Hunter College High School Alumnae I Association Inc

THE MISSION OF HUNTER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNAE/I ASSOCIATION, INC. ("HCHSAA") IS TO PROMOTE CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, LITERARY, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR HUNTER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (THE "SCHOOL") AND ITS ALUMNAE/I. IT ACCOMPLISHES THIS GOAL THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS, OFFERING OTHER STUDENT AID PROGRAMS, AND SPONSORING VARIOUS ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE SCHOOL AND ITS ALUMNAE/I. IN ADDITION, HCHSAA SERVES AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE SCHOOL AND IT CREATES AND SUSTAINS A SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK FOR ITS ALUMNAE/I.

HCHSAA HOSTS AN ANNUAL ALL CLASS REUNION, FACILITATES INDIVIDUAL CLASS REUNIONS, AND ORGANIZES NUMEROUS EVENTS INCLUDING THEATER PARTIES, MUSEUM TOURS, HAPPY HOURS AND NETWORKING EVENTS. HCHSAA PUBLISHES ALUMNOTES AND MAINTAINS AND ONLINE ALUMNI DIRECTORY, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL. HCHSAA ALSO PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO HUNTER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL VIA AN ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN, CLASS GIVING, SPRING GALA, PLANNED AND MEMORIAL GIFTS AND OTHER FUNDRAISING EFFORTS.

GRANTS - DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE HCHSAA HAS EFFECTIVELY UTILIZED ALUMNAE/I DONATIONS TO SUPPORT VARIOUS PROGRAMS, ENHANCING THE EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AND FACILITATING INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCESSIBILITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THIS INCLUDED:-IN FY22 THE ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED A NEW GRANT PROGRAM TO EXTEND TRANSPORTATION AID TO UNDERSERVED FAMILIES OF ADMITTED HCHS SEVENTH GRADERS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE IDENTIFIED AS RESIDING IN AREAS FARTHER FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL WITH RESTRICTED ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION. THIS GRANT, THROUGH WHICH $8,000 WAS AWARDED AND DISBURSED IN FY22, ENABLED CHILDREN FROM UNDERREPRESENTED FAMILIES TO ATTEND HCHS.-IN FY22 THE ASSOCIATION AWARDED A GRANT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TO COVER THE COST OF AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO NEMNET - A DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT AND CONSULTING FIRM AIMED AT FACILITATING THE RECRUITMENT OF A MORE DIVERSE FACULTY AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.-IN FY21 THE ASSOCIATION AWARDED A $250,000 GRANT FOR HCHS'S COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OF WHICH $100,000 WAS DISBURSED IN FY22. THESE FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED TO "UND ESSENTIAL ITEMS SUCH AS OUTDOOR TENTS, AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS, COVID-19 TESTING FOR PERSONNEL AND MONITORS, AND REMOTE LEARNING EQUIPMENT.-IN AN EFFORT TO EXPAND ACCESSIBILITY TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE AA AWARDED IN FY21 AND DISBURSED IN FY22 $46,000 IN GRANTS TO TWO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: THE EXAM SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE (ESPI) AND ACHILLEA PEER TUTORING. THE GRANT ALLOCATED TO ESPI SUPPORTED HUNTER TEST PREP CLASSES TO ACADEMICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS HAILING FROM LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND RACIALLY ISOLATED SCHOOLS. ACHILLEA PEER TUTORING, ESTABLISHED AS A SCHOOL CLUB BY AN HCHS STUDENT, OFFERS PERSONALIZED PEER TUTORING SESSIONS TO STUDENTS WITH BACKGROUNDS IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM WITHIN NEW YORK CITY. NOW OPERATING UNDER THE FISCAL SPONSORSHIP OF THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING, THE INITIATIVE HAS EXPANDED TO PROVIDING SIMILAR TUTORING SERVICES ACROSS THE NATION.-THE ASSOCIATION AWARDED AND DISBURSED STIPENDS TO HCHS STUDENT INTERNS WHO WORKED TO SUPPORT HCHSAA DIVERSITY COMMITTEE INITIATIVES.-THE ASSOCIATION AWARDED AND DISBURSED FUNDING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VIDEO LIBRARY COMPRISING HUNTER TEACHER TUTORIALS TAILORED FOR SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS PREPARING FOR THE ENTRANCE EXAM.-A SMALLER GRANT FUNDED THE HCHSAA'S OWN STUDENT MENTORING PILOT PROGRAM.

