Community Connections

GiGi’s Playhouse is the only community and education center specifically designed to celebrate and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families in New York City. All of their programs are designed to empower individuals with Down syndrome to be their own best advocates. Since 2019, Columbia GC students have been providing support for a variety of programs offered at GiGi's Playhouse every fall, including GiGiFIT, Teen Tastic, GiGi's Kitchen, one-on-one literacy and math tutoring, and Gratitude Art. Learn more here. 

Since 2018, we have been partnered with Hunters Point Community Middle School to support their annual 8th grade Genetic Counseling unit, which offers >125 middle school students the opportunity to learn about the practice and profession of genetic counseling. Our MS in Genetic Counseling students provide support and mentorship to Hunters Point students as they explore this unit and develop their case-based group presentations, and many of our students attend the presentations and offer a brief overview of preparing to become a genetic counselor. Hunters Point Community Middle School serves a broadly diverse student body, with 78% of students identifying as a minority and 68% of students identifying as economically disadvantaged. Learn more here.

New York Common Pantry works toward the reduction of hunger and food insecurity through an array of programs that function to establish long-term independence for those they serve. Their whole-person approach includes food provision through the distribution of nutritious, fresh food. They also address the reasons for food insecurity with case management services and access to resources and offer education to teach children and adults about the importance of a nutritionally sound diet and active living, as well as providing them with the skills necessary to make healthier choices for their families. Our students have been volunteering with NY Common Pantry since 2022. Learn more here.

Founded by award-winning photographer Rick Guidotti in New York City, Positive Exposure has transformed into a global movement, celebrating the beauty and richness of human diversity. For over 25 years, Positive Exposure has built a more equitable, compassionate world for individuals and communities at risk of stigma and exclusion. We all share the same need: The need to be seen. The need to be heard. The need to belong. Positive Exposure creates spaces rooted in unity, respect, and inclusion through photography, film, educational programs, and advocacy at their gallery in East Harlem and around the globe. Learn more here.

SHPEP is a free six-week summer enrichment and residential program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for first- and second-year college students interested in the health professions. SHPEP aims to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students in the health professions while preparing them for successful application and matriculation to health professions graduate and professional schools. This program supports students who are interested in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Genetic Counseling, and Physical Therapy professions. Learn more here.

Join Columbia health profession students in caring for patients at five clinics serving the diverse NYC communities near the  Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Learn more here.

• Columbia-Harlem Health and Medical Partnership (CHHMP): student-run clinic providing free, quality medical care to unhoused, uninsured, and underserved individuals in the West Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. 
• Columbia Human Rights Initiative Asylum Clinic (CHRIA): an organization of students and faculty committed to developing a human rights-centered approach to medicine, challenging the current dialogue around human rights, and advocating for the use of medicine to identify, document, and alleviate human rights abuses.
• Columbia Student Medical Outreach (CoSMO): a free clinic serving uninsured patients in Washington Heights and Northern Harlem offering medical, mental health, physical therapy, social work, and health coaching services. 
• Columbia University Care Access Project (CCAP): is a harm reduction organization run by Columbia students in Washington Heights with a mission to provide medical services and supplies to people who use drugs and people experiencing housing insecurity in our community, free of charge.
• Q Clinic: a student-run, free clinic that provides free primary care tailored to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.