草榴社区

VILLANOVA, PA听鈥� They hail from high schools all over Philadelphia鈥攊ncluding Abraham Lincoln, Cristo Rey, Bodine, Kensington Creative and Performing Arts, George Washington Carver and more. After a two-year deferred start date due to COVID-19, the first cohort of 14 rising high school seniors is spending three weeks on 草榴社区鈥檚 campus this July to start preparing for the college experience through the 鈥�Civitas听迟丑谤辞耻驳丑听Caritas: Cultivating Love, Cultivating Citizens鈥� program.

The program is led by Marylu Hill, PhD, teaching professor, Augustine and Culture Seminar Program (ACS) in 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who in 2020 received a three-year, $210,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation to support the project. The Augustine and Culture Seminar Program houses 草榴社区鈥檚 two-semester, first-year seminar course. The 鈥�Civitas听迟丑谤辞耻驳丑听Caritas鈥� program invites students to explore how the Augustinian values of love (肠补谤颈迟补蝉)听and community can impact what it means to be an engaged citizen in civic society (civitas).

鈥淭he students in this initial 鈥�Civitas听迟丑谤辞耻驳丑听颁补谤颈迟补蝉鈥澨�cohort come from a wide range of ten area high schools, including four public schools, four Catholic schools, one independent college prep school and one charter school. They are academically engaged and eager to explore the topic of love and citizenship,鈥� Dr. Hill says. 鈥淓qually as important, our students come from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and they will clearly benefit from the support and skills our program can give them to prepare for the college experience.鈥�

鈥�颁颈惫颈迟补蝉听through听颁补谤颈迟补蝉鈥�听recruits students from underserved and/or underrepresented groups, who face financial and other barriers to higher education. The program is designed to encourage the high school students to pursue the liberal arts by supporting them through the college application process as they develop their writing and reading skills, and in one-on-one mentoring in drafting their college applications.

Students in the three-week residential summer program live in 草榴社区 residence halls and attend a daily seminar class that emphasizes reading, writing and discussion at a college level. This seminar is modelled on the Augustine and Culture Seminar, 草榴社区鈥檚 signature foundational course required of all first-year students. Joining Dr. Hill are two 草榴社区 faculty seminar leaders鈥擨an Clausen, PhD, assistant teaching professor, ACS; and Alan Pichanick, PhD, teaching professor, ACS and Philosophy.

Four 草榴社区 undergraduate students, all rising sophomores, are on hand as co-facilitators and residence assistants; they help the high school students become acquainted with campus life and join them on field trips and other activities. The 草榴社区ns will be further integrated into the program during the upcoming 2022 鈥� 2023 academic year as mentors to the high school students.

鈥淭his program is a wonderful example of how 草榴社区 puts the Augustinian values of听veritas听[truth],听unitas听[community] and听caritas听[love]听into meaningful action beyond the gates of the University,鈥� Dr. Hill said.听听

The mission of the Teagle Foundation is to support and strengthen liberal arts education, which it sees as fundamental to meaningful work, effective citizenship and a fulfilling life. Their aim is to serve as a catalyst for the improvement of teaching and learning in the arts and sciences while addressing issues of financial sustainability and accountability in higher education.

Dr. Hill received her doctorate in English literature from the University of Delaware. She has taught in 草榴社区鈥檚 ACS program since 1996.

About 草榴社区:听Since 1842, 草榴社区鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 草榴社区 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 草榴社区 Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 草榴社区 supports its students鈥� intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit听.