Commonwealth University receives Phillip B. Lindy Award for Excellence in K-16 partnerships

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Commonwealth University has been selected to receive the Phillip B. Lindy Award for Excellence in K-16 partnerships. The Lindy Award is presented annually by PHENND (Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development) to honor outstanding collaborative partnerships between a K-12 school and an institution of higher education in the Greater Philadelphia region. This year's awards were presented at the 2026 K-16 Partnerships Network June Institute at the Community College of Philadelphia.

In attendance at the awards ceremony were Ralph Godbolt, executive director of access and engagement/Act 101 and Judith Harry, assistant director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

CU's partnership with Simon Gratz High School in North Philadelphia is being recognized with a third-place award. CU is the only institution that is not in the Philadelphia region to receive this award.

The Simon Gratz Mastery Charter High School and Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg Partnership for Success:
Born from a shared response to the impact of trauma and gun violence on young people, the partnership between Simon Gratz High School and Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg creates transformative college access and community engagement opportunities for students from both institutions. Simon Gratz students experience immersive campus visits and direct exposure to college life, while CU students participate in service learning and mentorship activities in North Philadelphia. The partnership helps students envision new possibilities for themselves while fostering resilience, connection and mutual learning.

Through establishing the K-16 Partnerships Network at PHENND, Lindy hoped to bring that philosophy to the world of university-school partnerships. The Lindy Award seeks to honor partnerships that focus on meeting articulated school and community needs and that have goals for long-term commitment. This year, the awards recognized promising newly formed partnerships (less than one year old). Award winners will share a total of $5,000 to enhance the mission and vision of the partnerships (e.g., partner meetings, collaborative technologies, trainings, celebrations, outreach).

During the 2020-21 academic year, a first-year Bloomsburg student, and a Simon Gratz alumna, experience the loss of several loved ones to gun violence and stopped going to classes. Due to the student's academic inactivity, as a result of this personal trauma, she was academically dismissed.

Godbolt's team at Bloomsburg worked to assist the student with appealing her academic dismissal and connected with the staff at Simon Gratz to obtain letters of support for the student. Those conversations led to a joint commitment to develop a community service program focused on exposing Simon Gratz students to college life and providing in-person civic engagement opportunities for Commonwealth University students.

Now, every fall, 50 Simon Gratz students visit the Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg campus and in return, approximately 70 CU students spend two days at Simon Gratz engaging in community service projects.

"Civic engagement and co-curricular learning is an important component of the work of the Center for Access and Engagement," Godbolt said. "In partnership with Simon Gratz High School, CU students provide college exposure opportunities for low-income high school students who may not see college as a realistic option. In addition, every year, CU students spend two days at Simon Gratz engaging in important and impactful community service. On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of CU's Center for Access and Engagement, I am honored to receive the Philip B. Lindy Award for Excellence in K-16 Partnerships, and I look forward to continuing our partnership with Simon Gratz High School."

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