The Falls Center Philly Learning Hub

The Falls Center development is a large, well-maintained residential, office, aand retail campus located in the East Falls area of Philadelphia, 3300 Henry Avenue to be exact. It is home to a number of institutions, including Elwyn (a human services organization for the disabled/disadvantaged), the Visiting Nurses Association, the Eye Institute, St. Chris Care (pediatric medical practice), Capogiro (a gelato/sorbetto production company), Philadelphia University, and many others. Originally home to the historic Women’s Medical College, the first medical school for women in the United States, the Falls Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In conjunction with the Eastern University Academy Charter School, Eastern University was established at the Falls Center in the summer of 2009, creating a 53,351 square foot location for classrooms, administrative offices, and study spaces. Today, EU’s Falls Center has been updated with a new technology infrastructure, which is now connected to the university’s wide area network.

At the center of EU’s Falls Center site is an Academic Center with eleven smart classrooms, three study rooms, a fully equipped student lounge, a computer lab, an adjunct work office, and a biology lab. The courses taught in these spaces vary, but most are master’s degree programs. Right now, the classes that take place at Falls Center are those associated with the MA in Urban Studies, Accelerated Education, Fast Track MBA, Organizational Leadership, as well as core courses for the Associate’s of Arts degree. There are also several residency programs that are offered at the site: the Doctor of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling, MA in Urban Studies, and the College of Business and Leadership.

As aforementioned, Eastern established themselves at Falls alongside of the EU Academy Charter School, and in 2012, the charter school was expanded to accommodate more classroom space, bringing the total square footage of the facility to 59,989 feet. The charter school is a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization from Eastern, renting 37,461 of EU’s 59,989 feet from the university. The charter school encompasses grades 7-12, drawing students from across the Philadelphia area. Much like Eastern’s degree programs, the charter school rents out eighteen classrooms, a computer lab, two lecture halls, a nurse’s office, two lounges, seven offices, a small lunchroom, and a large, multi-purpose gathering area.

Sources: Falls-center.com, John Wentz (Director of Instructional Facilities, Eastern University Falls Center)