Location:
McGraw Center for Educational Leadership, Penn GSE
Modality:
Hybrid
Position Length:
Academic Year (Fall - Spring), Spring, Summer
Work Hours and Commitment:
15-20 hrs / week during academic year (pending summer hours)
Application Deadline:
Pay Rate:
$25.00/hr
Additional Compensation:
None
Overview
Launched in 2023, the McGraw Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education cultivates a global community of learning leaders across sectors, advancing research-informed strategies to help organizations anticipate challenges, strengthen practice, and drive meaningful improvement.
The Graduate Assistant will help to actualize the Center’s vision "to be the world's recognized innovator of educational leadership development and enrichment." The primary tasks include supporting the Center's research, data collection, and planning by helping gather and organize information on education-related topics that inform programs, partnerships, and future initiatives. This role is well-suited for a graduate student interested in gaining experience with applied education research in a higher education environment. Pursuant to our need to ground the Center in strong leadership values and clear best practices, an initial project will focus on harvesting the lessons from the McGraw Prize tradition (MPT). We need to clarify the impact of that tradition -- that is, the values, best practices, and track record of the 115 Prize winners since 1988. And we will treat those impactful outcomes as foundational for the identity and purpose of the Center.
Working alongside Center staff, the Graduate Assistant will help with research synthesis, data organization, and documentation that helps inform the Center’s planning and future initiatives.
Supervisor/Contact
Samantha Powers - Project Manager, McGraw Center for Educational Leadership
sapow@upenn.edu
Required Duties
- Review biographies and public profiles of McGraw Prize winners to identify key values, practices, and areas of impact, and organize this information into a searchable database.
- Develop compelling categories and organizing frameworks, so we can clearly convey the impact of the McGraw Prize in our three key spheres of concern: K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning.
- Collect, organize, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data evident in the McGraw Prize tradition (MPT), making it easier to shape the most compelling MPT narratives. Those narratives can help to clarify, fortify, and amplify the past and future impact of both the MPT and the Center.
- Pursuant to the Center's mandate to elevate the stature of the McGraw Prize, converge a database of MPT photos and impact studies as building blocks for the elevation project, with emphasis on K–12 and higher education trends, policy initiatives, and equity-focused practices.
- Assist with literature reviews, benchmarking analyses, and summaries of research findings for internal use.
- Support data collection efforts related to programs, partnerships, and initiatives (e.g., surveys, interviews, document analysis).
- Prepare written briefs, memos, or slide-ready summaries that translate research findings into actionable insights.
- Assist with maintaining internal documentation, trackers, and research repositories.
- Collaborate with staff across the Center on special projects related to planning, assessment, and evaluation.
- Other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualification and Essential Skills
- Currently pursuing a Penn graduate-level degree
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to clearly summarize complex ideas.
- Demonstrated interest in education research, policy, leadership development, or strategic planning.
- Strong research and analytical skills, with experience gathering and synthesizing information from multiple sources.
- Experience with data organization tools (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets, or similar).
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines
Application Instructions
Please submit a resume and cover letter outlining your interest, to sapow@upenn.edu.
Applications close February 6.