Columbia University
PAE-19: Community Sustainability Partnerships

Through the Office of Government and Community Affairs, Columbia engages with several dozen community organizations, providing sponsorship, services and support. The West Harlem Community Benefits Agreement -Between the West Harlem Local Development Corporation and the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, signed May 18, 2009 -As part of the New York State approval process, the Empire State Development Corporation adopted a General Project Plan (GPP) for Manhattanville expansion -Included in the GPP are a number of commitments, termed Amenities, which will benefit the local community -These amenities reinforce many of the programmatic elements reflected in the Community Benefits Agreement, as well as a number of additional initiatives that largely fall into the following broad categories: o Civic Facility Improvements i.e. I.S. 195 Playground Enhancement, West Harlem Piers Maintenance, Subway Escalator Upgrade, Viaduct Lighting, Shuttle Bus for the Elderly/Disabled o Community Access to Columbia Facilities i.e. Community Swimming Access, Community Meeting Space, Artist Space, Community Information Center, Wireless Internet Access o Health Care and Related Services i.e. Mind, Brain, Behavior Education Center, Mind, Brain, Behavior Public Outreach Center, Pre-school Mobile Dental Center, Seniors Dental Health Screening o Education i.e. 40 Undergraduate Scholarships for 25 years, 3 Graduate Scholarships for Teachers, 50 Two Course Scholarships for Life Long Learners for 25 years, 49-Year Land Lease, 25-year Curriculum Assistance, and 25-year access to libraries and computer facilities for the Math, Science, Engineering Secondary School, 50 Course Auditing Programs, 10 3-year Community Scholars Program o Youth and Senior Services i.e. Senior Citizen Center, Seasonal Athletic Clinics for Upper Manhattan Youth, 25 Summer Camp Scholarships, Outreach for Disconnected Youth, 15 Summer Internships for 5 years o Business Development and Job Training i.e. MWL Pilot Program Funding, Workforce Training Program, Medical Technician Training Program, Community Job Training o Waterfront Revitalization Now in its third year, the Washington Heights Farmer’s Market is open every Tuesday throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall. The market runs along the west side of Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets adjacent to the Hammer Health Sciences Building on the campus of Columbia University Medical Center. It offers students, faculty, staff, visitors, and local community residents the opportunity to purchase at reasonable prices healthy fresh fruits and vegetable and an assortment of other all natural products. On selected Tuesdays, the CUMC Office of Government & Community Affairs, sponsors lunchtime musical performances in front of the Hammer steps by CUMC employees or local artists. Columbia Facilities has also had contractors donate time, extra furniture and floors to single mothers with children and drug dependency. Community Service Initiatives, http://communityservice.columbia.edu/ Community Benefits Agreement, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gca/pdf-files/CBAAgreement.pdf