Highbridge Neighborhood Initiative

Fordham University is committed to engaging in local communities in the Bronx and Manhattan through community engaged learning classes, community development activities, and events, volunteer projects connecting Fordham stakeholders and external communities and partners, and so much more. The Highbridge Neighborhood Initiative reflects multiple projects connecting the University to Bronx residents young and old, including the Highbridge Farmer's Market and programming with Highbridge Voices, a youth development organization with a focus on music.

Highbridge neighborhood satelite photo from Google Maps

Fordham University students in "Ecology and Economics of Food Systems", taught by Dawn Fariello (Biology) and Andrew Simons (Economics) envisioned the project and volunteered at the market from day 1 to create awareness to different types of produce, learning about community preferences to ensure the market reflects the tastes of the area.

Highbridge Voices (HBV) teaches music theory and voice to middle school and high school students, and offers mentorship, homework help, and enrichment activities too. HBV students spent time with Fordham administrators and students who facilitated workshops in areas including neighborhood and city geography, ecology of air quality, and more, concluding with a trip to the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show, which featured local models of New York City landmarks the students learned about, including the Highbridge Tower.

Community Partners

Highbridge Voices

Catholic Charities of New York

Mary Mitchell Family Center

Essen Health

Testimonials

“It’s kind of cool to see how you can apply what you’re learning in a classroom to the real world outside the gates of Fordham. It was nice to talk to people on a deeper level rather than, ‘How many pumpkins do you want, or how many apples do you want? “It’s kind of the equivalent of working out. You just feel nice about it afterward, because you’ve interacted with so many people, and you see the smile on people’s faces when they get the produce, and they know it’s good food.” Julio Farach-Varona, current Fordham University undergraduate student

"Highbridge Voices (HBV) staff and students have had the wonderful pleasure of working with Fordham University to provide its students with academic and SEL (social & emotional learning) support. Fordham CCEL has provided HBV with YOGA, STEM, Peer Mentorship, Tutoring, and Family Workshops. Fordham University and CCEL teams have worked with the administrative manager at HBV to plan, prepare and execute the above programs. They have gone above and beyond to provide HBV with every program they wanted to implement into the program." -Aryanna Ramos, Administrative Manager, Highbridge Voices

Project Status

The Farmers Market operates yearly from April through October. Mentorship at Highbridge Voices is ongoing. STEM workshops at Highbridge Voices were conducted in Fall 2022.

Related News and Resources

Fordham News: In New Class, Addressing Climate Change and Food Insecurity

Highbridge Neighborhood Initiative

Highbridge Farmers Market

Highbridge Voices STEM Workshops