The Community Partnerships Coordinator (CPC) is responsible for supervising and supporting school-partner coordination, collaboration, and communication at Henry C. Lea School, and thus serves as the primary point of contact for all school partners. The CPC serves as the liaison between Lea and all Penn-connected parrtners throughg the Lea-Penn Partnership. The CPC works closely with the Principal in the managing of school-community partnerships, and collaborates with any and all school stakeholders related to partnerships.

Lea's University-Assisted Community School (UACS) Program manages the UACS After-School Program and UACS Summer Program at Henry C. Lea School. During the school year, the UACS After-School Program operates in-person at Lea on weekdays, Monday–Friday, from 3:40 pm - 6:00 pm daily. Lea students in grades kindergarten through 8th can be enrolled free of charge. UACS after-school programming includes: after-school meals and snacks, literacy-rich environments and activities, socialized play and activities, student athletic programs, and tutoring and homework help. During the summer weeks from early July through early August, the UACS Summer Program operates in-person at Lea on weekdays, Monday–Friday, from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm daily. Lea students in grades kindergarten through 8th can be enrolled free of charge. UACS Summer programming includes: breakfast and lunch meals, literacy-rich environments and activities, socialized play and activities, extended learning and enrichment programs, and tutoring. UACS enrollment information: - Registration forms must be completed by a parent/guardian and submitted to the UACS Director, Arttia Watts. - There is limited space in UACS programs, and enrollment is occurring on a rolling basis. Students who cannot enroll due to limited space will be added to an enrollment wait list and will be contacted by UACS whenever space opens up. - If Lea teachers want to refer students they believe can benefit from UACS programs, they should contact the UACS Director, Arttia Watts.

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A Book A Day (ABAD) is a West Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that donates newly published children’s books to two local public schools: Henry C. Lea and Penn Alexander schools. Eight new, quality hardcover books are delivered to each of the schools’ libraries every month, and since the beginning of the program in October 2014, ABAD has donated over 1,300 new hardcover books to the schools' libraries. ABAD also coordinates a variety of literacy- and art-focused programming, including: annual visits by children's authors, illustrators, and publishers to both schools during which children’s book authors visit the schools and meet with students and teachers; literacy-focused public arts projects at Lea, including the Superheroic Delight Song mural created in April–May 2021 by a children's book author and illustrator in collaboration with Lea 5th grade students and teachers; and writing contests for local children.

Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) is a registered community organization (RCO). It provides information, advocacy, and services to the community living within its geographic area. The GCCA Education Committee provides (a) an early literacy tutoring program for Lea students in lower grades in collaboration with Lea teachers, as well as (b) an annual music scholarship for Lea students and (c) support with donations and mutual aid initiatives.

Lea partners with Intercommunity Action (Interact) to provide behavioral health services for Lea students and families. All of Interact's children’s behavioral health services are individually designed and provided in a manner that is child-centered, family-focused, culturally sensitive, and least-restrictive. The fundamental goal of Intercommunity Action's children’s services is to help families develop a plan to optimize natural supports, realize potential for resiliency, and experience the power to change at any stage in their development.

Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) graduate students support Lea students as school counselor interns under the supervision of Lea counselors. Penn GSE's full-time master’s programs provide professional training in psychology, mental health counseling, and school counseling. The program’s format combines coursework with practical field experience in preparation for future roles as mental health professionals who provide counseling services for children, adolescents, college students, families, and adults.

Coaches from the Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) provide Lea teachers with coaching and professional learning opportunities for the Kid Writing pedagogy for early literacy.

Dr. Heidi Gross from Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) provides instructional coaching and support in literacy for Lea teachers. Dr. Gross works with the Philadelphia Writing Project at Penn GSE, and previously has been the Supervisor of Reading for the Norristown Area School District and the Language Arts Coordinator for the Haverford School District. She brings to students and teachers a continued desire to support teaching and learning aimed at developing students’ competencies in reading and writing.

Dr. Joy Anderson Davis from the Responsive Math Teaching (RMT) project at Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) provides instructional coaching and support in mathematics for Lea teachers. RMT is an NSF-funded research project focused on improving mathematics instruction in a network of elementary schools through a research-practice partnership between Penn GSE and the School District of Philadelphia. The RMT project is built around five core components: (1) developing a shared understanding of high-quality math instruction, (2) ongoing professional development, (3) support for classroom implementation, (4) leadership development for sustainability, and (5) ongoing research for continual improvement.

