2026 Penn Scholar Research Residency Heads to Campus

From May 18–22, 2026, Penn Center will welcome 45 scholars representing six distinguished institutions—University of Georgia, Tuskegee University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Agnes Scott College, Claflin University, and South Carolina State University—for the Penn Scholar Research Residency. Centered on the theme Commemorations, this immersive, weeklong program brings emerging scholars to St. Helena Island to engage deeply with Gullah Geechee history, culture, and community-based research.

 Click to learn more from Experiential Learning Specialist Angela Dore.

Participants will take part in a dynamic schedule of presentations, site visits, and hands-on learning experiences, including tours of historic landmarks such as Mitchelville Freedom Park and Barnwell Tabby, workshops in traditional practices like Gullah rag quilting, and discussions with cultural leaders, scholars, and artisans. The residency also emphasizes intergenerational knowledge-sharing, with sessions focused on heritage preservation, storytelling, and the enduring legacy of Penn Center as a cornerstone of education and self-determination in the Reconstruction South.

Students, faculty, community members and other visitors attend a seminar at Beaufort, SC's Grand Army of the Republic Hall during the 2024 Student Summer Research Residencies. Photo via Penncenter.uga.edu

By fostering collaboration across institutions and disciplines, the Penn Scholar Research Residency continues to position Penn Center as a living classroom, where history is not only remembered, but actively explored, interpreted, and carried forward.