Authorizing the Committee on Education to hold hearings to investigate the level and effectiveness of community engagement and outreach initiatives carried out by higher education institutions in Philadelphia that directly impact adjacent neighborhoods.

Authorizing the Committee on Education to hold hearings to investigate the level and effectiveness of community engagement and outreach initiatives carried out by higher education institutions in Philadelphia that directly impact adjacent neighborhoods. WHEREAS, Higher education institutions in Philadelphia, including universities and colleges, play a crucial role in the City's educational landscape and economic development. Effective community engagement and outreach efforts can enhance relationships between these institutions and local residents, fostering increased enrollment and academic success; and WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s most renowned universities including Temple, Penn, Drexel, La Salle, and St. Joseph’s have enormous impacts on the City, with combined budgets of over $6 billion. However, their impact on local communities is not reflected in enrollment; and WHEREAS, Research indicates that access to higher education is often inequitable, with many local residents facing significant barriers to enrollment; and WHEREAS, According to the Lumina Foundation, nearly 60% of jobs in Pennsylvania require a postsecondary credential, yet only 48% of adults in Philadelphia hold such a credential. The American Council on Education reports that institutions with robust community engagement initiatives see up to a 15% increase in local enrollment rates, highlighting the potential impact of effective outreach; and WHEREAS, First-generation college students, who often come from underr…