The Center for Professional Learning (CPL) at Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) provides instructional coaching and professional learning support for Lea teachers related to project-based learning (PBL) through CPL's Project-Based Learning (PBL) Certificate Program.

Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) graduate students from the M.S.Ed. in Reading–Writing–Literacy and Reading Specialist Certification program serve as reading specialist interns with Lea's early literacy reading specialist. Interns assist the reading specialist in supporting Lea students and teachers around early literacy.

The Student and Family Support Specialist (SFSS) provides behavioral health support for students as well as support for families in need of services. and fosters a safe and successful learning environment for students. The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Liaison is responsible for providing Lea families, parents, and caregivers with support in many ways. Lea's FACE Liaison, Mr. Brown, is always ready to help solve issues, address concerns, provide information, connect the right people, and generally make things work more smoothly for our families.

Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) graduate students in the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program (UTAP) and Urban Teaching Residency program (UTR) serve as pre-service teaching apprentices (a.k.a., “student teachers”) by supporting Lea classroom teachers and their students.

Write On! is a creative writing program for Lea students in upper grades sponsored by the Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania. Weekly program sessions during after-school hours partner Penn undergraduate student coaches with Lea students at the Kelly Writers House on Penn's campus to encourage self-expression through creative writing, including writing games, writing prompts, workshopping, and one-on-one mentoring. The Kelly Writers House is a small cottage on the Penn campus that serves as a center for writing and writing activities for the university, Philadelphia, and beyond, hosting 150 free public events each year, including poetry and fiction readings, talks by visiting journalists, open mic nights, and more.

The Lea School Library is operated by Henry C. Lea Elementary School in partnership with three partner organizations: Penn Libraries Community Engagement, the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), and A Book A Day (ABAD). Library volunteers from WePAC and Penn Libraries facilitate a variety of library programming for Lea students and staff in the Lea School Library, including book check-out and check-in, story read alouds, library organization and management, and training on library use and conducting research.

ACTION (Active Cross-Cultural Training In Our Neighborhoods) is an undergraduate student organization at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) that promotes and celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity by mobilizing Penn undergraduate student volunteers to work towards making foreign language education accessible within their communities. ACTION offers Spanish language lessons in the UACS After-School Program at Lea.

Nutrition educators from the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) serve 16 schools throughout Philadelphia and consistently introduce children to locally grown, fresh, and nutritious food options. Through AUNI's signature school-day lessons and after-school activities—including nutrition lessons, fruit stands, cooking clubs, and garden clubs—students of all ages develop advanced skills and lead the charge of promoting a positive and healthy school culture. AUNI implements Eat Right Philly and PA SNAP-Ed school food education programming that stresses the importance of where food comes from, growing food, good nutrition, food culture, and provides an opportunity for students, staff, and community members to take a leadership role in promoting healthy lifestyles within school environments.

Civic Youth Action Partnership (CYAP) is an undergraduate student organization at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) that leads civic education activities in University-Assisted Community School (UACS) programs partnered with West Philadelphia schools. CYAP seeks to increase civic education and engagement opportunities and build advocacy skills for middle schoolers in West Philadelphia. CYAP supports student governments, debate clubs, and facilitate other activities, including creating educational videos and public service announcements (PSAs) that can be used in lessons. CYAP focuses on both classic civic topics like government, but also contemporary issues and current/local events.

Community School Student Partnerships (CSSP) is an undergraduate student organization at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) that provides academic and cultural enrichment to children and families in University-Assisted Community School (UACS) programs partnered with West Philadelphia schools. Penn students help facilitate school-day, recess, after-school, and evening programs in five schools, including Lea.

The Francophone Community Partnership (FCP) is a bilingual enrichment program of the Department of French at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). FCP fosters a safe space for 1st- and 2nd-generation immigrant children from Francophone West Africa and French-learning college students to nurture each other's language skills, confidence, and cultural awareness. FCP provides after-school activities facilitated by Penn students through the UACS After-School Program.

Penn undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the academically-based community service (ABCS) course, Nursing in the Community, at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) support Lea's Health Office 1-3 days per week during the fall semester. Penn nursing students serve at Lea under the supetvision of Lea's school nurse.

