There are many organizations at Penn striving to improve the University for its students, workers, and surrounding community members. We encourage you to find a group that aligns with your values and identity and get involved.
Activist Groups
Penn Against the Occupation (PAO)
PAO is an activist organization campaigning for an end to Israel’s genocide in Palestine. We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent Israeli assault on the 2 million people under siege in Gaza and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. Colonization is not and will never be peace. Palestinians, like all oppressed peoples, have the right to resist their oppressors by any means necessary.
We condemn Penn’s complicity in this genocide, and demand that they divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers and companies, cease research supporting Israeli weapons development, cut all ties with Israel and Zionist organizations, and end the suppression of those who speak and act for Palestine on campus.
Instagram: @penn.against.the.occupation
Penn for Immigrant Rights (PIR)
It is impossible to neglect the human rights crisis as the country’s southern border becomes more militarized, as ICE & DHS continue to terrorize and kidnap people and disrupt communities, and as undocumented immigrants continue to be targeted by the state through bipartisan efforts fueled by an ideology of xenophobia, imperialism, and white supremacy. Penn for Immigrant Rights (PIR) is led by and for undocumented students and allies who engage in direct action, political education, and coalition-building to advocate for undocumented students and affirm that migration is a human right. They were instrumental in pushing Penn to become a sanctuary campus in 2016 and continue to advocate for the University to adopt policies that protect and uplift undocumented students. If you are an undocumented student and need support, visit the La Casa Latina website.
Instagram: @pennforimmigrantrights
Website: upenn4immigrantrights.wordpress.com
Email: pennforimmigrantrights@gmail.com
Penn Reproductive Justice (PRJ)
Penn Reproductive Justice (PRJ) is a working group devoted to protecting reproductive and sexual justice by fighting for increased contraceptive/abortion access, comprehensive sex ed, improved health legislation, period equity, and more. The group was created in response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, an action that served to further restrict reproductive autonomy and choice—specifically targeting historically marginalized communities that have already struggled with healthcare access and basic necessities. PRJ supports reproductive justice work in both the Penn and Philadelphia community by amplifying local advocacy efforts, distributing resources, raising awareness through education, and developing sustainable and meaningful connections with partner organizations. By prioritizing listening to voices within local communities, PRJ hopes their efforts will empower people to make educated choices and safely care for their reproductive health.
Instagram: @pennreprojustice
Koreans 4 Decolonization
As a chapter of the Koreans 4 Decolonization UCB national front, K4D-Penn mobilizes Philadelphia students and residents against forces of imperialism, and for Korea’s re/unification and national liberation. Our campaigns have a focus on combatting colonization and the harm inflicted by U.S. militarism and neoliberalism in Korea and beyond.
Korea’s struggle against U.S. military occupation and the division of our land and people exists in deep solidarity with all colonized folks across the globe. Our efforts in organizing for the liberation of the Korean people and the re/unification of our land is an adamant demand for all land to be rightfully returned and restored to the people. We recognize that collective liberation begins with collectively organizing against all our aggressors and imperialists who continue to destabilize, disrupt, and destroy our land.
From Palestine to Puerto Rice, Sudan to Kashmir, the Congo to the Philippines, Turtle Island to Korea and all lands disparaged by settler colonialism, we will be free and the resistance will prevail!
Instagram: @k4dpenn
Get involved: listserv
Jewish Voices for Peace
We are UPenn’s chapter of the national Jewish Voices for Peace organization. We are here to organize for Palestinian liberation and to combat Zionism in Jewish communities. We reject the state of Israel’s co-optation of Jewish identity. We are mobilizing our community to reject Israel’s genocide of Palestininans and the US war machine.
Instagram: @jvp_upenn
Get involved: Interest form
Unions
for more information on Unions, see The Union Fight at Penn
Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania (GET-UP)
GET-UP is a group of teaching and research student employees at the University of Pennsylvania forming a union to improve their working conditions at Penn. Despite students workers’ significant contributions to Penn’s teaching and research, many face challenges like high housing costs in Philadelphia, limited workplace rights, and uncertainty due to the ever-changing landscape of higher education and visa regulations for international student workers. GET-UP joins other organized student workers at institutions like Columbia, Harvard, and NYU in a movement that aims to raise standards for student workers across U.S. higher education.
