FOCUS on New Haven Aims to Involve Yale College Sophomores in Elm City Life

FOCUS on New Haven, a student-run organization sponsored by the Office of New Haven and State Affairs, seeks to orient rising Yale sophomores to community service and activism in the city with the goal of turning Yale students into New Haven residents.

This year, 65 participants along with 24 upperclassmen leaders, will participate in van and walking tours of New Haven and conduct a large group cleanup project at West River. Students will work in groups of about 12 in local non-profit organizations and service providers, supporting the work each agency does throughout the year and learning about its role in New Haven and the neighborhood. Participating agencies are: Life Haven, a shelter for women and children; the Hill Central School; AIDS Project New Haven; Habitat for Humanity; New Haven Land Trust, working with their community gardens; Catholic Worker House; and All Our Kin, an organization that provides quality childcare and training in early childhood education for women transitioning off welfare.

In the evening, participants will hear from local leaders in a series of panels about important city issues. This year’s topics include education, homelessness, economic development and grassroots organizing.

The program runs from Friday, August 25, through Thursday, August 31. For more information, contact FOCUS Coordinator Deidre Lehn (deidre.lehn@yale.edu), Alice Ricks (alice.ricks@yale.edu), Quinnie Tan (seongin.tan@yale.edu), or call FOCUS headquarters at 432-7104.