2025 Thematic Framework

For 32 years, Urban Plunge has given students the tools to be active members of their communities for the entirety of their college career and beyond. Each year, the program invites students to begin their Fordham journey with purpose, empathy, and a commitment to justice.

This year’s theme calls students into a journey of Challenge, Courage, and Consistency—anchored by a growth mindset and rooted in the belief that transformation is possible, even in the most difficult conditions. Urban Plunge 2025 draws inspiration from the idea of becoming the rose that grew from concrete: a symbol of resilience, beauty, and strength in the face of adversity.

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared. - Tupac Shakur

Challenge is the beginning of transformation. It asks each of us to confront our assumptions, examine our beliefs, and listen openly to perspectives that may be unfamiliar or even uncomfortable. Plunge is a learning experience for everyone involved, and challenge is a foundational aspect of “bothered excellence.” We remind ourselves, and each other, that we are not our single stories, and that true growth comes from leaning into complexity rather than avoiding it.

Courage emerges as we respond to these challenges. Courage is found in showing up fully, in forming relationships across lines of difference, and in allying with marginalized communities. It is the act of finding comfort in discomfort and the decision to speak truth in the face of silence. Courage is woven through every moment of Urban Plunge, from walking into new neighborhoods to sitting with tough conversations to building trust within a diverse community.

Consistency is what makes this work sustainable. It ties the theme together by demanding that the commitments we make during Urban Plunge are not short-lived. Community engagement and the pursuit of justice must continue well beyond the program’s end. Consistency means returning to the values, themes, and actions we cultivate here, again and again, so that our work is not performative, but transformative.

As a result of our programming, we hope that Urban Plunge empowers our students to flourish both at Fordham and beyond with a renewed sense of mission where equity, dignity, and compassion inform their thoughts and actions. Together, with an ever-blooming growth mindset, we aim to have a meaningful, long-lasting impact on our communities