Community Engagement and Outreach at NYU

What: Firstly, Project OutReach is a service-based preorientation program that gives new NYU students the opportunity to work with community organizations before the academic year begins.

Who: Any student who has spent at least two semesters at NYU, including students who study away during their first semester or start in the spring. Student participants additionally work with peer mentors.

Where: Last August, 110 students volunteered with community organizations throughout New York City. They performed tree stewardship at parks in the Bronx with The Bronx is Blooming, supported a Housing Works processing and distribution center, and helped with meal preparation and created cards for LGBTQ+ elders with Edie Windsor SAGE Center. What’s more, they also supported library resource organization and maintenance with the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. 

But Project OutReach isn’t just in New York City. At NYU Shanghai, students volunteered at various community service locations throughout Shanghai to strengthen their community engagement. Organizations included a cafe employing neurodiverse staff members, a hospital that facilitated corrective surgery for kids with congenital heart disease, and a nearby nursing home. 

When: Project OutReach runs in late August as a preorientation program. 

What: Next, the Alternative Breaks program sends students across the world in cohorts of eight to twelve to spend their school holidays doing community service. While there, they engage in service-led learning to collaborate with local organizations on human rights, the environment, poverty, public health, food insecurity, and community development.

Who: All NYU students in good standing.

Where: All over the globe. In January and March 2024, over 150 NYU students traveled to locations around the world. They additionally spent their winter or spring break working with host communities on issues including poverty alleviation, homelessness, public health, food justice, economic inequality, and the environment.

When: Alternative Breaks, one of NYU’s most popular community engagement opportunities, takes place during winter and spring semester breaks.

What: Ageless Friends is an elderly care initiative launched by NYU Shanghai Dean’s Service Corps, supported by Dongming Jumingxin Community Center. The program pairs student volunteers with elderly residents of the Dongming community. Students then provide residents with emotional support and companionship. Further, they facilitate intergenerational and cross-cultural communications.

Who: All NYU Shanghai students and students studying away in Shanghai.

Where: Students and their paired seniors communicate and design various activities together, including cycling, walking, sharing life stories, cooking meals, singing in the community choir, and more. 

When: Throughout the academic year. Plus, many students stay in touch with the elderly community members after the program. 

What: Jumpstart NYU is a chapter of the national early education organization that recruits and trains college students to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. What’s more, the Jumpstart curriculum helps kids develop literacy and social skills needed for kindergarten and beyond.

Who: All NYU students eligible for federal work-study. Previous teaching experience is not required—all Jumpstart Corps members receive professional-caliber training to help them implement Jumpstart’s program, promote the kids’ school success, and build family involvement.

Where: Jumpstart NYU Corps members serve in preschools on the Lower East Side. They have the unique opportunity to inspire young children to learn, work on a team, and build professional skills. 

When: Jumpstart NYU Corps Members serve part-time between eight and 15 hours per week throughout the school year.

What: Give Where You Live (GWYL) is a six-week immersive service-learning experience in which students work with community organizations to tackle social justice issues alongside peers and faculty. Each semester students engage in multiple service events, complemented by professional learning and development opportunities.

Who: All students in good standing. 

Where: GWYL engages with several community organizations in New York City. Last spring, students focused their efforts on food insecurity. To do so, they volunteered with New York Common Pantry to help distribute groceries and prepare meals for vulnerable groups. They also worked with the Food Bank For New York City, providing food items to families in need.

When: Six weeks every semester.