Program dates: July 11 – July 25, 2026
- Move-in: July 11
- Orientation: July 12
- Move-out: July 25
Application dates are available on the Application Information page.
How does change happen in our society? And how can the levers of change across a range of fields be used to bring about social justice?
The Social Change and Social Justice Academy is a community that attracts curious and passionate high school students from different backgrounds, interests, and world views. An intentionally dialogical space, we will explore several justice related topics with the driving question of “What would positive change in this situation look like and how might we get there?”
Guest speakers, film, music, visual art, field trips, and small group discussions will help us learn, grow, and begin to discern how we each can bring about social change along the different paths that we will walk.
Features
Learning objectives and student outcomes
Student participants will gain a greater understanding of how change happens across various fields. Likewise, they will have a greater understanding of a range of aspects of social justice. In addition, by studying in the living laboratory that is the City of Philadelphia, students will connect with one of the world’s great metropolitan areas.
Program Director: The Reverend Dr. Charles Lattimore Howard serves as the University chaplain and vice president for Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. Over his nearly three decades at Penn, he and his team have worked to curate a dynamic spiritual and religious community on and around campus. In addition to his responsibilities as Chaplain, Chaz has provided leadership to a range of campus initiatives through his role as vice president, and he has taught in Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Education. His writing has been featured in publications such as Sojourners Magazine, Daily Good, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Huffington Post, The Christian Century, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Forward, Democratic Left, and Slate. He is the author of six books, including most recently Uncovering Your Path: Spiritual Reflections for Finding Your Purpose.
Leigh Whitaker is the vice president for Government and Community Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania. A broadly respected and accomplished public affairs strategist with more than two decades of experience in government relations, communications, and civic affairs, Whitaker oversees Penn’s engagement with city, state, and federal government officials as well as its partnerships with Philadelphia communities.
Whitaker earned her JD from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a BA in psychology from Clark Atlanta University. She is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and a highly active civic leader, currently serving on several nonprofit and public boards, including the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, Mission First Housing Group, and the Committee of Seventy.
