More than 80 parent leaders, students and UFT members came together at the Queens borough office on Nov. 23 for the Queens Power Summit, an event that offered a range of informative sessions designed to empower attendees with skills and knowledge to strengthen their communities.

About 350 UFT members who retired from service in 2024 assembled at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 5 to toast to their life after New York City public schools. The recent retirees were treated to a sumptuous lunch as well as a vendor fair where they learned about health care options such as the UFT Welfare Fund’s Supplemental Health Insurance Program and retiree programs such as the Si Beagle Learning Centers.

More than three dozen members turned out for Bingo Night at the union’s Queens borough office on Nov. 22 to raise awareness of the UFT Committee on Political Education (COPE), the UFT’s political action arm that is funded entirely by voluntary contributions. In addition to bingo, members enjoyed classic board and card games such as Uno, spades, Chutes and Ladders, Jenga and Connect Four.

More than 70 parents, guardians and children turned out on Nov. 9 for the UFT’s Staten Island Family Partnership Summit. The event, held at PS 20 on Staten Island, consisted of two morning plenary sessions, afternoon workshops and an exhibit fair.

The UFT commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Success Via Apprenticeship program at the 2025 Career and Technical Education Awards Recognition Ceremony, which was held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on Feb. 26. The UFT and the CTE industry gave out about 130 awards to union members and community partners and recognized 45 K-12 educators who have brought CTE into their classrooms. Many of the honorees trained under SVA, a program begun in 1984 to stave off a shortage of CTE educators.

The UFT Muslim Educators Committee celebrated its second annual Iftar dinner on March 7 at UFT headquarters. About 75 people broke their Ramadan fast by drinking milk and water and eating dates and then enjoying a hearty dinner. They prayed, spoke about the pillars of Ramadan and the purpose of fasting, and held a Q&A session for guests to learn about other aspects of Islam.

UFT members celebrated African heritage and honored educators, students and colleagues at the 22nd annual UFT African Heritage Committee Awards Dinner on Feb. 7 at Antun’s in Queens Village.

About a thousand members of the UFT’s Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter gathered online on Jan. 27 with another 380 members in person for a day of professional development, networking and bonding in what was the chapter’s most-attended Clinicians Appreciation Day event.

About 1,000 UFT members and parents spent March 10 in Albany, lobbying legislators and hearing from Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state officials on key issues for the union. They spoke with lawmakers about fixing Tier 6, banning cellphones in schools, providing adequate state aid to schools, protecting students and school communities from cuts to federal aid, and maintaining vital UFT programs like United Community Schools and the UFT Teacher Center.

School counselors gathered at UFT headquarters eager to connect and network with their colleagues under the theme, “Unlocking Potential — One Student at a Time.” School counselors enjoyed breakfast and lunch and a full day of professional development workshops.