Early preview. We are building this in the open. The list is still growing, so some groups are missing and some details may be out of date.
astronomy, geology, lectures, big idea talks
98 groups so far
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Nonprofit 路 Central
A nonprofit with offices in Philadelphia, New York and Washington, DC. It offers online courses on religious literacy and public life, and classroom materials on rights and respect for schools.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 West Park
A Mill Creek-Parkside nonprofit that turns vacant lots into gardens, greenhouses and gathering places. It grows food through farming and hydroponics and runs wellness and hands-on STEAM skill building for youth, families and seniors.
Last active date not known yet
Program
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University recruits adult and teen volunteers for its collections, labs, bird collision monitoring and nature walks. Most roles need a steady weekly schedule for at least a year.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
The Penn chapter of a student network focused on alternative proteins. It offers learning material, research chances, and links to food startups.
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
A nonprofit that helps disabled people take part in arts and culture. It offers an ACCESS Card that gets $2 admission at partner museums, theaters and gardens, runs free learning pages, and advises arts groups on access.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 University Southwest
A free art gallery at the University of Pennsylvania that shows exhibitions and hosts artist talks, lectures, and guided tours, all open to the public.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
A volunteer-run group that supports women in forensic science and offers a Saturday forensic science program for young people, along with school and group workshops.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A student group for anyone curious about astronomy, space, and science fiction, whatever their major.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn group where students mix biology and art. Members design hands-on workshops and work with Philadelphia students.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper North
A Philadelphia nonprofit whose board is made up of Black scientists and science supporters. It makes a science podcast and a magazine, holds photo and story contests on everyday science, and runs science journalism workshops.
Last seen active: August 2026
Network or meetup 路 University Southwest
A professional network for Black women working in computational and quantitative biology. Members get a community, seminars, a member directory, and a podcast.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A student group for undergraduate, graduate and MBA students who want to learn about blockchain, crypto and Web3. It works with partners on education and research, and sends committee members to conferences and hackathons.
Last seen active: March 2026
Student group
A student group at Penn that explores where the arts and sciences meet. It runs art projects that use science, creative workshops, talks, and visits to arts sites.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Online
Teaches leadership and communication skills based on brain science, so people and teams can think clearly under pressure. Workshops are online, and the group also offers a free brain pattern assessment.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
The student board for Penn's classical studies department. It links students with faculty, runs academic networking events and social nights with movies and board games, and helps plan the department's spring colloquium.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student group for interdisciplinary, humanities-based discussion of big questions. It is rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, and members do not need a religious belief to take part.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
A coalition of Greater Philadelphia medical schools that works to bring more people from diverse backgrounds into medicine. It runs a yearly equity summit, a pre-med pathway for college sophomores, and a mentorship network.
Last seen active: April 2026
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
A nonprofit that runs science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, trains teachers, provides educators to K to 12 schools, and helps adults build work skills.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup
A community of data science and analytics people in Philadelphia. It hosts talks, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions on topics such as AI, big data, and statistical modeling, and welcomes beginners.
Last seen active: October 2025
Club
An amateur astronomy club serving the Philadelphia area since 1976. It runs public star parties and holds free monthly meetings where anyone can learn about the night sky.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
Fossil fans who meet most months from September to June, with guest speakers. The society also runs field trips to fossil sites and a yearly Fossil Fair.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
A design nonprofit that runs a yearly design festival, exhibitions, school programs and public events so people can see and join in local design.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
A society that records and shares the history of the East Falls neighborhood in Philadelphia through lectures, walking tours, oral histories, and an online archive. Its talks and tours are announced on the site.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Penn students who mentor high school students from West Philadelphia partner schools and teach short lessons on medical science, such as neurology and cardiology.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student group that uses evidence to work out how to do the most good. It runs an intro fellowship for new members, holds talks and discussions, and shares resources on giving and careers.
Last seen active: February 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper North
A Philadelphia nonprofit that offers one-on-one reading and math tutoring, adult education, career planning and job placement, mentoring, and health and wellness help. You start each one with a request form or a phone call.
