Many students like the idea of living in a community that concentrates on a culture, lifestyle, or interest that they and their neighbors share.  At Penn, we create these opportunities in our Program Communities. Program Communities are made up of a smaller group of people who live in the same part of a House, whether that is a single floor, a set of floors, or another section of the House; they often share common amenities like a shared program lounge or a space applicable to their interest, and they create and engage in special programming specifically targeted at the interest that all the residents share. 

Our Program Communities come in two sorts.  Most Program Communities are grouped under the categories of World Cultures and Languages, Arts and Letters, Identity and Self, Leadership Development, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).  We also have several Course Communities, which operate in the same way but also convey course credit for participation.  

Students apply for these communities when completing their housing application, and most require essays at the time of application. You can find the lists and descriptions of these communities in the menu at the left, along with information about applying to Program Communities as an incoming first-year student.

For example:

WENDY AND LEONARD GOLDBERG MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AT GOLDBERG HOUSE

The Wendy and Leonard Goldberg Media & Communications Program, nestled in the westernmost end of Fisher Hassenfeld College House in the Quad, is open to students in any major or academic field and provides ample space to live and work. The program is physically situated at the heart of a complex of buildings surrounding the beautiful Bluestone Courtyard – Foerderer, McKean, Baldwin, Class of 1887, and Craig – known collectively as Goldberg House. The beautiful Foerderer archway marks the entrance of the program, and the nearby Goldberg Media Lounge serves at the principal public space. Named for film producer Leonard Goldberg and his wife, Wendy, the program draws members who share an interest not only in film, but for all forms of communications media, including broadcasting, publishing, journalism, digital media, marketing, and public relations, and political communication. This program is designed for students who have a broad academic interest in mass media and communications, ranging from the advertising and mass media industries to television and film portrayals of particular groups to the ways in which digital media impact society. Residents in this program work together to design a media campaign that they envision and execute with the goal of generating a positive impact in their residential community. The campaign may include creating videos, writing a newsletter, designing advertisements, developing a blog, and/or other media-related activities. The program also includes communications-themed social activities, like movie nights and attending events in the Philadelphia area.