Tag Archives: community semester

Student Stories

Community Semester Story: Sephora Wembo … in Her Own Words

My name is Sephora Wembo and I am a senior at CUNY’s Hunter College majoring in Sociology and minoring in Women and Gender Studies, graduating this December. In the fall of 2019, I got nominated by my professor to take part in the Community Leadership Program at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. When I heard about this amazing opportunity, I was excited to take part because I wanted to broaden my experience and skills and further my education in order to become a social worker.

The Community Semester program was an intensive academic and service-learning experience. It gave me the opportunity to not only learn academically but also outside the classroom with an internship. When I began this program, I kept on hearing the words “community organizing” and I had no idea what that meant. I now know that community organizing means empowering people in underrepresented communities to fight for issues that affect them. In class we not only learned about the subjects academically, but also got to experience them firsthand. For example, I attended one campaign in the city called “Housing Justice for All.” It was really empowering to see a lot of organizations come together to work for change in their communities.

Continue reading Community Semester Story: Sephora Wembo … in Her Own Words →

Exciting Opportunities, Murphy News, Urban Studies

Murphy Institute Introduces: Community Semester (Extended Deadline)

APPLICATION DEADLINES EXTENDED!!
Undergraduate applications: July 11th
Graduate applications: June 13th

A Full-Time Academic and Community Service Experience in NYC

Be a leader. Put your passion for social justice to work. Earn credits and financial support toward your educational expenses.

Community Semester is a full-time, intensive academic and internship program that provides students with an opportunity to put their passion for social justice to work, both inside and outside the classroom.  Students learn first-hand how community-based organizations fight for environmental justice, housing rights, immigrant rights, tenants’ rights, economic justice, youth engagement, neighborhood resilience, civic justice, and community empowerment by contributing to the movement themselves.  Students analyze the experience they gain in the field by studying community organizing, community development, government, and nonprofit leadership, and by sharing their work experiences with fellow Community Semester interns and with students in Murphy’s sister program, Union Semester.

The program welcomes students entering our BA in Urban and Community Studies and our MA in Urban Studies.

Students participate in Community Semester to:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of social movements
  • Gain experience working for a community-based organization
  • Sharpen their analytic skills in order to be more effective in their studies or on the job
  • Obtain professional experience that can help build a career path in social justice
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Begin building a lifelong professional network
  • Earn credits and financial support toward educational expenses

For more information contact:  Community Semester Program Coordinator, Crystal Joseph crystal.joseph@cuny.edu or call: 212-857-1966. Applications for Fall 2016 due May 1, 2016.

The growing list of host sites includes GOLES, Urban Justice Center, Community Voices Heard and more.

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