Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (PennRSSA)
About PennRSSA
The Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (PennRSSA) is a free, college preparatory and career exploration program designed for high school students across Philadelphia. Students enrolled in School District of Philadelphia, public charter, and Archdiocese of Philadelphia high schools are eligible to participate in either of our two programs regardless of their academic record.
PennRSSA Academy will take place from June 17th – July 25th. It is an intensive 6-week hybrid program for rising seniors with in-person, on-campus experiences, along with expanded virtual programming opportunities.
PennRSSA Open will take place from August 5th – August 23rd. It is a self-paced 3-week program for all high school students.
Applications are due Sunday, March 31st, 2024.
Program Mission
PennRSSA launched in July 2020 as the Rising Senior Summer Academy, a direct intervention to address pandemic-related disruptions to education in our city. Today, our goal remains the same—to advance the futures of Philadelphia students by:
- Increasing student access to high-quality learning experiences through engaging, radical pedagogy;
- Creating a supportive program environment which balances high expectations and academic rigor with trauma-informed practices for participant achievement;
- Providing engaged mentorship from undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, staff, and faculty in tailored 1:1 and interactive “pod” settings;
- Equipping students for postsecondary success by expanding their skills, knowledge, confidence, motivation, and preparedness to navigate the postsecondary application and enrollment processes.
To date, more than 4,000 Philadelphia high school students have participated in PennRSSA.