The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement in partnership with marginalized communities. CUP’s work addresses the needs of communities organizing for social change around complex public policies and decision-making processes that impact their lives, from affordable housing to labor rights. By collaborating directly with communities to create accessible and visual explanations on issues important to them, CUP provides individuals with the tools to claim their rights, advocate for their needs, and fight for social justice.

In 2021, our work reached over 60,000 people in New York City and beyond. Building on 20 years of deep collaboration with NYC based organizations, our work has expanded to the national scale, as in our collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Center for Court Innovation on graphic novels for child victims and witnesses of crime. We have recently expanded and deepened our training programs on community-engaged design practices with a racial justice and equity lens, focusing on designers with the support of the Ford Foundation, and launching a training academy for local government workers across the country, with support from the Luce Foundation. Our work has been nationally recognized with a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Institutional Achievement and the Curry Stone Design Prize, and has been featured in publications and exhibits around the world, most recently at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver’s exhibit Citizenship: A Practice of Society.

CUP’s programs continue to deepen and expand their impact. We are completing a 5-year strategic plan to guide the organization’s growth and development in a sustainable and equitable way over the next five years. The new Executive Director will play a critical role in implementing that plan and continuing to build the strong foundation for CUP’s future growth.

CUP is also a great place to work and grow! We have an amazing staff and board, made up of fun, creative, and hardworking people committed to racial justice and equity and to the power of design in effecting change. Find out more about our work and our values at: http://welcometoCUP.org