EVENTS/PROGRAMS - THE HCHSAA WORKED TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE THE ALUMNAE/I COMMUNITY THROUGH A RANGE OF PROGRAMS, EVENTS, AND COMMUNICATIONS. BUILDING UPON THE SUCCESS OF INITIATIVES LAUNCHED IN 2020 IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE ASSOCIATION CONTINUED ITS CALENDAR OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. LEVERAGING THE VERSATILITY OF PLATFORMS LIKE ZOOM, THESE PROGRAMS ATTRACTED A BROADER AUDIENCE OF ALUMNAE/I, TRANSCENDING GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES AND INCREASING ENGAGEMENT ACROSS DIVERSE LOCATIONS.-IN FY22 THE ASSOCIATION PRESENTED 26 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS COVERING A DIVERSE RANGE OF TOPICS, FROM INTERACTIVE YOGA AND TAI CHI SESSIONS TO AN INTERVIEW RELATED TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS BANS. PANELS WERE ORGANIZED ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS INCLUDING COMEDY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTING.-HCHSAA'S DIVERSITY COMMITTEE SPONSORED TWO PROGRAMS IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND A THIRD DISCUSSION IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.-THE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE ALSO SPONSORED A THREE-PART SERIES OF ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AT HCHS. THESE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS FEATURED ALUMNAE/I, FACULTY, AND CURRENT HUNTER STUDENTS AS PANELISTS.-IN FEBRUARY 2022, FOUR DISTINGUISHED CHINESE AMERICAN ALUMNAE/I LED A PANEL DISCUSSION TO COMMEMORATE LUNAR NEW YEAR. -A NEWLY ESTABLISHED PROGRAM, IN COMMEMORATION OF HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY, UNITED FOUR SURVIVORS WHOSE FAMILIES ESCAPED EUROPE AND EVENTUALLY RESETTLED IN THE UNITED STATES.-HCHSAA HELD ITS FIRST LEGAL NETWORKING NIGHT TO SUPPORT ALUMS INTERESTED IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION. IT INCLUDED A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH ALUMNAE/I PROFESSIONALS AND BREAKOUT GROUPS WITH ALUM ATTORNEYS PRACTICING IN ACADEMIA, BANKING, ENTERTAINMENT, REAL ESTATE, AND OTHER FIELDS. -THE ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED SEVERAL REGIONAL SOCIAL HOURS ON ZOOM FOR ALUMNAE/I RESIDING IN THE WASHINGTON, DC, MARYLAND, AND VIRGINIA (DMV) AREA, LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR A POTENTIAL REGIONAL CHAPTER.-THE ASSOCIATION SERVED AS THE HOST FOR A CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT AND DISCUSSION GROUP CALLED LIFE IN THE TIME OF CORONA. THIS GROUP CONVENED MONTHLY FROM JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST 2022 AND REMAINS ONGOING. IT CONSISTENTLY ATTRACTS ATTENDEES FROM VARIOUS GRADUATION YEARS.-ADDITIONALLY, THE ASSOCIATION OFFERED A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT INCLUDED A BOOK TALK WITH TWO AUTHORS MODERATED BY RETIRED HCHSA ENGLISH FACULTY MEMBER KIP ZEGERS. NOVEMBER 2021, MARKED A RETURN TO IN-PERSON THEATER, AS NEARLY TWO DOZEN ALUMNAE/I GATHERED TO ATTEND THE PRODUCTION OF MORNING SUN; TICKETS FOR THE SHOW SOLD OUT WITHIN MINUTES.-IN JUNE OF 2022 THE AA HOSTED APPROXIMATELY 125 ALUMNAE/I FOR ITS FIRST IN PERSON REUNION SINCE 2019.