At Weitzman, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Support helps students explore new places, ideas, and communities—shaping creative leaders equipped to make a meaningful impact.
The classroom and studio are launchpads for developing designers, planners, preservationists, and artists. However, at the Weitzman School, art and design are understood as acting in dialogue with society for the betterment of humanity.
Travel, exploratory research, and engagement with diverse communities are all critical to professional formation. There are opportunities to support these experiences in many ways.
Some awards and prizes help alleviate financial stress. They may also allow recipients to travel or pursue areas of research that are not otherwise possible. Endowed awards and prizes reward excellence and shine a spotlight on the donor’s chosen practice or research area. In addition, named honors become an ongoing part of the recipient’s professional record, appearing on future CVs, publications, and bios.
Studio Travel Week and other travel opportunities introduce students to unfamiliar climates, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives that provide real design and planning challenges. The intensive nature of travel studios generates immersive learning, which is critical to professional development.
Outstanding graduate students and young alumni work with PennPraxis, the applied research, engagement, and practice arm of the Weitzman School, to collaborate with clients, community organizers, and, in some cases, high school students. Together, they develop tools, strategies, and design interventions focused on communities that may otherwise have limited access to design services.