Anchor Institutions Task Force (AITF)

The Task Force is led initially by the University of Pennsylvania and administered by Marga Incorporated.

Founded in 1992, the Netter Center is Penn’s primary vehicle for bringing to bear the broad range of human knowledge needed to solve the complex, comprehensive, and interconnected problems of the American city so that West Philadelphia (Penn’s local geographic community), Philadelphia, the University itself, and society benefit. Throughout this time, Marga has provided ongoing support for the Task Force, by helping align the agendas of those in higher education advocating for expanded engagement, the new Federal Administration, and philanthropy.

The Netter Center is based on three core propositions:

• Penn’s future and the future of West Philadelphia/Philadelphia are intertwined.

• Penn can make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life in West Philadelphia/Philadelphia.

• Penn can enhance its overall mission of advancing and transmitting knowledge by helping to improve the quality of life in West    Philadelphia/Philadelphia.

The Netter Center, which is housed in the Office of Government and Community Affairs, works to achieve the following objectives:

• Improve the internal coordination and collaboration of all university-wide community service programs

• Create new and effective partnerships between the University and the community

• Create and strengthen local, national and international networks of institutions of higher education committed to engagement with their local communities

Through the Netter Center, the University currently engages in three types of activities: academically based community service, direct traditional service, and community development. Academically based community service is at the core of the Center’s work. It is service rooted in and intrinsically linked to teaching and/or research, and encompasses problem-oriented research and teaching, as well as service learning emphasizing student and faculty reflection on the service experience. Approximately one hundred sixty courses (from a wide range of disciplines and Penn schools) link Penn students to work in the community. (A steady increase in the number of academically based community service has occurred since 1992 when only eleven such courses were offered.)

For more information on the Netter Center, click here.