More than 350 UFT members, family and friends gathered at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown on March 15 for the UFT Asian Heritage Committee’s annual Lunar New Year banquet.

The UFT Muslim Educators Committee celebrated its first Iftar dinner on March 15 at UFT headquarters. Members broke their Ramadan fast, prayed, socialized and celebrated.

Nearly 700 paraprofessionals attended the UFT’s annual Paraprofessionals Festival & Awards Luncheon on March 23 at the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan. Fifteen paraprofessionals were honored for their outstanding service. Attendees participated in workshops to strengthen their practice and enjoyed a carnival featuring games and self-care. This year’s theme was “Superheroes of Education: Celebrating our Paraprofessional Powers.”

At this clinic for all UFT members in the Teachers' Retirement System, we'll introduce the retirement planning process, provide information about understanding your Annual Benefit Statement and discuss the death benefit for survivors if a member dies.

Register to attend a virtual Pathways to Parenthood workshop to learn about your parental leave benefits. These workshops are open to DOE-employed members in any borough. This workshop is an excellent opportunity for members who are about to give birth or adopt to get crucial information about the paid parental leave benefits that we fought so hard to win for UFT members. Space is limited so please only register if you need this information now.

Register to attend a virtual Pathways to Parenthood workshop to learn about your parental leave benefits. These workshops are open to DOE-employed members in any borough. This workshop is an excellent opportunity for members who are about to give birth or adopt to get crucial information about the paid parental leave benefits that we fought so hard to win for UFT members. Space is limited so please only register if you need this information now.

Register for the 11th Annual Provider Awards Ceremony celebrating the exceptional service of educators to children and families across New York City. The ceremony will feature awards presentations, dinner, and dancing, making it a night to cherish.

If you're a retired UFT member who elected to defer their Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA), and you're approaching 72 or already are 72, we encourage you to register for this online workshop. We'll be joined by experts from the Teachers' Retirement System, Board of Education Retirement System and Groom Law Group who will provide information about your TDA's required minimum distribution (RMD).

Keynote speaker Eric Litwin, the original author of the “Pete the Cat” series, told stories and sang songs as he encouraged the 400 members who attended the UFT’s 16th annual Early Childhood Conference at UFT headquarters to put their whole selves into reading and acting out books for young readers. Members attended hands-on workshops about creating literacy activities, activities for English language learners, fun math games and more.