Public Service and Policy Initiative

PSPI is a research, policy, and practice collaborative committed to the idea that equitable social and economic mobility is achievable. Our work is focused on leveraging real-time, hyper-local data to scale sustainable solutions that lead to healthier, safer, and more economically thriving communities.

Research: The Philadelphia Economic Equity Project (PEEP) is adapted from Columbia University’s New York City Poverty Tracker. PEEP is specifically designed to focus on the experiences and insights of Philadelphians to understand the factors that contribute to financial hardship and social mobility. As a hyper-local information system, PEEP integrates data from multiple sources, including surveys, interviews, and administrative records, to capture Philadelphia residents’ interactions with city, state, and federal benefits. This level of specificity is rare and provides timely, actionable insight to inform policy, practice, and investment decisions in Philadelphia.

Leadership: The Impact Scholars program is a one-of-a-kind fellowship designed for former local public executives. Fellows are provided a platform to advance unfinished work from their time in office, share hard-won insights with current leaders, and bring tested strategies from cities across the country to Philadelphia. Through unique engagement opportunities with Penn students, Scholars will mentor the next generation of civic leaders. The interactions are designed to cultivate a pipeline of executives who are passionate, prepared, and deeply committed to local government, where public trust runs highest.

Learning: The Public Service Pipeline program offers extracurricular learning opportunities and real career pathway exposure for Penn graduate and undergraduate students interested in public service. Whether a student is set on becoming the next mayor or simply wants to explore how their talents can shape civic life, the entire Penn community is welcome to participate. Students can engage in a variety of ways, working  Impact Scholars or participating in programming such as our rotating seminar series, city-partnership challenges, and learning excursions.

Together, PSPI's programs build a bridge between research and practice, connecting generations of civic leadership in service of stronger, more equitable communities.

pspi.info@design.upenn.edu

Public Service and Policy Initiative 
316 Duhring Wing 
236 S. 34th Street 
University of Pennsylvania 
Stuart Weitzman School of Design 
Philadelphia, PA 19104