Last active date not known yet
Club 路 Upper Northwest
A Philadelphia nonprofit fan project working toward a full-size replica of the starship Enterprise. The ship is not built yet, but anyone can join for free and volunteer-led local chapters are listed.
Last seen active: October 2020
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
A nonprofit that runs hands-on STEM activities for girls in grades 3 to 8, both after school and on Saturdays.
Last active date not known yet
Student group 路 University Southwest
A Penn student team that talks through real moral problems together and prepares for ethics bowl competitions.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A Philadelphia nonprofit that works on safe water, sanitation and hygiene around the world. It runs field projects and education programs, mentors young water professionals, and hosts talks and an annual conference.
Last seen active: March 2026
Student group
Penn's largest student political group, built around all-party discussion. It runs a discussion group, debate and speaker events, a student political review, and a policy advocacy forum with a yearly trip to Washington.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup 路 Central
A consortium of philosophy programs and scholars across the Philadelphia area. It runs monthly discussion groups, free public talks and symposia, and an undergraduate conference.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
A student group that publishes neuroscience writing for students of every major. Members write articles and research pieces, and the group makes free podcasts with Penn faculty.
Last seen active: August 2026
Garden 路 Upper Northwest
A community garden and environmental education center in Southwest Germantown that grows food and runs classes and public events for children and adults.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Looks after Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church as a historic site. It hosts history talks and concerts, runs guided tours, and offers hands-on activities that help care for the church, its graveyard, and its grounds.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northeast
A volunteer-run history group, founded in 1905, that keeps and shares the history of Frankford. It holds monthly lectures, runs a museum open by appointment, and offers library research help.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Uses science education and open discussion to help Black and Brown students and their communities get into STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). It runs community screenings and talks and has a scholarship fund.
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Teaches people about sex from a faith point of view, through webinars, resource sheets, and training for certified sex and faith educators.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Philanthropic partner to Independence National Historical Park. It raises money for restoration and public projects, runs public talks, movie nights and tours, and uses volunteers for tours and events.
Last seen active: October 2026
Program
Drexel's physics department opens its rooftop observatory to the public on the first Wednesday of most months during the school year, weather permitting. Everyone is invited, but the telescope is being replaced, so no public night is set right now.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 West Park
A West Philadelphia nonprofit that teaches people about nature at outdoor sites, works to revive neglected land and runs a native plant nursery. Volunteers can sign up through the website.
Last seen active: May 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Researchers who study how genocide begins. They publish public tools for spotting its warning signs, such as a toolbox, alerts, reports, short online courses, and a podcast.
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 Fairhill
A Fairhill community organization founded in 1893 as a preschool and afterschool program. It runs youth sports leagues, a STEM program for kids 8 to 13, and Recreation Over Violence, an affordable sports program for children and families. Its Lions Elite teams play at several age levels.
Last seen active: June 2026
Student group
The student society for materials science and engineering at Penn. It runs social events, academic workshops, and mentoring, and it works with the department to improve undergraduate life.
Last active date not known yet
Student group 路 Online
Penn students who run a math contest for high schoolers, with problems meant for beginners and experienced students alike. The site does not list volunteer roles, so ask the staff by email.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student group that runs monthly hands-on workshops introducing the Penn community to materials science. Past workshops have covered glass, candles, paper, and metal casting.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A small nonprofit that runs discussion groups on big books and ideas from philosophy, literature, and history. Each group has up to eight people who pick topics together.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
An adult learning center in Mt. Airy, called MALT on its site. It offers a large catalog of paid classes in three terms a year, covering arts, cooking, computers, fitness, gardens, and more, and it holds a yearly garden tour as a fundraiser. Anyone can sign up for a class, and teachers can propose one through a form.
Last seen active: October 2026
Program
Short, informal talks by several speakers on a wide mix of topics, from science and technology to pop culture, held as an evening event at Philadelphia venues. The site has no posts after May 2022, so check before going.