The Penn Music Mentors engage with music, drama, and art teachers at Lea to support their work with Lea students and artists. Each mentor is a Penn undergraduate student who volunteers to support arts-focused school-day lessons and after-school activities at Lea 1-3 times per week. Penn Music Mentors are enrolled in the academically-based community service (ABCS) course, Music in Urban Spaces, at the University of Pennsylvania, which has partnered with Lea since the 2010-2011 school year under the guidance of Penn professor and Lea parent and community member, Dr. Molly McGlone.

Philadelphia Open Soccer (POS) is an undergraduate student organization at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) that facilitates after-school soccer lessons and activities in the Lea UACS After-School Program.

The University-Assisted Community School (UACS) Sports, Fitness, and Health program coordinates sports and fitness programming and partnerships in, including after-school, summer, and school-day programming. Penn undergraduate and graduate student volunteers support Lea's facilitated recess program, physical education classes, and health education classes. In an effort to engage, educate, and empower our K-12 students for success, UACS Sports recognizes that physical education, physical activity, play, and health education are essential to youth development, academic achievement, and social and emotional well-being.

In partnership with the University-Assisted Community School (UACS) Program at Lea, the Uplift Center for Grieving Children (Uplift) offers free peer-to-peer grief support groups to youth, grades kindergarten through 12th, and their adult caregivers after the death of someone close to them. No insurance or payments are required to attend a group, and groups are available to all regardless of immigration status.

Young Quakers Community Athletics (YQCA), a collaboration between the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and Penn Athletics, creates mutually beneficial partnerships between University of Pennsylvania (Penn) intercollegiate athletic teams and West Philadelphia public schools. YQCA establishes athletic teams with students from Penn’s University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) in West Philadelphia and engages them with Penn’s varsity teams. YQCA currently operates at Lea during after-school hours through the UACS After-School Program, with Lea students in grades 4th through 8th participating in basketball, lacrosse, and track. The Penn players mentor the children on the field and off. In addition to the mentoring, YQCA provides staff, coaches, uniforms, sports equipment, bus transportation, and access to the University’s world-class playing fields at no cost to the schools or their students. The public school students also benefit from the Netter Center’s comprehensive UACS programming, which brings additional academic, human, and material resources from Penn to their schools during the school day, after school, and in the summer. Founded in 2012 with boys’ lacrosse at Comegys University-Assisted Community School, YQCA quickly grew to include girls’ lacrosse and co-ed track and field. Today, YQCA serves 4th-8th grade students from four University Assisted Community Schools––Comegys Elementary, Hamilton Elementary, Lea Elementary, and Mitchell Elementary––and works with four Penn teams that have adopted the YQCA model: Men’s Lacrosse, Women’s Lacrosse, Track and Field, and Men's Basketball.

Over the past 2 years, Henry C. Lea School has worked in partnership with the Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI) at the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) Perelman School of Medicine to provide a health and human development education program for 7th and 8th grade students at Lea. Over the course of an academic quarter, Lea students participate in weekly health and human development lessons during their health and physical education class period. The goal of the program is for students to be able to make informed decisions about how to make healthy choices and live a healthy life. Students who participate in these lessons will learn about topics including relationships, puberty, sex, and talking about uncomfortable subjects related to these topics. Physicians and Masters of Public Health students from Penn's Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI) will teach this program in collaboration with Lea staff members, including Lea’s health and physical education teacher and school nurse. After consulting with school staff and community members, the Penn CPHI team chose the following subjects from the Advocates for Youth curriculum (https://3rs.org/3rs-curriculum/) for our health and human development lessons at Lea: reproductive system anatomy; pregnancy and reproduction; sex, contraception, and birth control methods; sexually transmitted infections; sexual orientation and gender identity; and healthy relationships and online safety.

The PennSmiles Mobile Dental Clinic will visit Lea multiple times every month throughout the school year to provide free dental care for Lea students. If your school-aged child needs dental care, complete a PennSmiles enrollment form in the Main Office or Health Office and return the completed form to your child's homeroom teacher and/or the school nurse (Maggie Harrison, mharrison@philasd.org). If you have any questions, please call the PennSmiles team at 267-463-6571 or Nurse Harrison at 215-400-7660. PennSmiles is a mobile dental clinic program run by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine that allows kids to have access to quality dental care at their school. Penn operates two PennSmiles dental vehicles and provides care to about 6,000 children per year in the Philadelphia area, allowing them to receive dental screenings and referrals for dental care, dental treatment on two PennSmiles Dental vehicles, and proper instruction on how to take care of their teeth. Each mobile dental clinic contains two dental chairs and dental equipment such as instruments and x-rays to provide children with cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants and fillings. The PennSmiles mobile clinic meets all the same criteria as a traditional dental office, keeping our standards of safety and sterilization at the top of our list––and especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fife-Penn Computer Science Academy provides free after-school coding clubs students in grades K through 8. Students learn how to code and join a group of supportive peers and role models. Coding clubs are facilitated by computer science students from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and are supervised by Lea's technology teacher.

