NYU Steinhardt's one-of-a-kind integration of education, communication, health, and the arts puts us at the heart of a movement: education for social change.
Our mission is to advance knowledge, creativity, and innovation at the crossroads of culture, education, and human development.
NYU Steinhardt was founded in 1890 as the first school of education at an American university. Its creation was groundbreaking; it allowed female teachers to get a university education at a time when women didn’t yet have the right to vote.
Among the School’s first students were teachers and administrators of all races and ethnicities, who took the ideals of higher education from their classrooms out into New York City’s diverse communities. It was the mission of our founders to give both teachers and students tools for social and economic mobility.
Today, NYU Steinhardt is a diverse, dynamic, uniquely interdisciplinary school devoted to a holistic understanding of people and human development across the lifespan. Here, members of our community study art, music, culture, media and communications, health and wellness, education, and more. Each day, we foster equity by supporting the research, scholarship, and practices that advance the education, health, and well-being of people and communities worldwide.
At its best, education can offer a solution to pressing social problems and enrich the world we live in. We thank you for joining us in this movement and invite you to accompany us as we continue in our mission.
— Jack H. Knott, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean
Social Impact
Keeping Girls Out of the Prison Pipeline
Associate Professor of Applied Psychology Shabnam Javdani’s ROSES supports young, system-involved girls through community-based advocacy.
Children Affected by the Syrian Refugee Crisis are Effectively Learning Numbers, Letters, and "Emotional ABCs" through the Ahlan Simsim Initiative
NYU Steinhardt’s Global TIES research finds that introducing an Arabic version of Sesame Street, along with support services, helped kids "not just survive, but thrive."
Alumni Spotlight: Betsy Riley (BS ’09)
Media, Culture, and Communication alum Betsy Riley (BS ’09), alongside NYU Gallatin alum Elizabeth Myer (BA ’09), created a next generation breastfeeding experience for today’s parents.
Faculty Thought Leadership
“Gastronativism” Wins 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Award
The book by Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies Fabio Parasecoli explores the ideological use of food to advance ideas about who belongs to a community and who does not.
Arts Activities Promote Health: An Interview with Dr. Nisha Sajnani
The University Hospitals of Geneva magazine interviewed Nisha Sajnani, Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Drama Therapy and co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab at NYU Steinhardt established in collaboration with the WHO, about the health benefits of the arts.
Covid Pandemic May Have Changed the Gut Bacteria of Infants, Research Finds
Findings by Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology Natalie H. Brito have implications for physical and mental health at life’s early stages.
2022-2023 in Outreach
As many pre-pandemic activities on campus resumed this year, students, staff, and faculty from across NYU Steinhardt also came together to support the New York City community and beyond.
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Masks were upcycled and contributed to The Parachute Project, an art therapy program focused on post-traumatic growth.
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NYC DOE educators received professional development around neurodivergence and inclusive practices from the ASD Nest Support Project at NYU Steinhardt.
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People participated in art therapy-based projects led by the NYU Steinhardt Art Therapy program.
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Neighbors joined NYU Steinhardt’s programs in Drama Therapy and Educational Theatre for “Parade: Celebrating Community in Action.”
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Veterans used Shakespeare to overcome the effects of military trauma as part of an NYU Steinhardt professor's research program.
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Residents of Sunrise East 56, an assisted living community, attended weekly concerts performed onsite by NYU Steinhardt Piano Studies students.
Disability Covid Chronicles
The NYU Center for Disability Studies is documenting the experiences of disabled and chronically ill people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disabled people, especially people of color and those living in nursing homes or other congregate housing, have been at greatest risk of infection and death from COVID-19.
The NYU Center for Disability Studies is documenting the experiences of disabled and chronically ill people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disabled people, especially people of color and those living in nursing homes or other congregate housing, have been at greatest risk of infection and death from COVID-19.
Creating Connections in the Queer Community Through Food
Meet Gabby Lenart, founder of This Queer Kitchen and a graduate of NYU Steinhardt's Food Studies program.
Meet Gabby Lenart, founder of This Queer Kitchen and graduate student in NYU Steinhardt's Food Studies program. After creating an Instagram account for a Food Studies assignment, Gabby turned This Queer Kitchen into a business that creates connections and safe spaces for the queer community through food.