Introducing Teachers College

The Campus and NYC

The multicultural, urban environment that is New York City informs almost everything that Teachers College does.

Teacher education students do practicums in the New York City public schools. Researchers are involved in projects in more than 200 of those schools. Social and organizational psychology students work as interns in businesses from Wall Street to Midtown. Counseling psychology students work in counseling centers and schools across the urban landscape. Arts education students are interns at museums, galleries and arts organizations.

The linkages between Teachers College and New York public schools provide yet other opportunities for students to have an impact on the educational destinies of youngsters.
Under the Neff Tutorial Program, established by James Neff, a retired bank official, three Teachers College students named Neff Fellows are working with elementary school pupils to improve their reading skills. The Neff Fellows, Carolyn Choi, Amy Wolf and Barbara Iverson, master's degree candidates in the Reading Specialist Program, see groups of two to three children in the second and third grades for four 45-minute sessions per week. "What strikes me," Carolyn Choi said, reflecting the sentiments of all three, "is the individual time that I've been able to devote to children at risk."

Angela Alexander, a candidate for a master's degree in science education, is also volunteering at a homeless shelter teaching science to children in After-School Science Time. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in biology and African-American studies, Angela moved from medicine into teaching after being appalled by the sorry state of high school education she experienced as a volunteer in Philadelphia. That transformation brought her to Teachers College where she is "developing into a well-rounded educator, one who will not conform to the traditional didactic teaching methods, but effectively prepare students for the new millennium by enriching their critical thinking skills."
Beyond their practical experiences, Teachers College students can also take advantage of courses offered at one of the world's most prestigious universities by signing up for courses in other divisions of Columbia University. They can also take courses at other institutions in the area, including Union Theological Seminary and Jewish Theological Seminary.

New York City also offers a wealth of informal educational opportunities. Students can take advantage of the theaters, museums, concerts, lectures and discussion groups. The College is located in Morningside Heights, a section of Manhattan that has a long tradition of intellectual excellence. The neighborhood is also one of the safest in New York City, and the streets are usually filled with residents and tourists, browsing through the bookstores and visiting historic and architectural wonders such as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Riverside Church and Grant's Tomb.