How will you serve your new community?

Columbia Urban Experience (CUE) is a week-long service focused pre-orientation program, held August 18- 25, 2013 that introduces incoming first-year Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, Barnard College, and GS/JTS Joint Program students to community service opportunities throughout New York City, coupled with a critical exploration of service.

Connect with your community.

VOLUNTEER during the week with one of ten sites, such as the Harlem YMCA, Project ACHIEVE, and Gods Love We Deliver. Each site is chosen to familiarize and expose CUE-ers with the social needs of New York City and its inhabitants. CUE-ers volunteer with 3-5 other first-years and one leader each day. CUE also emphasizes “service learning” through nightly dinner discussions and a panel of prominent New York City service leaders and activists.

Connect with your city.

EXPLORE New York. Connect with the New York City community on several levels, both through service and by exploring all that NYC has to offer! Working and serving diverse communities through our CUE sites, students  connect with the city on a personal level. Additionally, every night CUE-ers select from one of four amazing social programs and travel throughout the city on free night activities. CUE-ers see New York’s best attractions, including excursions to Bryant Park, Harlem Bowling Lanes, the Nuyorican Poets Café, Yankee Stadium, and the Brooklyn Bridge. CUE-ers end the week with our infamous Scavenger Hunt, which introduces participants to activities in all five boroughs of the city.

Connect with your class.

MEET fellow classmates that share common interests and develop bonds that will last far beyond the duration of the week. Participants live together in an upper-classmen residence hall with CUE leaders. CUE provides an intimate setting in which new students form friendships that last a lifetime.

Want more information? Download our brochure or email us.

Become a CUE-er!

Unfortunately, the deadline for this year's program has passed. 

Important Deadlines for the 2013 Program

May 1: Program Applications Available

June 5: Program Applications Due

June 7: Financial Aid Applications Due