In effectively preparing teachers and educators for diverse environments, the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education is building pipelines for future students.
Dr. Pam Grossman, dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE) at the University of Pennsylvania, says the development of educators is critical to building a diverse graduate school population. Current graduate students will soon be present in classrooms, motivating young people and making them aware of the educational opportunities they can access.
Now in her fifth year at GSE, Grossman was motivated to come to the University of Pennsylvania precisely because of the university’s location.
“Penn’s location in the heart of West Philadelphia was a huge draw,” says Grossman. “It was a great opportunity to think about what a graduate school of education could do in the context of an urban area.”
Dr. Vivian L. Gadsden, the William T. Carter Professor of Child Development and Education at GSE, says the school is philosophically committed to urban education. This involves thinking about how to make education better for all children, which involves teaching graduate students to go out into the world and make a difference.
“In many courses, we have field experiences,” says Gadsden. “These actually place our students in various communities in order for them to gain a sense of what the issues are that people are facing in these diverse communities. Also, to give them an opportunity to learn from these spaces and an opportunity for us to give to the community.”
Grossman’s vision for GSE includes making sure there is a diverse faculty and student population. Since becoming dean, she has explored ways to recruit and retain both students and faculty.