Last seen active: May 2022
Student group
Penn students curious about how the brain works and how to build a career in neuroscience. The club hosts talks, workshops, and physician shadowing with Penn neurologists and neurosurgeons.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Central
A lifelong learning program for adults 50 and older at Temple University. Members take daytime classes in Center City with no tests or grades, and can join day trips and member-run committees.
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
Penn undergraduates who are curious about criminology can join this group, and no criminology major is needed. It holds faculty round tables and panels on internships and careers.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn students who tutor people in local correctional facilities, one on one or in small groups, to help them reach their academic goals.
Last seen active: October 2026
Network or meetup 路 University Southwest
A group that shares Philadelphia's archaeology with the public and speaks up to protect historic sites. It hosts public talks, runs a historical burial grounds map and database, and invites people to join advocacy actions.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
A nonprofit that brings working artists and scientists into schools and community sites for hands-on arts and STEAM lessons. Families can enroll students in its STEAM afterschool program, and artists can apply to teach.
Last seen active: September 2026
Club 路 Online
Plant lovers who have met since 1891 to learn about the region's plants. The club hosts free botany talks at monthly meetings from September to May, and it also runs volunteer-led field trips and publishes a yearly journal.
Last seen active: September 2026
Program 路 North Delaware
Penn State Extension's county 4-H program for young people ages 5 to 18. Its project clubs cover areas such as animal science, civic leadership, the arts, environmental science, health, and STEM.
Last seen active: October 2026
Faith community 路 Central
A humanist community at Rittenhouse Square that holds free Sunday talks with a guest speaker and live music. The talks are open in person and online, with dialogue on making Philadelphia more ethical.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
Rock, mineral and fossil fans who meet each month for a guest speaker, take collecting trips and visit private collections, and hold a yearly show.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club 路 West Park
A free club for people curious about mushrooms and other fungi in Philadelphia. Members go on guided forays, learn to log their finds online, and join park cleanups.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club 路 University Southwest
A society for science fiction and fantasy fans in Philadelphia. It holds free meetings most months with guest speakers, author talks and fan panels.
Last seen active: September 2026
Club 路 Central
A Philadelphia-area group for people interested in space. It keeps a blog and newsletters, and its website says to contact members for meeting details.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club 路 Upper Northwest
A monthly discussion group for atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people, meeting at the Unitarian Society of Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. It talks through issues that affect non-religious people and works toward a more welcoming congregation.
Last seen active: August 2016
Network or meetup 路 Online
A Philadelphia community for people interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning. It runs talks, speaker sessions, workshops, and networking, and welcomes volunteers and speakers.
Last seen active: May 2026
Program 路 Lower Far Northeast
A Philadelphia nonprofit that has offered free lectures on Polish history, culture and tradition for more than 100 years. Anyone can attend the monthly talks from October to April at the Associated Polish Home, and some talks are also offered on Zoom.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
A student-led nonprofit that gives free admissions help to STEM students from under-resourced backgrounds who are applying to medical or graduate school. Each applicant is matched one on one with a graduate student mentor in their field.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup 路 University Southwest
Connects West Philadelphia residents with researchers in the Promise Zone, so neighbors can help shape and review community research.
Last seen active: December 2023
Network or meetup 路 Lower North
The Philadelphia chapter of the state engineers society. It runs monthly talks, site tours and continuing education courses, plus youth STEM and MathCounts programs.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
An education nonprofit that builds learning tools and makerspaces for K to 12 students. Its West Philadelphia makerspaces serve middle and high school students, and it is planning an online platform for school clubs.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student club for quantum information science, open to all undergraduate and graduate students regardless of experience. It runs open-source quantum projects, hackathons, lab tours, and industry talks.
Last active date not known yet
Club
An astronomy society founded in 1888 that runs public talks with guest speakers and keeps the public posted through a mailing list.
