Center for New York City Affairs
Andrew White, Director
www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/
The Center for New York City Affairs is an applied policy research institute established in 1964 to investigate the impact of public policies on neighborhoods and communities in New York City. The Center is widely recognized for its role as a non-partisan broker of information and analysis and for supporting dialogue and collaboration among government agencies, nonprofit organizations, residents, reform and policy change advocates, academic researchers, and journalists. Its ultimate mission is to improve the effectiveness of local government and other public services for all citizens, especialy in low-income communities. Current CNYCA projects include Child Welfare Watch, Feet in Two Worlds, Insideschools, and College Ready Communities. The center offers an active program of public lectures and debates and academic support to the Politics and Advocacy specialization at the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy.
The Community Development Finance Lab
Kevin McQueen, Director
The Community Development Finance Project (CDFP) connects private, public, and philanthropic capital markets with the academic education in the fields of community development, social entrepreneurship, sustainability management, and urban design. Its mission is to teach an array of financial management skills to graduate students of management and urban policy. Its primary vehicle is its signature course, the Community Development Finance Lab, which engages students over two semesters in real client-based projects and building networks with working professionals in the field. CDFP is also committed to the replication of its community development and nonprofit finance curriculum and practice-based learning approach to other universities and to the sharing of knowledge through sharing applied research and and active program of civic engagement.
The Institute for Retired Professionals
Michael I. Markowitz, Director
www.newschool.edu/irp/
The Institute for Retired Professionals
was established in 1962 the nation's first university-based peer
learning community for retired and semi-retired people. This model has
since been copied at many colleges and universities. The members design
and teach their own academic curriculum and share a variety of social
and recreational activities as well. They are also encouraged to take
courses in the adult continuing education program of The New School and
to participate in other aspects of university life. The IRP also
sponsors a notable program of public lectures and other public events at
The New School. Membership is opened twice a year. Visit the website
for more information.
The Observatory on Latin America
Michael Cohen, Director
www.observatorylatinamerica.org
The Observatory on Latin America (OLA) was founded in 2006 for the purpose of generating multiple narratives and opportunities for public discussion about the new and dynamic processes of reform and renewal in the Western hemisphere. OLA supports both academic study of and public debate about contemporary political and economic forces and conflicts in the region. OLA is equally concerned with generating a public dialogue between people and governments in the United States and Latin America and on understanding the challenges of building social democracy in the emerging global economy of the 21st century. The observatory provides opportunities for Latin American leaders to express their views directly to audiences in the United States.
The Social Innovation Initiative
Steering Committee: Michele Kahane, Cynthia Lawson, Judy Mejia, Mary Watson, Tony Whitfield
www.newschool.edu/social-innovation/
Successful social innovation requires enhancing the capabilities of individuals, organizations, and communities to devise effective, just, and sustainable solutions to social and environmental problems. The Social Innovation Initiative is a academic partnership designed to provide New School students in all divisions with skills to become versatile change leaders across diverse career pathways and within diverse sectors of society. This community of faculty and students engages in curricular and extracurricular educational experiences that address a range of contemporary social and environmental challenges, developing a foundation of understanding about social innovation, a body of applied research, creative and professional practice, and original methods of experiential teaching and learning. The initiative is supported by The New School for Public Engagement, Eugene Lang College, and Parsons. It was catalyzed by an 2009 invitation from Ashoka University in Japan for The New School to join its Changemaker Campus Initiative.
The Vera List Center for Art and Politics
Carin Kuoni, Director
www.newschool.edu/vlc/
The Vera List Center for Art and Politics was established with an endowment from the late university trustee Vera G. List with a mission to explore the role of art in
promoting a civic culture of tolerance and pluralism in the United
States. The center supports research and public forums responsive to urgent social
and political issues and their articulation by
visual and performing artists. Its activities engage the New School
community, the people of New York City, and national and international
audiences in an an ongoing search for new possibilities of progressive civic engagement.
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