Urban Academy
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A packed room of students standing with their backpacks, listening to a classmate speaking at the front beneath a chalkboard and a wall covered in photographs

Community Service

Urban Academy students participate in an extensive service learning program. Each week, they work at diverse settings throughout the 5 boroughs. At their placements, the student journey follows three key pillars:

  • Productive Collaboration

    Learning how to work with adults productively in professional environments

  • Ownership of Tasks

    Assuming responsibility for tasks both menial and challenging

  • Exposure to Career Options

    Reporting back to the school community about their placement and its focus

Cut-out excerpts from community service placement evaluations, in a mix of handwriting and print, in which supervisors describe an Urban Academy volunteer taking initiative, mentoring other volunteers and being welcomed back next year

In this way, students learn about and are a part the larger community beyond four walls of our small school. Urban works with a variety of organizations all across the city -- some students choose to volunteer close to school while others prefer to connect to organizations and people in their neighborhoods.

Placement Opportunities

Our students are active across the city in diverse sectors. Current and past placements include:

  • Early Education: schools and day-care programs
  • Elderly Services
  • Parks and Environmental Organizations
  • Homeless Service and Food Banks
  • Political Advocacy and Human Rights
  • Non-profit Thrift Stores
  • Art Museums and Art Teachers' Classes
  • Animal Welfare
  • Health Services and Science Research

Become A Placement Partner

We are always looking for more placements for our students. If you are involved with a non-profit organization that would like to have one or more Urban Academy students assist, we invite you to reach out.

  • When: Wednesday afternoons
  • Time: 1:00PM - 3:15PM
  • Goal: Meaningful assistance and real-world skill-building
  • Please feel free to email our Community Service Coordinator at CommServ@urbanacademy.org