The Tri-Co Consortium – which consists of Haverford, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr colleges – will launch a pilot program in Philadelphia in the spring, writes Chace Pulley for the Haverford Clerk.

As part of the program, a self-selected group of students will take two courses and participate in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in the city. The idea was originally conceived by the three college presidents, who began brainstorming ways to build more connections to Philadelphia.

“We do a lot with the city, but it was thought that we should be more intentional about it,” said Frances Rose Blase, Provost of Haverford College.

She said that Philadelphia provides opportunities in a number of areas, including art, business, innovation, history, and politics, but struggles with many issues, such as poverty, immigration, and healthcare.

Now, students have the opportunity to engage these more directly.

“We thought, what if we offered a semester in the city where students could take courses about urban issues and the urban environment would be right there,” said Blase.

The three colleges then performed a feasibility study for a full immersive residential semester in the city. This showed there was enough interest to move forward with the program.

Read more about the Tri-Co Consortium from the Haverford Clerk by clicking here.

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