From the Octavius Catto Scholarship to the upcoming return to campus, there’s a lot of exciting opportunities at the city’s college.
Returning to campus this fall
Community College of Philadelphia is excited to welcome students back to campus this fall. For the past few months, the college has been diligently working with Pennoni, an engineering consulting firm located in Philadelphia, to develop a comprehensive Fall 2021 Campus Safety Plan to ensure a safe return to campus.
While in-person instruction will take place in staggered schedules, courses will be offered in four formats: synchronous and asynchronous online, hybrid and in-person. The College is committed to offering courses that best meet the needs and schedules of our students.
The College will continue to follow all guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
Additional information on what students can expect as they return to campus this fall, along with a list of FAQs, can be found at myccp.online/coronavirus.
Octavius Catto Scholarship
The college is currently recruiting for the next cohort of the Octavius Catto Scholarship.
In partnership with Mayor Jim Kenney, Catto Scholars are first-time, full-time college students who receive last-dollar funding to cover the cost of tuition and fees. Catto Scholars also receive a monthly stipend for food, books, transportation and other costs.
More than 130 Scholars have already taken advantage of the scholarship. Meet Chelsea Hammond – one of our current Scholars – to learn more about what opportunities the scholarship has to offer.
Are you or someone you know ready to attend College debt-free? Learn more on how to become an Octavius Catto Scholar by visiting ccp.edu/catto.
Offering affordable housing to our students
In May, the college officially announced a partnership with the Philadelphia Housing Authority to provide low-cost, stable and quality housing to Community College of Philadelphia students who are housing insecure and have been involved in the foster care system.
Beginning this fall, up to 16 students will be housed in two dormitory-like buildings less than a mile away from campus. The cost of rent will be based on 30 percent of their income and in no case would a student pay more than $125 a month for rent.
Students will also receive special wraparound services to ensure that they succeed, including: participation in the Fostering Caring Connections Program designed to support CCP students who have been involved in the foster care system; academic advising services; access to tutoring; assistance with the scholarship process for tuition assistance and other emergency funds; and assistance through Career Connections for job search, career readiness supports and other programming.
Upon entering the program, the college will work with each student to establish a stability plan with the goal of securing permanent housing upon graduation. To learn more about the program, contact Michelle Lopez at milopez@ccp.edu.
Library and Learning Commons
As students return to campus this fall, they will be welcomed with a redesigned Library and Learning Commons. Construction began in spring 2019 with the mission of revolutionizing the way students learn.
The new Learning Commons will include enhancements such as active learning and computer labs, a café and art exhibit area, academic computing services with more than 200 available computers, tutoring in almost every subject, and the One Button Studio which will serve as a digital video production studio.
More information on the college’s Library and Learning Commons can be found at ccp.edu/llc.
Career and Advanced Technology Center
In spring 2022, the college is expected to officially open the doors to its Career and Advanced Technology Center (CATC) — a state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility.
While the college’s Automotive Technology program will be an anchor of the building, the CATC will also provide support to local entrepreneurs and hands-on learning experiences for fields that are in demand, such as advanced manufacturing and entry-level health care training.
The CATC will be a community-centered hub bringing career readiness and community building to West Philadelphia through community workspace labs and pre-college STEM academies.
Learn more about the college’s Career and Advanced Technology Center by visiting ccp.edu/catc.