The Community Schools team recently assisted the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design in selecting candidates for a full residential scholarship to the Architecture: Summer at Penn program.

The Architecture: Summer at Penn Program is residential and runs for four weeks in July. Forty-five students will travel from all over the world to live at the University of Pennsylvania and study architecture in Penn School of Design studios. The summer program is directed by Penn professor Richard Wesley, and is modeled after Penn’s undergraduate program in architecture.  Students will be taught by instructors in the School of Design and have an opportunity to build their portfolios with their own architectural designs, preparing them for the college admissions process.

At Kensington Health Sciences Academy in particular, there was a great deal of interest. In fact, 45 students showed up to an information session led by their Community School Coordinator, Antonio Romero. Penn’s School of Design was so impressed with the students who applied that they doubled their offer – awarding not one, but two full residential scholarships!

Bryan Lopez-Roman and Jenesis Maestre, both rising juniors at KHSA, were the lucky awardees. Applicants had to complete two essays and submit two letters of recommendation. Bryan and Jenesis were selected by Penn’s summer program admissions committee. Each scholarship is worth approximately $7,000 and includes tuition, all housing, all meals, all weekend and evening activities, and all classroom supplies.

For Bryan, this opportunity means he can expand his skills, which all started when he had to build a model home in art class. Brian hasn’t stopped building since – he’s now building his fourth model home! For Jenesis, whose watercolor art is currently on display in the School District of Philadelphia’s central office, architecture is a fairly-new interest, but she is excited to build on her knowledge. In their essays, both students talked about being from Kensington and caring about their neighborhood, where they want to someday make an impact through their talents in the arts.

Their work will be on display at the end of their program and we can’t wait to see it!

For nearly 40 years, Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs (JKCP) has provided enriching summer programming – covering everything from sports to academics to cooking – for students from all over the world.  Architecture: Summer at Penn is just one of the many programs within the JKCP portfolio.  Learn more about Architecture: Summer at Penn and undergraduate architecture at Penn and check out other job and internship opportunities community schools coordinators are bringing to their schools and students!