University of Pennsylvania
IN-26: Innovation C

As part of the Penn Compact 2020, one of President Amy Gutmann's key goals is to encourage local, national, and global engagement. The President's Engagement and Innovation Prizes encourages all undergraduate students to take advantage of Penn-provided funding to dedicate the early years of their careers to service and working for the public good. The President's Engagement and Innovation Prizes, established in 2014, are competitively awarded on an annual basis, with an average of 62 seniors applying for the prize. The monetary prize of up to $100,000 for winning projects, plus up to $50,000 in living expenses, empowers Penn seniors to design and implement projects during their first year after, graduation. The program enables Penn students to put their knowledge to work for the betterment of humankind, and is a measure of how seriously Penn takes public service, and using knowledge as a force for good in the world. 2017 winners were: • Students A. Z. and S. B. Project: Y.V.E.T.A (Youth for Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture). In partnership with the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture, the students lead Project Y.V.E.T.A., an education program in Senegal focused on improving numeracy and literacy skills while providing technical training in agriculture and agri-entrepreneurship. • Students A. S., C. T., and Y. A. - Project: Lanzando Líderes. The students designed an experimental, community-based, bilingual, culturally inclusive after-school program for Latino high school students in South Philadelphia. The project aims to bridge educational disparities and help students develop self-efficacy to reach their personal, educational and professional goals. • Students M. H. and I. M. Project: Homeless Health and Nursing, Building Community Partnerships for a Healthier Future. The students integrated innovative healthcare case management into the current program of homeless services offered by the Bethesda Project, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides proactive case management and housing services to the homeless population. • Student W. F. - Project: Solution Loft. The student used the President’s Innovation Prize as a catalyst for Solution Loft, a company that he co-founded in 2016 to bring the power of software creation to everyone, regardless of technical skills or income level. 2016 winners were: • Student V. K. - Project: NESARA Agriculture Extension. The student utilized novel, cost-efficient technology, including mobile technology, to help farmers in India boost their productivity. • Student M. M. - Project: Living HEALthy: Health Expansion Across Libraries. The student partnered with the Free Library of Philadelphia to assist library patrons in obtaining health information, medical counseling and preventive health services. Her project will employ a “one-stop-shopping” approach that will actively disseminate health information, provide care, and allocate resources in an efficient way. • Student K. P., Coming Home to Continued Care: The student, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, helped women about to be released from the all-female Riverside Correctional Facility in Philadelphia apply for and secure health insurance and identification prior to release. The health insurance allowed the women to stay on their much-needed medication, which aided in the re-entry process. 2015 winners were: • A. L. and M. - Project: Lisle Homegrown Organic Purification. The students developed and implement a rainwater catchment and purification system in Kimana, Kenya, and engaged the community through ongoing support and education. • J. F. - Project: Home, Heart, Health: Engaging the Community in Bridging the Gap. The student designed, implemented, and evaluated a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation model for home care, with the support of the New York University Langone Medical Center and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. The goal of this one-of-a-kind program is to serve as a much-needed bridge between inpatient and outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, ensuring that patients are steadily progressing along the cardiac rehabilitation continuum. • Student S. F. - Project: Health and Education in Africa. The student established the Tarkwa Breman Model School for Girls and Community Clinic in the student’s poverty-stricken home village of Tarkwa Breman, Ghana, to serve young girls and citizens in Tarkwa Breman, as well as citizens in the surrounding seven villages. • Student K. G. - Project: GenHERation: The student worked with GenHERation, a female empowerment network for high school girls. GenHERation provided female students the opportunity to develop advocacy campaigns to address important community issues.

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