Leadership in the Field

Need in Deed staff members are seasoned, experienced experts in the field of education.

In addition to our work throughout 3rd-8th grade classrooms in the School District of Philadelphia, we also contribute to educational impact around the region:

News, Articles and Publications

Genius and Joy through Student-Driven Civic Action: Penn Graduate School of Education Online Journal

CHALKBEAT: Nonprofit helps Philly students discuss Israel, gun violence, and other tough topics

WHYY: Education Equity Forum in Germantown addresses funding disparities in Philly public schools

College & University Collaborations

Swarthmore College:

• Ongoing research in collaboration with 1st-3rd year Need in Deed teachers, conducted by Dr. Lisa Smulyan
• Swarthmore Fellows for Philly Schools: Undergraduate program led by Need in Deed’s former Summer Intern, DaCia Newkirk, ’24
• Host of annual Summer Institutes for Philly Teachers
• Ongoing placement of undergraduate teacher candidates in Need in Deed classrooms

University of Delaware:

• Host of annual Shout Out! for Need in Deed classrooms in Delaware
• Ongoing research in collaboration with experienced members of the Need in Deed Teacher Network, conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Soslau

Our Presence in the Profession

Need in Deed regularly shares their insights and expertise with local and national audiences of educators. Most recently, we have offered workshops, professional development, and presentations for such organizations as

• National Association of Teachers of English
• National Association of Multicultural Education
• Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
• School District of Philadelphia
• Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
• Teacher Action Group
• Pennsylvania Educators Diversity Consortium Virtual Summit
• Association of Colleges and Universities Educators Conference

Customized Services

Our customized, fee-for service initiatives are highly interactive and tailored to each setting and need.

We offer a limited number of customized services each school year in a variety of settings, including K-12 public, parochial, and independent schools and districts in our region and around the country. We have also supported the adaptation of the My Voice framework for service-learning in collegiate settings.

We look forward to sharing our knowledge with others who want to learn about Need in Deed’s highly transferable model.

All income from fee-for-service initiatives helps fund our no-cost work with teachers and students in The School District of Philadelphia.

RECENT CLIENTS INCLUDE:

• Greene Street Friends, Philadelphia, PA
• Hope Partnership for Education, Philadelphia, PA
• Independence Charter School, Philadelphia, PA
• Lightbulb Literacy, Philadelphia, PA
• Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
• Shue-Medill Middle School, Newark, DE
• Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, Harrisburg, PA