Around the UFT

The UFT gave away books and almost 1,500 backpacks to families attending the annual Harlem Week festival in the historic Manhattan neighborhood. More than 2,500 visitors stopped by the UFT’s table on Aug. 16.

The UFT distributed 1,600 backpacks filled with school supplies and other resources — a 30% increase over last year's event — at this year's Staten Island Back-to-School BBQ.

The UFT gave out $5,000 college scholarships to 164 high school students and 12 graduate students at the 57th annual Albert Shanker College Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 2 at UFT headquarters. 


The UFT’s New Member Initiative and Member Assistance Program welcomed new educators this school year with activity-based events in all five boroughs to foster fun, community and learning. 


Over 100 students, family members and educators gathered in Shanker Hall on May 21 to celebrate Students of NYC, a UFT social media initiative highlighting the stories of middle and high school students.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew reminded the more than 1,100 educators at this year's Spring Education Conference that they are the protectors of students' hopes and dreams as he praised members' tenacity in rallying them to continue standing up to ongoing threats to public education.