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
How Music Can Help Heal Trauma and Connect Communities
As part of the UN’s Healing Arts Week, Steinhardt hosted a symposium exploring the ways music, art, theater, and dance can improve health and well-being. Director of Music Therapy Ken Aigen explains music's healing power.
Nutrition and Food Studies Research Benefits New York Communities
This is the second in a series of articles highlighting how Nutrition and Food Studies faculty are combining research insights and applied expertise to bring positive change to New York City.
Heddy Lahmann Leads International Youth Musicians in Cultural Exchange
700+ students participated in cultural exchange and peacebuilding workshops as part of Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week (WOW!) Festival.
Faculty Thought Leadership
Joseph Cimpian Finds Most Selective Universities Reduce STEM Gender Gap
Research from the professor of economics and education policy shows that more selective U.S. universities approach gender parity in physics, engineering, and computer science—while less selective ones see widening gaps.
Elisabeth King Publishes Article on Intersection of Food and Peacebuilding
The vice dean for faculty affairs and professor of international education and politics wrote “Hypotheses on Food and Peace: Five Ways to Use Social Gastronomy for Peacebuilding.”
Educators and Parents Reveal Culture of Fear, Censorship, and Loss of Learning Opportunities in the Wake of Florida Policies
A new study finds that “education restriction” policies reduce opportunities and support offered in public schools, even without parents’ knowledge.
Recent Outreach
Students, staff, and faculty from across NYU Steinhardt came together to support the New York City community and beyond.