Educating the whole person

How Do I Pronounce Paideia?

Integrating Wellness, Service, and Citizenship Through Dialogue

παιδεία (Paideia) is an ancient Greek word meant to capture the moral, intellectual, and physical education of an ideal member of the Athenian city-state—that is, “educating the whole person.” It is also translated as “educating citizens,” since they saw private and public lives as inseparable. This vision of education and citizenship was limited to a minority of the population, however. Through the intellectual and financial support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the SNF Paideia Program reimagines a more inclusive and equitable version of this ancient Greek approach to education, serving as a hub for civic dialogue in undergraduate education at Penn. In collaboration with other Penn programs and organizations, SNF Paideia provides curricular and co-curricular opportunities for all students to develop the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks necessary to be informed, engaged, and effective community members, and to lead fulfilling and integrated personal, professional, and civic lives.

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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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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 Latest from SNF Paideia

Sigal Ben-Porath
In the News

Sigal Ben-Porath named the faculty director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Paideia Program

Sigal Ben-Porath named the faculty director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Paideia Program

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From the Blog

Anusha Mathur riding by horse along the ocean
Blog

In a Small Town, Everybody Talks... and Loves to Eat

The restaurant’s walls are adorned with glowing hanging lamps and the floors are covered with thick woven mats and colorful… Read More
Alex Eapen working lab
Blog

Being an N=1 and Blazing Your Own Trail in the Research Enterprise

Practicing Mindfulness and Gratitude at the Lab Bench This summer, I was encouraged by SNF Paideia’s Wellness and Student Advising… Read More
Caption: Module Growth of Engineered Living Materials, curtesy of Abby Weinstein and Terreform ONE
Story

How to design across species to increase biodiversity

Located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Terreform ONE is a non-profit architecture and design research group utilizing innovative technology and… Read More

Upcoming Events

Oct 2

Polarization and the Media in American Politics: A Conversation with Michael Smerconish

Polarization and the Media in American Politics: A Conversation with Michael Smerconish Michael Smerconish is one of the nation’s most visible media personalities, with a daily radio show on Sirius/XM and a Saturday CNN show. He also provides analysis on CNN for big events, writes columns and books, and more. Maybe most uniquely: Michael is one of the few voices in the media who can’t be pigeonholed ideologically. He’ll be fielding questions on what it’s like to be somewhere in the center in our increasingly ideological media, how the media shapes our politics, what we can do to build a media that better serves the public, and whether prominent figures should be blacklisted from the media if they can’t tell the truth. We’ll also cover the state of politics and whether our two party system is capable of representing Americans like him in 2023. Michael will also field questions from the audience.Read More
Oct 10

Martyrdom and the Coptic Church

The SNF Paideia designated course Orthodox America (RELS 3100/6100) taught by Professor Reyhan Durmaz invites all Penn community to the… Read More
Oct 24

Gender and Orthodoxy

The SNF Paideia designated course Orthodox America (RELS 3100/6100) taught by Professor Reyhan Durmaz invites all Penn community to the… Read More

In the News

One of three furniture pieces by Ken Lum, a featured artist in the “Moveables” exhibit at the ICA.
In the News

Duo of exhibitions showcase ‘Moveables’ and portraiture

This fall, the Institute of Contemporary Art introduces two brand-new exhibits, on view through Dec. 17: “When the Children Come Home,” by painter and performance artist David Antonio Cruz; and “Moveables,” featuring five artists who rethink functional design and its relationship to the body.“A lot of these artists are using metaphors of chairs, maybe the apparatus of a stage set, to think about how they affect lived experience,” says Alex Klein, who co-curated the “Moveables” exhibit alongside Cole Akers. “And I think with all of these artists, there’s also a sociopolitical backdrop.”Learn More
In the News

From the Ancients to Now, Philosophy Professor Sukaina Hirji Asks the Big Questions

She argues that Aristotle thinks the ability to be a good person depends on factors outside oneself, such as access to resources, which… Learn More
Senator Burr at SNF Paideia RBX Event
In the News

Former Senator Richard Burr discusses artificial intelligence, health policy at Penn event

“I think that the academic setting really does generate conversation from both sides, and I don’t mean that from a political sense, but… Learn More

Suggest a course.

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

Propose a Course