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
A Penn student group that gives underserved Philadelphia students early hands-on time in biotech and research labs, with mentors and weekly lab workshops.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn students who run a science competition invitational and mentor Philadelphia middle and high school teams. Their Urban Initiative offers science mentoring at under-resourced high schools.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Old City
A monthly talk series for adults curious about science, history and the natural world, run by a group of Philadelphia museums. Talks take place on a Monday evening at a bar and restaurant in Old City, and the series aims for a lively feel rather than a classroom lecture.
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
A Penn group that has offered training in science communication, science policy and science diplomacy to students and early-career scientists.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student group that runs two peer-reviewed research journals, one for high school research and one for undergraduate research.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
A community nonprofit, started in 2011, that helps girls and young women build confidence, plan for college, and grow into leaders. It gives scholarships and runs leadership programs and yearly conferences.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
A Penn chapter of a national group that supports Hispanic students and their allies in STEM. It runs social events, service projects and career-building events.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
A student group that promotes math on campus. It organizes events about the theory of math and about how math is used in the real world.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn student committee that books well-known speakers for campus talks. Members help pick the speakers, get into events free, and can meet the speaker afterward.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup
The Philadelphia section of the Society of Women Engineers recruits its members to judge student projects at local science fairs each spring, after a group briefing on judging.
Last seen active: January 2026
Student group
A student-run group that puts on a large TEDx conference at Penn.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Lower North
A free contemporary art gallery on the first floor of Temple's Tyler School of Art and Architecture. It has exhibitions, lectures and public events, and anyone can attend.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
A gallery in Old City that shows contemporary art connected to South Asia and its diaspora. It holds exhibition openings, public talks, screenings and a residency for emerging artists.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Penn's student chapter of the American Chemical Society. It runs chemistry talks and career events, social nights, and outreach visits with Philadelphia-area high schools.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn's large student economics society. It runs speaker series, coffee chats with professors, and academic talks, and its Almanac committee produces a magazine two times a year.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Runs UPLIFT Academy, an early learning school in Philadelphia with a Montessori approach to reading and STEM, and funds reading rooms and meals for children in Liberia.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 North
A nonprofit that turns vacant lots and shared spaces into green space, and gives young people hands-on training in landscaping and environmental work. Its three program areas are Youth Development, Creative Environment Learning, and Community Greening.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A student-run group that plans campus forums on life's biggest questions. Experts from different fields discuss them on stage, and the audience asks questions.
Last seen active: April 2026
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
A free natural history museum and science education institution in North Philadelphia, founded in 1855, with a Victorian-era specimen hall of more than 100,000 items and regular talks and courses.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
A Penn student group for people interested in agriculture and food business. Members join committees on consulting, venture capital, events, and more, and work on projects that range from farm research to biotech advising.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
An undergraduate club for students interested in economics, global affairs, and international business. It hosts industry conversations, current events analysis, and workshops.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn undergraduate club for students who want aerospace and defense careers. Any Penn undergrad can come to general meetings, and committee members help run events such as a February 2026 symposium on regulating new space technology.
Last seen active: February 2026
Student group
Students who care about health care meet to talk about new medicines, health policy and career paths, through committees and social events.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
A Penn group for students who like numbers: it shares statistics resources, runs career and social events, publishes research, and tutors middle school students in West Philadelphia.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn graduate students who run an annual conference on how cities get built. The 2026 meeting, held in Philadelphia on February 20, 2026, brought together people working on housing, transit, climate and finance.
Last seen active: February 2026
Student group
A Penn student group for students interested in biomedical science. Members learn about graduate school and health careers, meet female STEM mentors, and do community service and science education in West Philadelphia.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Lower Southwest
A nonprofit offering online study help for the GED, HiSET, and TABE tests, plus literacy, math, digital skills, and job readiness courses. The classes are open to adults across the country who did not finish high school or have low reading skills, and they run online at any hour.
Last active date not known yet
Includes: astronomy and stargazing, rocks, minerals and fossils, natural history and collecting, lectures and talk series, philosophy and big idea discussions, science and math outreach, adult learning and classes.