SNF Paideia Program

Road trips. Long flights. Summer playlists.
What’s on your summer listening list?

In the spirit of America 250, here are a few thoughtful additions for your summer queue:

Sleeping with the US Constitution—
44 celebrity voices read the entire US Constitution! A thoughtful, surprising, and strangely soothing reflection on the document that shapes American life. Produced by .
https://maximumfun.org/episodes/sleeping-with-celebrities/sleeping-with-the-u-s-constitution-featuring-so-many-stars/

Political Empathy Lab (PEL) Season 2—
What happens when Penn students spend a week traveling across Pennsylvania to really listen to people? Host Noah Kocher talks with participants about empathy, conversation, and what they learned from Pennsylvanians across the state.
https://apple.co/4u2rkyC

Not Political People—
Why are so many young Americans checking out of politics? Host Glynn Boltman speaks with 65 young people across swing states about distrust, identity, media fatigue, voting, and what happens when people finally feel heard.
https://bit.ly/4dzjQ1f

And with the midterms on the horizon, stay tuned for election-related fall programming and more events from the SNF Paideia Program.

Happy summer!

Political Empathy Lab and Not Political People podcasts are supported by the SNF Paideia Program.

Today’s the day! Congratulations to the Class of 2026 SNF Paideia Fellows!

To our seniors, and to all of the graduates and their families, congratulations on this incredible milestone. Cherish the memories, celebrate this moment, and enjoy every second of Commencement Day. We can’t wait to see what’s ahead for you all!

Thank you to our SNF Paideia Ambassadors!✨

This year, we launched the inaugural SNF Paideia Ambassador Program and we could not be more grateful to the incredible students who helped bring this vision to life.

As the first cohort of Ambassadors representing 12 centers across campus, they helped foster dialogue, strengthen cross-campus collaboration, and build a more connected and civically engaged Penn community.

Throughout the program, Ambassadors also gained meaningful inclusive leadership development experiences and training in dialogue facilitation that will continue to shape their work on campus and beyond.

Thank you for your dedication and leadership throughout this first year. We are excited to see how the program, and all of you, continue to grow.

#2026 # collaboration ✨

SNF Paideia Alumni!

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the SNF Paideia community this year—whether by attending the Fellows Dinner or Homecoming Luncheon, visiting a Pro Seminar course, or serving as a mentor in a Lin Group. We truly appreciate your continued involvement and support!

To celebrate the close of the academic year, we’re excited to invite you to a special Alumni Weekend Happy Hour in collaboration with Penn Spectrum. Please remember to register for Penn Alumni Weekend before attending! You can pre-pay for Alumni weekend online here: https://bit.ly/360RFny or register at an alumni table on campus.

Be sure to stop by the SNF Paideia table, and pick up a gift while supplies last (picnic blankets and ceramic mugs!). We hope to see you there!

#2026

Huge thanks and congratulations go out to our incredible student workers, Ineiry Pena (C’26) and Raphael Kalatzis (SEAS’26)!🎓

Having been part of the SNF Paideia Program throughout all four years of their Penn journey, Ineiry and Raphael have supported us in countless ways. Through periods of growth, change, and many projects + events, they’ve been a constant, bringing reliability and a steady presence to everything they do. When something felt impossible to accomplish in time, they stepped in and made it happen.

They're both creative, intelligent, and kind people, and their new workplaces will be so lucky to have them. We will miss you!

Ineiry is graduating from the College of Arts & Sciences with degrees in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and Latin American and Latinx Studies. She will be returning home to New York to begin her career as a Talent Acquisition Analyst.

Raphael is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering as part of the accelerated master’s degree program.

Congratulations to you both on your graduation and all that you’ve achieved. Thank you for everything!💙

SNF Paideia Fellows spent this semester creating spaces for dialogue across campus through their “Making Dialogue Happen” projects in the Proseminar I course with Professor Sarah Ropp.

Today’s featured project is by Vicky Wang (N’28), who gathered with fellows Owen Phillips (C’28) and Erina Chowdhury (C’28) for a meet-up at White Dog Cafe.

What started as a casual brunch turned into an open, free-flowing exchange, gradually deepening into more personal and honest reflection. As they shared their experiences at Penn, they began to find connection and a sense of being truly seen. What stood out most was how quickly classmates became something closer to community.

More projects to come.

Introducing the 2029 SNF Paideia Fellows!

We’re thrilled to welcome 25 new fellows representing all four undergraduate schools and a wide range of disciplines. Get to know them on our website and here on social soon!

The SNF Paideia Fellows program brings together undergraduate students committed to dialogue across difference. Through this work, fellows cultivate the skills and relationships essential to holistic education, engaged citizenship, meaningful professional paths, and personal and community well-being.

We had a fantastic time welcoming our newest cohort at this year’s Fellows Orientation!

It was energizing to see the excitement, curiosity, and thoughtfulness each of you brought as you began your journey as 2029 Paideia Fellows. From reflecting on your “why” to starting to build meaningful connections across cohorts, you’ve already begun shaping the kind of community that makes this program so special.

A big thank you to our current Fellows who made space to genuinely connect and share in the beginning of this journey, and to our staff who helped create such a warm and engaging space. Your presence truly reflects the spirit of learning with and alongside one another.

Special shoutout to Keimahney Carlisle and Dr. Lia Howard for their care and leadership in organizing such a thoughtful and grounding experience.

We can’t wait to officially introduce this exceptional group of students to you in the coming days—stay tuned!

Celebrate our senior fellows with us this Friday at our annual Capstone Dialogues—a gathering that marks the culmination of a year of sustained inquiry, reflection, and shared work.

60-second lectures will be presented by our senior fellows exploring a range of topics including:

Move between sessions, stay for a conversation, and linger with a question or two.

Event details:

Date: Friday, May 1
Location: College Hall, Room 200
Drop in anytime between 1-5pm.
All are welcome!

The dialogue practices that shape this event encourage meaningful exchange across identities, ideologies, experiences, and histories, and reflect collaborations that extend across campus and beyond.

Hang with us this Friday for the final Cafe Paideia of the semester!

Please join us from 1–3pm in College Hall, G13, to relax, unwind, and connect (for as long or as little as you like).

We'll have coloring pages, origami paper, and picture books out if you don't feel very chatty but would like to be in company.

We also have the Paideia Puzzle Library — borrow a puzzle to do this week or bring an old one by that you've already completed to donate.

Feel free to bring a friend (or two!). Looking forward to seeing you there!

Image: from “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.