Penn Cultural Heritage Center
Working hand in hand with communities to identify, preserve, and protect cultural heritage around the world
By positioning communities in a leading role, the PennCHC reframes the preservation of cultural heritage within a context of social, political, and economic development.
The Penn Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC), a research center at the Penn Museum, is committed to the preservation of cultural heritage as part of the foundation for social justice worldwide. The PennCHC implements a bottom-up approach to heritage preservation, ensuring that ideas, decisions, and narratives about the past rest in the hands of local communities.
Founded in 2008 and directed by Richard M. Leventhal, the PennCHC draws upon the expertise of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and collaborates with researchers across the University of Pennsylvania and beyond whose research intersects with contemporary heritage issues. Since its inception, the PennCHC has created forums that bring together academics with non-academic stakeholders in cultural property policy programs.