From vintage educational memorabilia to cutting-edge drones and 3D printers, the UFT Spring Education Conference’s exhibit hall put the best of New York City’s career and technical education high schools on display.

More than 2,000 middle and high schoolers from New York City public schools went to the UFT’s prom boutique on May 10-11 at the union’s Bronx borough office where they picked out dresses, shoes, jewelry and accessories for their proms and graduations – and took them home for free.

The UFT Players performed six original one-act plays at UFT headquarters in Manhattan on May 9.

Betty Silverman’s husband, daughter and granddaughter — who are all former or current New York City public school teachers — celebrated the 20th anniversary of the scholarship named for her at the District 24 Scholarship Dinner Dance on May 21. 

The UFT presented $5,000 Albert Shanker Scholarships to 180 seniors from public high schools throughout the city and also honored eight graduate students on May 14 at a reception and ceremony in Shanker Hall at union headquarters in Manhattan. The ceremony marked the 50th anniversary of the annual $1 million scholarship awards celebration.

“Compassion, empathy, dedication, courage and creativity are part of our DNA,” declared UFT President Michael Mulgrew to the nearly 1,800 UFT members packed into the ballroom at the New York Hilton Midtown on May 18 for the union’s annual Spring Education Conference. These qualities, he said, helped the UFT thrive in a year of threats.