It was a night of food, festivity and recognition as members of the UFT African Heritage Committee gathered in Queens for the group’s 19th annual Awards Dinner Dance on Feb. 4, honoring the UFT’s Sterling Roberson with the Trailblazer Award, Queens Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman with the Frederick Douglass Award for Civil and Human Rights, and special education teacher Diamond Skinner with the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for Teacher Excellence.

Cogen Award winner Ellie Engler made a habit of keeping UFT members safe, from her work with the union’s Safety and Health Department, where she created the Health and Cancer Helpline and the Member Assistance Program, to her early warning about the danger of COVID-19.

The courage and hard work of members during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was recognized on Nov. 7 at the UFT's annual Teacher Union Day celebration, held in Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters in Manhattan and online via Zoom.

The UFT hosted an afternoon of food, fun and free coats for students experiencing homelessness at its Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 20, when more than 130 children filled Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.

Nearly 400 school psychologists attended this year’s Psychologists Appreciation Day on Nov. 12, the chapter’s first hybrid event featuring workshops on assistive technology and intelligence assessments. 

Four UFT fall parent conferences in October and November, held virtually for the second consecutive year, drew nearly 350 parents and featured workshops, speakers, resources and surprises.