Throughout 2015, five teams of students from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design made a visible impact on communities across Philadelphia and beyond through the School’s first-ever Social Impact Projects. The five projects were awarded funding in December 2014 by the Office of the Dean at PennDesign in partnership with PennPraxis, the outreach, practice and professional arm of the School. The Social Impact Projects are intended to foster more cross-disciplinary collaboration at the School, encourage students to engage the community outside PennDesign, and apply their design skills for public good. Curated by PennPraxis Managing Director Julie Donofrio (MCP/MSHP ’07) and designed by PennDesign alumnus Kasey Short (MFA ‘15), this exhibition documents the work of these teams, both as a template for future project opportunities and as a call to action for all Philadelphians to apply their time and skills to give back to the community.
Restoring Buildings, Rebuilding Communities engaged residents of the Mill Creek and Belmont neighborhoods in West Philadelphia to demonstrate how simple repair techniques, showcased at Lombard Central Presbyterian Church, could be applied by residents to restore the beauty and function of neighborhood, historic row houses.
WASTE NOT/Redux aims to develop functional installations to serve community organizations using discarded construction materials. The project seeks to aid diverse South Philadelphia communities that are experiencing rapid growth and transformation
Proactive Practice examines cutting-edge social impact design firms to understand (1) how their business models allow them to shape their own opportunities to contribute to their communities, and (2) how their structure allows them to be financially sustainable while delivering on a social mission.
Designing Healthier Eating Experiences is led by students from the Integrated Product Design (IPD) Program with the purpose of encouraging children to eat a healthier and more balanced diet, not only through specially-designed dining plates, but also actively engaging elementary and high-school students in the process of designing and promoting new products to promote healthy choices.
Improving the Viaduct: A Frankford Gateway Prototype included a one-day interactive event to improve and highlight the Lehigh-Frankford underpass in Kensington, coordinating with Somerset Neighbors for Better Living (SNBL), and the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) to coincide with their annual Community Day.
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