The Program

Community Organizing (PSC 31147) is a 3-credit course that introduces students to community organizing as practiced throughout U.S. history, with an emphasis on grassroots, power-building approaches currently practiced in NYC. It includes an overview of the theories and methods of community organizing; case-studies of historical examples; discussions with guest organizers from community organizations around the city; and field observations of internal and public events organized by one of our community partner organizations.

This course currently runs only in the Fall semester, on Monday evenings from 5-7:30pm. If possible, we strongly recommend that students take this course first – prior to Community-Based Research and Internship Seminar 1.

Community-Based Research (PSC 31051) is a 3-credit course that introduces students to the principles and practices of community-based and advocacy research. It covers how and why community-based research differs from traditional academic approaches to research and engages with local community organizing efforts, which gives students the opportunity to co-design and carry out a research project with direct relevance and application.

This course currently runs only in the Spring semester, on Monday evenings from 5-7:30pm. If possible, we recommend that students take this course after completing Community Organizing.

Community Change Internship 1 (SSC 31300) is a 1-credit course that prepares students for internships with grassroots organizations that embrace community organizing as an approach to change. It orients students to the organizational landscape and day-to-day work of community organizing through panel discussions and skill-building workshops with community partners. Over the course of the semester, internship placements are made through a case-by-case matching process that takes into account the student’s particular interests, skills, schedule, and neighborhood/community connections, as well as the needs and capacity of our community partners.

This course meets every Wednesday from 5:45-6:45pm and is offered in the fall and spring semesters. To take this course, students must either have already completed or be simultaneously registered for Community Organizing. If possible, we recommend that students complete Community Organizing and Community-Based Research prior to this course. For students who take this course in the fall, the internship itself takes place during the subsequent spring semester, with the potential option to begin during the winter break. For students who take this course in the spring, the internship takes place during the summer and/or subsequent fall semester.

Community Change Internship 2 (SSC 31400) is a 3-credit course that includes a 150 hour internship AND an ongoing weekly seminar. The internship provides students with the opportunity to engage directly with the theory and practice of community organizing and community-based research beyond the classroom, and to make a contribution to some aspect of a community partner’s work.

The seminar involves reflection and discussion of lessons being learned through students’ internship experiences, as well as skill-building and professional development workshops with community partners; it meets every Wednesday from 5:45-6:45. Students must take this course in the semester following Community Change Internship 1.

New York Politics (PSC 21104), has the subtitle, “Activist New York,” and is offered every Fall. It is a contemporary and historical survey of grassroots community organizing around selected policy areas. Special topics courses in housing and homelessness activism, taught by leaders in the field, and open to participants in community organizations, have social science (SSC) numbers and are taught both semesters.