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Our Impact

In the City, of the World

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

Supporting the Newest New Yorkers

NYU Steinhardt faculty, students, and staff have risen to the challenge to help migrants and asylum seekers in New York City.

NYU Libraries Opens Low-Sensory Room for Neurodiverse Students and Others Who Benefit from a Calming Environment

The specially designed study room, first suggested by a graduate student in Steinhardt's Occupational Therapy program, is on the first floor of Bobst Library. Two more rooms will open in the spring.

ASD Nest Support Project Celebrates 20 Years

ASD Nest co-founder Dorothy Siegel, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Steinhardt Metro Center Executive Director Fabienne Doucet, and NYU President Linda G. Mills attended the special anniversary event.

Faculty Thought Leadership

Alexa, Am I Happy? How AI Emotion Recognition Falls Short

As AI systems learn to detect emotions, a Media, Culture, and Communication professor says their unreliable methods and limitations are cause for concern.

McAllister Awarded Two NIH Grants Totalling $3.5M

Funding will support biofeedback technology research for different speech-language pathology applications.

The Opportunities and Pitfalls of Place-Based Philanthropy

Nutrition and Food Studies Professor Beth Weitzman and co-authors offer key takeaways after evaluating New York’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative.

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.

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.