Our Vision

Integrating Wellness, Service, and Citizenship through Dialogue.

Wellness

Our individual and community wellness are integral to the healthy functioning of democratic society. Being attuned to our social and intellectual wellbeing shapes the way we engage as citizens in robust dialogue and the way we authentically serve our communities.  These encounters can influence individual feelings of wellbeing and the social health of the various communities of which we are a part. Attending to wellness can be a potential contributor to, outcome of, and strategy for effective dialogue, service, and active citizenship. Thoughtful, engaged citizenship calls for the integration and awareness of our whole selves to offer complex responses to the dynamic issues of our time.  For these reasons, SNF Paideia aims to integrate attention to wellness into our courses, workshops, and collaborations with students, faculty, and staff. [Wellness Video]

Citizenship

The practice of democratic citizenship is an integral part of service, and of individual and collective wellness. Our identities as local, national, and global citizens should be integrated into our personal and professional ones. Through its courses, public events, and collaborations with the Civic Scholars Program, the Andrea Mitchell Center, and the Fox Leadership Program, the SNF Paideia Program educates students in both the theory and practice of civic and political engagement.

Service

A meaningful and fulfilling life is one in service to both individual and community wellness. In collaboration with the Netter Center, the SNF Paideia Program provides students with a variety of service-learning opportunities through cosponsored courses and events.

Dialogue

Informed, robust, and civil discourse across ideological and cultural divides is the sine qua non of individual and community wellness. It is both a form of democratic engagement in its own right, and a necessary component to effective interpersonal and public problem solving. The SNF Paideia Program provides curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks necessary to engage in meaningful dialogues across difference.

The Latest from SNF Paideia

Upcoming Events

Nov 6

After the Crossfire: A Film Screening & Conversation with Dr. Ricardo Velasco Trujillo

What does it take not only to receive testimony about violence and displacement, but also represent that testimony in narrative? "After the… Learn More
Nov 8

Time Together: Post-Election Emotional Processing

Join us for communal reflection and dialogue in a social and supportive drop-in space organized by Penn students. Registration is not… Learn More
Nov 12

The Role of Universities in Modern Democracy

History is marked by constant change, and the history of global democracy is no exception. While governing institutions and leaders have… Learn More
group photo of 9 people, in front of a red barn smiling and posed in a line for the camera
The Philadelphia Citizen

How to Embrace Your Political Enemy: Penn students traveled all over Pennsylvania this summer to prove political empathy isn’t dead.

The conversation could have taken a dark turn at any moment. The topic was immigration. One of the speakers had very negative feelings… Read More

From the Blog

female student at the British Museum in London standing in front of display cases smiling for camera
Blog

Threads of Identity: Weaving Black Experiences in Global Higher Education

During our time in Greece, we visited the US Embassy, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and various community… Read More
young woman smiling at camera in lab in front of computers and equipment.
Blog

Balancing Wellness and Building Dialogue Skills as a Scientist

Reflecting back on my summer at Penn, I am grateful for the opportunities that I were graciously given to enhance both my career and… Read More
young woman with short brown hair smiling at the camera standing in lobby of office building
Blog

The More You Know: Intellectual Humility in Clinical Mental Health and Dialogue Practices

Any Penn student worth their salt knows how to bluff. Bluff that they’ve certainly started that 15-page paper due Tuesday. Bluff that… Read More

In the News

Penn Today

Event looks at neck-and-neck presidential election

Two weeks out from Election Day, the race for the presidency is neck-and-neck, with Pennsylvania at the center of a somewhat confounding… Read More
Penn Today

Across Pennsylvania, Penn students practice ‘political empathy’ to connect across divides

On the morning of June 3, seven Penn undergraduate students and recent grads stepped into a 13-seater van with political scientist Lia… Read More
The Philadelphia Citizen

How to Embrace Your Political Enemy: Penn students traveled all over Pennsylvania this summer to prove political empathy isn’t dead.

The conversation could have taken a dark turn at any moment. The topic was immigration. One of the speakers had very negative feelings… Read More
Courses

Courses for the holistic student.

SNF Paideia designated courses, designed and taught by faculty from all of Penn’s twelve Schools, integrate students’ personal, professional, and civic development. Open to all Penn undergraduates, these courses focus on dialogue, wellness, service, and citizenship from different disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

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Students seated in a circle engaging in conversation
Fellowships

SNF Paideia Fellows.

While individual Paideia courses are designed to be taken by any of Penn’s 10,000 undergraduates, the program also provides a more structured and immersive experience for a select number of SNF Paideia Fellows.

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Initiatives

Connecting theory and practice.

In addition to courses, fellowships, and events, SNF Paideia serves as the home for several co-sponsored initiatives that connect classroom learning with real-world dialogue and public problem-solving.

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The Alliance for Understanding Cohort in Selma

Suggest a course.

We are eager to hear from faculty about classes they would like offered under the SNF Paideia Program.

Propose a Course

Now Open! Advance Registration for Spring 2025 Courses

Spring 2025 Courses