Instagram: @getupgrads
Twitter: @GETUPgrads
Website: getup-uaw.org
Sign a card: getup-uaw.org/card
United Resident Advisors (United RAs)
The United Resident Advisors are a group of Resident Advisors (RAs) and Graduate Resident Advisors (GRAs) at Penn working to create a union. RAs and GRAs are integral to campus life but are unpaid, undervalued, and often overworked. They are organizing for increased and fair compensation, better communication, and a more democratic workplace.
Instagram: @unitedrasatpenn
Penn Libraries (PLU) Local 590
Penn Libraries United, a union made up of a variety of library workers, including librarians, archivists, application developers, curators, communications workers, and more. We joined the long-standing union of support staff in Local 590, but we have a separate contract. PLU is fighting for a transparent promotion process, a fair pay scale, protected remote work, protections from AI, and generally a voice at the table!
Reach out at pennlibrariesunited@gmail.com
Fill out a membership card at https://joindc47.org/local-590.
Website: https://pennlibrariesunited.github.io/
Instagram: @pennlibrariesunited
RAPUP-UAW
Research Associates and Postdocs United at Penn-UAW is an organization by, of, and for Penn postdocs and research associates who want to unionize in order to improve our research and employment experience at the University of Pennsylvania. Our research not only benefits the university and the economy, but our groundbreaking research advances have worldwide positive impacts. We work in many different fields and have varied experiences, but our dedication to research unites us all.
Website: https://pennpostdocunion.org/
Fill out a membership card at https://pennpostdocunion.org/sign-a-card/.
Instagram: @rapupuaw
Penn Museum Workers United (PMWU-AFSCME Local 397)
We are the Penn Museum workers who greet visitors, care for objects, design exhibitions, connect with our community, and more. We are the stewards of the collections and are dedicated to the Museum’s mission of uncovering the diverse stories of our shared humanity. We believe an empowered, unionized workforce will help build a stronger Museum for the future, and we hope you’ll support our mission.
Fill out a membership card at https://afscmeatwork.org/local-397/penn
Website: https://phillysphinx.wixsite.com/pmwu
Instagram: @phillycwu
Housekeepers Union, Teamsters Local 115.
Contact and fill out a membership card at https://teamsters115.org/join/
Penn Med Interns and Residents, CIR-SEIU.
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest housestaff union in the United States. We are a local of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 40,000 resident physicians and fellows who are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
Website https://www.cirseiu.org/upenn/
Instagram: @cirseiu
Affinity Groups
7B
The 7B is the primary minority coalition at Penn. Each of the seven boards represents student groups which share a common identity. The members of the 7B are the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, Lambda (LGBTQ+ students coalition), the Latinx Coalition, Natives at Penn, Penn Association for Gender Equity, United Minorities Council, and UMOJA (Black students coalition). The 7B hosts open forums for marginalized students to share their concerns and then communicates those concerns with administrators and the broader Penn community.
Asian Pacific Student Coalition (APSC)
The Asian Pacific Student Coalition (APSC) is an umbrella organization that serves to build a sense of AAPI community, advocate for AAPI students and student groups, and build coalition with other marginalized communities on and off campus. Beyond representing the interests of the AAPI community to University administration, APSC hosts various public events throughout the semester ranging in size and topic spearheaded by their Events, Finance, Social, and Marketing committees. Currently, APSC’s efforts are focused on increased cultural center space and funding, staffing support for PAACH and the Asian American Studies department, and broader community/political initiatives such advocating for Chinatown in the face of encroaching development and past voter registration events. APSC also stands in solidarity with the rest of the 7B, with the defunding of Penn Police, the payment of PILOTs, and other organizing groups fighting for racial and social equality at Penn.
Instagram: @upennapsc
Website: upennapsc.org
Lambda Alliance
Lambda Alliance is the umbrella advocacy group for LGBTQ+ students at Penn. In addition to advancing the causes of legal and social LGBTQ+ equality on campus, Lambda serves as a forum for a diverse array of constituent groups to interact and foster a cohesive community. Some of their programs and events to promote community connectivity are a first-year buddy program, LGBTQ+ coffee chats, and QPENN—an annual week-long celebration of queer life at Penn. On the advocacy side, they strive for increased diversity in hiring, multi-stall, all gender bathrooms, and independent, physical cultural center buildings.
