University Of Orange A Nj Nonprofit Corporation

THE UNIVERSITY OF ORANGE IS A FREE PEOPLES SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT BUILDS COLLECTIVE CAPACITY FOR PEOPLE TO CREATE MORE EQUITABLE CITIES. WE SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF OUR WORLD BY LEARNING TO SEE THE RICHNESS OF OUR CITIES, BECOMING LIFELONG LEARNERS, PARTICIPATING IN CIVIC LIFE, AND HAVING FUN WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.

UNIVERSITY OF ORANGE IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE 400 YEARS OF INEQUALITY INITIATIVE. 2019 WAS THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST AFRICANS TO BE SOLD INTO BONDAGE IN NORTH AMERICA IN 1619 AT JAMESTOWN. THE INITIATIVE CALLED ON FAMILIES, ORGANIZATIONS, NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES TO OBSERVE THE ANNIVERSARY BY TELLING THEIR STORIES OF OPPRESSION AND RESISTANCE. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, APPROXIMATELY 110 GROUPS GATHERED TO HOLD 150 OBSERVANCES. IN 2020 AND 2021 WE CONTINUED WORK THAT DOCUMENTED THIS NATIONAL PROJECT. WE PROFESSIONALLY DOCUMENTED SEVEN OBSERVANCES, AND INTERVIEWED 18 OBSERVANCE LEADERS. WE CREATED TWO WEBSITES FROM OUR FINDINGS, PP2E.ORG AND ACALLANSWERED.ORG, AND UPDATED OUR EXISTING WEBSITE 400YEARSOFINEQUALITY.ORG. WE ALSO CREATED A BOOKLET THAT ARTICULATED THE PROCESS. TEAM MEMBER ROBERT SEMBER AUTHORED A BOOK ABOUT THE PROJECT, AND ACADEMIC ARTICLES WERE AUTHORED AND SUBMITTED BY THE TEAM TO THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. WE HOSTED TWO EVENTS DURING THE YEAR TO SHARE THIS WORK, ATTENDED BY APPROXIMATELY 125 ONLINE VIEWERS.

MUSIC CITY CONNECTS AND SUPPORTS MUSICIANS IN AND AROUND ORANGE. THE PROGRAMS LONG TERM GOALS INCLUDE BUILDING SOCIAL COHESION, ENHANCING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, LAUNCHING LOCAL MUSIC ECONOMIES, AND EXPLORING THE WAYS MUSIC CAN HELP LAY A PATH TOWARDS A HEALTHIER, MORE EQUITABLE CITY. WE OFFER FREE COMMUNITY MUSIC CLASSES, AN INSTRUMENT RENTAL LIBRARY, AND A COMMUNITY MUSICOLOGY PROGRAM. IN OCTOBER WE HOSTED AN ENCIENDE EL AMOR FESTIVAL, PAIRING LOCAL MUSICIANS WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS TO PERFORM SAFELY OUTDOORS IN PUBLIC SPACE DURING A LULL IN THE RATE OF COVID TRANSMISSION. IN DECEMBER WE HOSTED AN ONLINE REMEMBERING ROSA FEATURING PRE-RECORDED VIDEOS FROM LOCAL CHOIRS AND DANCE COMPANIES, VIDEO FROM LAST YEARS REMEMBERING ROSA, AND STORIES OF PEOPLES POWER AND SOLIDARITY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZERS IN ORANGE. IT WAS ATTENDED BY 70 PEOPLE AND ORGANIZED BY A TEAM OF 4. IN JANUARY 2020 WE RECORDED A VIRTUAL LIVING ROOM CONCERT FEATURING TWO LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS: SONNY DUMARSALIS AND LCOLLECTIVE. IN THE SPRING WE EXPANDED OUR MUSIC CITY FESTIVAL TEAM TO 10 PEOPLE AND ORGANIZED A THREE-DAY OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR MAY 2021. THE FESTIVAL FEATURED 84 MUSICIANS PERFORMING OUTDOORS IN PUBLIC SPACE AT 9 DIFFERENT RESTAURANT VENUES, AND 1 OUTDOOR VENDORS MARKET FEATURING OVER 20 LOCAL VENDORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

UNIVERSITY OF ORANGE HAS A RANGE OF OTHER PROGRAMMING, MOSTLY FOCUSED ON RESTORATION URBANISM. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, UNIVERSITY OF ORANGE'S URBANISM DEPARTMENT HELD FOUR READING GROUPS ONLINE. BOOK SUBJECTS INCLUDED APPLYING SYSTEMS DESIGN THINKING TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZING, UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE VIOLENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ECOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. WE HELD A BOOK LAUNCH, READING GROUPS AND A SERIES OF WALKS TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF THE BOOK MAIN STREET: HOW A CITYS HEART CONNECTS US ALL. THE TOTAL OF ATTENDEES AT URBANISM READING GROUPS, WALKS AND THE BOOK LAUNCH WAS 465. WE HELD TWO ONLINE COOKING CLASSES AND A SERIES OF SEMINARS ABOUT PHILOSOPHY AND MYCOLOGY AS PART OF OUR JAN TERM WITH 253 ATTENDEES AT THE SERIES. IN THE SPRING WE HELD WALKS USING THE STROLL N SCROLL METHOD. WE CONTINUED CONVENINING A WEEKLY URBANISM TEAM WITH ELEVEN MEMBERS AS WELL AS A WEEKLY MEETING OF PRACTITIONERS INTERESTED IN COLLECTIVE TRAUMA RECOVERY WITH 17 MEMBERS. OUR COLLECTIVE RECOVERY TEAM HOSTED A READING GROUP ABOUT MINDFULNESS. IN ADDITION WE HELD A COURSE ABOUT GARDENING IN THE VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD OF ORANGE/WEST ORANGE AND WE HOSTED OUR ANNUAL GRADUATION. TOTAL NUMBER OF TICKETS RESERVED FOR ONLINE EVENTS AND WALKS: 732 (NUMBER OF ATTENDEES BASED ON ONLINE TICKETS SOLD PER EVENT).