About 2,400 UFT members and their families enjoyed carnival games, bounce houses, prizes, gifts, plenty of food and a DJ playing music at the fourth annual UFT Family Day at a sports center in Garden City, Long Island. Members also perused booths offering information about union programs like the UFT Legal Plan, the UFT Welfare Fund and student debt relief.

Over 250 school secretaries, colleagues and loved ones gathered at UFT headquarters to applaud school secretaries for all the ways in which they contribute to their school communities.

About 300 members and guests attended the 60th annual RTC Luncheon in Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters. During a memorable event of union engagement, accolades, food and music, 10 RTC members were awarded for their activism and advocacy, while members with 50, 60 and 70 years of service were honored for their decadeslong dedication.

There are as many reasons to seek counseling as there are people. In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Loredana Zito, a licensed mental health counselor and school psychologist, joins us to demystify the counseling experience. Together, we explore why people seek therapy, how to find the right fit in a counselor and what to expect in those first few sessions. Stigma sometimes prevents people from seeking mental health care, but asking for support is an act of strength.

The UFT Asian American Heritage Committee celebrated AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month on May 22 with its annual banquet, at which about 200 members and friends took part at a Manhattan restaurant.

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.

More than 1,100 UFT members filled the New York Hilton Midtown on May 16 for the UFT’s annual Spring Education Conference, where attendees enjoyed a day of professional development, a town hall on class size, speeches by local and state officials and a gala luncheon.

More than 300 high school educators and their guests gathered at UFT headquarters to honor the achievements of two dozen members and schools during a celebration that heralded the ties that bind us.

About 300 nurses and their guests attended the Federation of Nurses/UFT’s annual Nurse Recognition Day dinner at UFT headquarters in Manhattan. Twenty-five nurses were honored for their outstanding contributions in advocacy, union service, performance and leadership.