social Impact Imperative
2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Climate change is not only an environmental issue—it is a profound social justice challenge that impacts the health, safety, and economic security of communities, especially those already facing systemic inequities. This session will explore climate justice as a social impact imperative, focusing on how nonprofits can lead in building resilience and advancing equity through their missions and operations. Led by Maya Bornstein, Program Manager at Green Building United, the workshop will highlight lessons from the Climate Ready Capital Projects Program, which supports community-serving nonprofits in addressing climate risks to their buildings and green spaces. Participants will learn how organizations are addressing climate risks in community-serving facilities while advancing broader goals of justice, equity, and sustainability, as well as explore practical strategies for weaving climate justice into nonprofit missions, values, and outcomes.

MSSP/NPL Lunch & Learn -- Intergenerational Collaboration to Promote Multilateralism in Evolving International Policy and Project Landscape
2026-04-08 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual
The Workshop on “Intergenerational Collaboration to Promote Multilateralism in Evolving International Policy and Project Landscape” aims to discuss the evolving landscape and potential futures of international development shaped by UN80 reports and transformations as well as Member States engagements. As we have marched over 2/3 of our way towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) yet the progress is not close to 2/3 of the expected outcomes, there is greater emphasis on multilateralism and the broader topic on “how we can work together” as one world, among different stakeholders, and representing different sectoral interests at both policy and project levels. Hope this Workshop can bring inspirations to everyone.