Instagram: @pennlambda
Twitter: @pennlambda
Latinx Coalition (LC)
The Latinx Coalition (LC) was founded in 1997 and since its inception has taken an active approach to collaborate with various groups at Penn. The LC is the umbrella cultural organization that represents more than twenty Latinx-oriented undergraduate and graduate constituent groups. Through valuing the exchange of ideas and believing in the exposure of the ideology, culture, and politics of our peers, the LC creates a wealth of knowledge within and outside of the Latinx community. The LC aims to facilitate effective communication within the Latinx organizations on campus, provide a unified voice for all our constituents, and develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with the underrepresentation of the Latinx student body. Thus, this coalition has partnered with numerous organizations focused in cultural, professional, artistic, and social spheres.
Instagram: @lc_upenn
Website: upennlc.com
Natives at Penn (NAP)
Natives at Penn (NAP) is Penn’s Native student organization representing Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native students, dedicated to increasing awareness of Native & Indigenous culture, history, and contemporary issues, while enhancing the visibility of Native & Indigenous students on campus, which is on Lenape Land. They attempt to achieve this by improving recruitment and retention efforts in admissions to increase Native presence on campus, as well as connecting Native students, staff, alumni, and allies through events such as Penn’s annual Powwow, their Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, numerous speaker presentations, and other outings and activities that build cultural-awareness and strengthen their supportive community.
Instagram: @nativesatpenn
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/natives-at-penn/native-american-initiatives
Penn Association for Gender Equality (PAGE)
Penn Association for Gender Equality (PAGE) is the umbrella organization for undergraduate groups that advocate for gender equity at Penn. Their constituents include pre-professional organizations, arts groups, identity-based discussion groups, and Panhellenic and cultural sororities. Their long-term goals involve advocating for the cultural centers, increased diversity in hiring, increased sexual assault trainings, and Greek Life enforcement of sexual assault policies. They are also piloting a program for menstrual product distribution across campus and worked with Penn Non-Cis to produce a Trans-Inclusive Language Guide. Aside from running for board positions and attending events, students can get involved through First-Year Fellows, a discussion and reading group, Penn Gen Eq, a pre-orientation program, and Gen Eq week, a series of events and speakers in the spring.
Instagram: @penngenderequity
Linktree: linktr.ee/penngenderequity
Penn Chavurah
Chavurah is an independent student-run space for progressive Jews at Penn. We host biweekly Shabbat dinners (around 6 per semester) for schmoozing, eating together, and building community. Some other past events we’ve hosted include Purim gatherings, speaker events, Hanukkah game nights, Havdalah prayers, and other cultural events. All are welcome!!
Instagram: @chavurahatpenn
Get involved: Interest form
UMOJA
UMOJA derives its name from the Kiswahili term for “unity.” The first of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, “Umoja” is the core mission and primary goal of this umbrella organization. UMOJA speaks as the representative voice of Black students and Black student organizations at the University of Pennsylvania and derives its legitimacy from the consent and confidence of its membership organizations (Constituents). UMOJA is charged with uniting its Constituents into a common political voice, mobilizing its Constituents for a common agenda, and organizing its Constituents under a common calendar. Their 30+ constituents will have great programming and info sessions to welcome incoming Black freshmen into our community. They are fighting back by building long standing solidarity between Black Penn and Black Philly while supporting our allies fighting for PILOTs, a police-free campus, and reparations from the university to displaced and exploited people.
Instagram: @umoja_penn
Website: umojaupenn.org
United Minorities Council (UMC)
The United Minorities Council (UMC) was founded in 1978 as an intercultural coalition of students who fought for equity and access to resources for Penn’s minority student population. Among UMC’s earliest accomplishments is staging sit-in protests that led to the establishment of the Greenfield Intercultural Center (3708 Chestnut Street). Today, the UMC represents over 35 student groups that serve a variety of cultural communities. They provide funding for their events as well as hold their own semesterly events, including intercultural fairs, discussion events, professional panels and more. The UMC has two primary goals: to foster intercultural understanding and solidarity within the student body and to fight for better resources from the University for minority students. They work closely with the other 7B groups to pursue these goals, and meet with Penn’s administration multiple times per semester. Ultimately, UMC serves as a bridge between the student body and the University in order to advocate for the needs of its underrepresented students. For students who want to get involved, UMC holds biweekly General Body Meetings that anyone is welcome to attend.
Instagram: @upennumc
Website: upennumc.squarespace.com
Penn Disorientation Guide 