The Academic Summer Camp on Neighborhood Development is designed to improve the skills of middle school students in reading, writing, research and computer use. By working on a neighborhood development project on the East Side, the students also develop skills in critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving. The camp is hosted annually by the Center for Urban Studies on the South Campus in partnership with the Erie County Youth Bureau, UB’s Liberty Partnerships Program, UB’s Community Relations and Say Yes to Education Buffalo. The summer program has an open enrollment policy for students from across the city, although children from East Side zip codes, highest in need, are its prime target population. The Academic Summer Camp on Neighborhood Development is a problem-based and project-centered learning program. It seeks to reinforce skills in reading, writing, research, computer use, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving by having students work on real-world projects during an intensive six-week summer program. This program is based on the nationally recognized “Mini-Education Pipeline” program developed by the Center for Urban Studies and has four interrelated goals: (1) stop the summer loss of learning, (2) increase student motivation, (3) build interactive relationships with the students’ parents and (4) instill college-going culture in students and their parents/caregivers.
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Professional Staff Senate Clothing Drive
The Professional Staff Senate (PSS) Clothing Drive has occurred annually since 2011, alternating between winter and summer to allow for a variety of clothing donations to occur. This project has been spearheaded by the Professional Staff Senate with the Chairs and Vice Chairs taking the lead on the effort, but also relying heavily on all professional staff throughout the university to assist in donating, collecting, organizing and finally distributing clothing to those in need in the Buffalo community. Director of Community Relations Linwood Roberts Jr. also contributes significant assistance to this project each year.
UB Neighbor South Campus Edition (newsletter)
UB Neighbor South Campus Edition is a UB publication aimed at providing the most up-to-date news on UB development, projects and collaborations that affect our South Campus neighbors. Released several times each year, the UB Neighbor is available for pickup at Allen Hall on South Campus, and at various neighborhood businesses. This newsletter currently goes out to over 18,000 households within and around the South Campus communities.
UB on the Green
UB on the Green is a free, outdoor, family-friendly festival of music, dance and fun, celebrating summer in the South Campus neighborhood. Community residents bring their own lawn chairs, food and drinks to Hayes Hall Lawn, and enjoy great entertainment, hands-on activities, and dynamic demonstrations and workshops. UB on the Green features an exciting theme each night, including “Unity in the Community & Health Care Fair Night,” “Arts & Culture Night” and “Athletics Night.”
Allstate Entrepreneur Support Program
The Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs (MWEE) program creates opportunities for individuals leading minority-owned and women-owned enterprises into advanced stages of development. The program’s mission is to construct a pathway that enables minority and women entrepreneurs to move their companies to the next stage of development. The Allstate Entrepreneur Support Program uses the principles of the Allstate MWEE Program but brings the resources directly to the entrepreneurs’ neighborhoods in order to have a larger impact — this is because the focus is on one designated business community. The first pilot was conducted in the Kensington/Bailey business district.
Universtywide School Supply Drive
The School Supply Drive is a two-month universitywide charitable drive for school supplies to benefit pre-K through eighth grade students at schools situated around our three campuses: Futures Academy, Bilingual Center, Martin Luther King Multicultural Institute, Highgate Heights Elementary and Westminster Community Charter School. UB employees drop off items in the designated collection boxes throughout the North, South and Downtown campuses that include paper, pencils, rulers, planners, markers, folders, and more. The 2013 program doubled in size from the previous year–with an unprecedented amount of supplies donated and distributed.
Operation Doorhanger
Preparing educated citizens, strengthening democratic values and civic responsibility by distributing safety information throughout the University Heights area and encouraging responsible behavior.
UB a Good Neighbor
UB a Good Neighbor involves UB students from various clubs, fraternities and as individuals, in the effort to help beautify the neighborhood adjacent to the South Campus.
UB Neighbors Day Block Party and Safety Fair
This event is designed to build community between the year-round residents of the neighborhood around the South Campus and the students who reside there. The event begins with a parade through the neighborhood featuring UB student athletes and the Thunder of the East Marching Band that encourages students and neighbors to follow to the lawn in front of Hayes Hall where live music, a barbecue and information from university and community service providers are available. The event includes games and activities and ends with a safety demonstration by Environmental Health and Safety and the Buffalo Fire Department. Additional locations: Hayes Hall lawn; South Campus
Economic Opportunity Panel (EOP) report
The first recommendation in the report, “Opening Economic Opportunity Around UB’s Growing Downtown Presence: Report of the University at Buffalo and St. John Baptist Church Economic Opportunity Panel,” (EOP report), requested that pathways to economic opportunity among UB and its partners be “illuminated.” In response, the Office of Educational Collaboration & Engagement (ECE) created a network of EOP partner agencies and individuals offering employment, education and/or training relevant to workforce opportunities in the downtown medical corridor. Working together with EOP partners, ECE hosted a workshop on the Downtown Campus where leaders from the health care sector, joined by one of the principal architects of the Buffalo Billion initiative, shared information specific to growth plans and employment needs for the region. A follow-up health careers forum provided opportunities for community members to talk with employers who had job openings. As a result of these efforts, a broader workforce plan was initiated that would bring a city-wide workforce strategy that emphasized the involvement of anchor institutions.