The Philadelphia Center

Experiential Education

TPC’s application of experiential education is another reason students spend a semester in Philadelphia.

Overview - Experiential Education means learning by doing.  As one of the nation’s oldest off-campus study programs focusing on experiential education, TPC has a rich and successful history of teaching students this dynamic process through which a learner proactively constructs meaning – knowledge, skills, and value – from direct personal experience.  At The Philadelphia Center, experiential education is the foundation of our objectives and programmatic standards. We teach students to use this powerful method to get the most out of their experiences and help them discover their personal and professional direction in life.  Our approach encourages students to take responsibility for their learning by participating in our unique housing and placement processes, defining and assessing their learning goals, challenging themselves personally and academically, reflecting critically upon their workplace and living environment, and exploring one of the country’s most vibrant and exciting cities. 

Below is a first hand account of Maddie Shaw’s perspective on experiential education during her semester in Philadelphia.

This semester has been one of the most intense times of my life. Sometimes it has exhausted me until I can feel the tiredness in my bones, but mostly it has been exhilarating. There’s something to be said for being able to witness my own values and ideas about the world taking shape right in front of me. It’s like watching time lapse photography – I think to myself, “am I really allowed to witness this as it’s happening?” But I’ve gone through marked changes in the last few months, and they’re tangible.

A huge part of what I learned this semester is that it’s not what I’m doing, it’s who I’m with. I’m usually intimidated by big new cities. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for saying this, but they make me feel lonely. I learned that I need to surround myself with people who I’m comfortable around, people who make me feel loved. Learning how to create community in this big city has been so important for me. With the friends I made in this program, it felt like we were going on an adventure when we set off into the city. And with my housemates, when I walked in the door of the apartment, I was home. Camaraderie is priceless.

A huge part of what I’ve gained this semester is confidence, which I think is true for most of us in the program. But this semester has emphasized for me the importance of being able to trust and believe in myself no matter what anyone else says. I realized that I’ve spent way too much time trying to make other people happy, and gauge my success by what they think of me. Somehow muddling through the challenges of this semester (whether they were intellectual, emotional, or practical) gave me a sense of solidarity within myself.

My mind has been stretched in many directions this semester. I’ve been challenged to critique my liberal views and engage in discussion across difference with my more-conservative peers in Deborah’s Leibel’s seminar.  And then I’ve opened up my liberal ideas to even more radical concepts, particularly in Mark Clark’s film and fiction class.

Living in this city, and in particular West Philly, has been rich and vibrant. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to be here doing what I did and meeting the people I met. Thanks for everything, Philly.

“I saw it all as life simply being itself” - Toni Morrison