Spark Philadelphia engages communities to provide career exploration and self-discovery opportunities that help middle school students understand, experience, and pursue what’s possible. Through a combination of transformative workshops and one-on-one mentorships, Spark Philadelphia is engaging students to think about options for their futures in new and exciting ways. Spark operates weekly during after-school hours and is open to Lea students in 7th grade.

The University City Arts League (UCAL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to intergenerational education and cultural enrichment in the arts. Our primary goals are: to provide a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to experience the arts; to encourage and support the development of the arts; and to bring the arts to the community through partnerships and educational outreach. Art After School (AAS) is a multi-week after-school program for students in grades K-6. The after-school program operates at UCAL (4226 Spruce St, 19104) during the school year and is ideal for families looking for artfully minded after-school care. Students are introduced to a variety of visual and performing arts mediums taught by established practicing artists. This program follows a project-based classroom structure that culminates in a student exhibition and showcase. Please note that students must be currently enrolled in or have graduated from Kindergarten to register for classes. For questions or to learn more about our offerings, please email our Education Programs Manager at programs@ucartsleague.org.

The Lea School Library is operated by three of our school's partner organizations: Penn Libraries Community Engagement, the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), and A Book A Day (ABAD). Library volunteers from WePAC and Penn Libraries facilitate a variety of library programming for Lea students and staff in the Lea School Library, including book check-out and check-in, story read alouds, library organization and management, and training on library use and conducting research.

Christ Community Church of Philadelphia supports Lea in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to): hosting meetings and events, contributing to donation drives and mutual aid initiatives, and helping with school campus clean-up events.

Comcast's Internet Essentials Program provides low-income families with affordable internet options. Comcast also supports Lea by contributing to donation drives and mutual aid initiatives.

Fife-Penn Computer Science Academy provides free after-school coding clubs students in grades K through 8. Students learn how to code and join a group of supportive peers and role models. Coding clubs are facilitated by computer science students from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and are supervised by Lea's technology teacher.

Penn Live Arts provides Lea students, families, and staff with access to performing arts events and experiences. For over 50 years, the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has been a leading presenter of innovative and transformative performing arts experiences in the Philadelphia region and a vital resource for the performing arts at the University of Pennsylvania. In June 2021, the Annenberg Center launched a new brand identity, Penn Live Arts, to reflect a deeper integration with the University and an expanded canvas for presenting performances. Penn Live Arts, headquartered at the Annenberg Center, is an artistic crossroads joining Penn and the greater Philadelphia region through world-class music, dance, theatre and film on campus and at venues throughout the city.

The Penn Museum of Anthropology & Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) provides a variety of learning resources and opportunities for Lea students, families, and staff, including museum field trips, traveling museum programs, and teacher resources. Home to over a million extraordinary artifacts and archaeological finds from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean, the Penn Museum has been uncovering our shared humanity across continents and millennia since 1887.

BioEYES is a K-12 science education program which provides classroom-based learning opportunities through the use of live zebrafish. BioEYES is designed to incorporate teacher empowerment and provides professional development seminars and a co-teaching experience with trained science consultants, called outreach educators.

The Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) School-Year and Summer WorkReady Programs recruit current 6th–12th graders ages 12 and up in Philadelphia to participate in a unique internship experience. Students will learn about a variety of career and college pathways, engage in professional development sessions and participate in virtual trips and guest speaker sessions to increase their knowledge and understanding of different careers. Students who are selected will be eligible for a stipend or a wage depending on their program.

Penn American Red Cross is a student organization at the University of Pennsylvania which facilitates first aid lessons in the UACS After-School Program. PARC also assists in blood drives, acts as a liaison between volunteers and the Red Cross, and acts as a link between the Philadelphia Red Cross chapter and Penn's campus.

Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) supports the orchards planted on Lea's school campus through the Greening Lea Initiative. POP works with community-based groups and volunteers to plan and plant orchards filled with useful and edible plants in formerly vacant lots, community gardens, schoolyards, and other spaces, primarily in low-wealth neighborhoods where people have limited access to fresh fruit. We provide orchard design assistance, plant materials, and training in orchard care. Community organizations own, maintain, and harvest the orchards, expanding community-based food production, environmental benefits, and opportunities for nature education.

