Eight teachers, three paraprofessionals, eight students, two principals and three PTA presidents received awards at the UFT District 11 Scholarship Dinner on March 28 before a gathering of 540 attendees at a Bronx restaurant.

More than 1,600 UFT members crowded Broadway from City Hall Park to City Hall in a Rally for RESPECT on April 2 – Paraprofessional Appreciation Day – to call on the New York City Council to pass legislation to give paraprofessionals an annual "RESPECT check" of $10,000 to help address a dire shortage of paraprofessionals

Women supporting and empowering other women was a key theme of the UFT’s seventh annual HERstory brunch that brought together about 175 members and guests to celebrate women’s role in the UFT and the broader labor movement.

On April 2, which was national Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, thousands of UFT members wore blue to work in solidarity with their paraprofessional colleagues. Also that day, school chapters across the city organized ways to recognize their paraprofessionals.

UFT members and their loved ones showed up and showed out on June 29 as they marched in the city’s annual Pride March, demonstrating both their LGBTQ+ and union pride.

About 160 members of the Retired Teachers Chapter gathered at UFT headquarters on June 13 for the UFT Welfare Fund Department of Retiree Programs’ 30th annual Day at the University. They were schooled on such topics as elder law and the U.S. Supreme Court, learned about luminaries including Billy Joel and John Lennon and the Beatles, and got to see New York City through the eyes of famous artists.

UFT members citywide participated in the union's May 6 Day of Action to turn the heat up on state lawmakers to fix Tier 6 of the pension system. Members in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan held simultaneous rallies; Bronx members passed out leaflets at three major transit hubs; and  Staten Island members held in-school actions. Their top demand:  Allow public school educators to retire with an unreduced pension at age 55 with 30 years of service.

The UFT organized social events in each borough this year where the union’s newest members made connections, learned more about the UFT and built community. New members took part in bowling, painting, a scavenger hunt and immersive team-building games across the city.

About 200 members, students and their guests attended the 19th annual Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration on May 27 at UFT headquarters. The UFT Speech Improvement Chapter recognized speech teachers and their students for exceptional projects completed in speech therapy, showcasing the breadth and depth of therapies that speech teachers provide.

Some 250 school secretaries, colleagues and loved ones gathered at UFT headquarters on June 6 to celebrate the union’s 38th annual school secretaries award celebration. School secretaries were applauded for all the ways in which they contribute to their schools, from handling payroll to welcoming parents and other visitors.