Since 1987, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (PYP) has partnered with educators to bring the transformative power of playwriting into classrooms and community settings across Greater Philadelphia. Placing students at the center of their learning, PYP's intensive writing residencies advance writing-based literacy skills while developing critical 21st century skills like creativity, communication, and collaboration. Each fall, PYP offers monologue writing workshops in advance of the submission deadline for the annual monologue festival. A typical monologue residency is spread out over 7 total hours of instruction, including performances of past student-winning monologues by professional actors who visit the classroom. Students are guided through the process of writing a monologue and are invited to submit their work for consideration for further development and performance in partnership with theater professionals.

Renewal Presbyterian Church supports Lea in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to): hosting meetings and events, contributing to donation drives and mutual aid initiatives, and helping with school campus clean-up events.

The University City Arts League (UCAL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to intergenerational education and cultural enrichment in the arts. Our primary goals are: to provide a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to experience the arts; to encourage and support the development of the arts; and to bring the arts to the community through partnerships and educational outreach. Art In Schools (AIS) works with principals, classroom teachers, programming partners, and OST programming directors, to bring dynamic classes in the arts to West Philadelphia schools. Our classes are tailored to fit the needs and expectations of partners. Classes can take place in an art classroom, bring an experience when there is no art program, or supplement curriculum that is already taking place within the school. AIS brings passionate and excited artists into the classroom to share what they love. UCAL offers sculpture, painting and drawing, pottery, writing, dance, and improv. Past and current class content includes printmaking, Afrofuturism, epic game making, puppetry, wearables, and model making. AIS instructors also go to back to school nights and special school events to provide art activities to help encourage community and provide a lasting token of that event. UCAL’s programs were developed with the belief that children can benefit from exposure to the arts, which helps develop basic skills, encourages visual awareness, and stimulates intellectual growth and creativity. Classes usually meet once a week, anywhere from four to twelve weeks, and can include an entire school, or just ten selected participants in an after-school program. UCAL looks to create partnerships that encourage artistic skill and creativity in the youth of West Philadelphia. AIS currently serves Samuel Powel School, Henry C. Lea School, Benjamin B. Comegy School, The Science Leadership Academy Middle School, the Workshop School, and the City School.

Walnut Hill Community Association (WHCA) is a local neighborhood associaton that supports Lea in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to): providing annual graduation awards for Lea 8th grade students, holding it's annual Black History Month Essay Contest, hosting meetings and events, contributing to donation drives and mutual aid initiatives, and helping with school campus clean-up events. WHCA serves the neighborhood of Walnut Hill. The boundaries for the Walnut Hill neighborhood are Market Street on the North, 45th Street on the East, Spruce Street on the South and 52nd Street on the West. WHCA was founded in 1961 by a group of neighbors, led by Charles Campbell Sr., who were concerned about the deterioration of their neighborhood. WHCA continues to be a neighborhood group run by residents who are dedicated to their community revitalization. WHCA actively promotes the neighborhood and encourages residents to participate in community events and to help determine neighborhood improvement priorities. WHCA continues to strive and work for the betterment of the community and its residents. WHCA welcomes your input, energy, and participation.

Formed in June 2010, the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools (WPCNS) aims to bring our vibrant community and all of its resources into our local neighborhood public schools. WPCNS is a diverse group, and anyone, regardless of parental status or age of children, is welcome. Many, but not all, of our members live or work in West Philadelphia. Many, but not all, of us are parents. Our group comprises a wide range of ethnicities, first languages, income brackets, and educational backgrounds. We all share a vision of a neighborhood strengthened by its elementary school and an elementary school strengthened by its neighborhood. We are also brought together by our core belief that public education is a social justice issue.

Looking for an extra enrichment activity or two? Browse through the District's hub of supplemental learning resources offered to all teachers, students and families at no cost. Resources include, but are not limited to, printable worksheets and learning guides, online training and seminars, audiobooks, and virtual or live-streamed events. Visit this hub periodically for new listings from partner organizations throughout the city: https://www.philasd.org/strategicpartnerships/supplemental-resources/ Questions? Email the Office of Strategic Partnerships at partnerships@philasd.org. A member of our team will get back to you at our earliest convenience.