As part of its commitment to strengthening and expanding town-gown partnerships, Yale established the Office of New Haven and State Affairs (ONHSA) in 1995.
ONHSA serves as a "front door" to the University and its resources for the people and organizations of Greater New Haven. By bringing under one roof those in the Yale administration who work with the City, the office is a place where members of the Yale and New Haven communities can build partnerships for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, education and human development.
The office is headed by Yale Vice President Bruce Alexander '65, who was responsible for such successful examples of urban revitalization as the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan, Harborplace in Baltimore and the Riverwalk in New Orleans.
Working in conjunction with other University departments and New Haven businesses and organizations, ONHSA has helped spearhead Yale's involvement in such areas as:
Revitalizing Downtown
The University works actively with the City and local businesses to expand the retail and dining attractions in New Haven's downtown area.
With City encouragement and support, Yale has invested in key downtown properties on Broadway and in the Chapel Street district. In recent years Yale has renovated its Broadway properties to create a mix of both local businesses and national chains, including Origins, Ivy Noodle restaurant,
J. Crew, Cutler's and the greengrocer/deli Gourmet Heaven, which is open 24 hours a day -- transforming the area into a vibrant shopping area and late-night gathering spot.
Yale has also joined with the City and local businesses to create Town Green
Special Services District, an organization dedicated to enhancing New Haven's downtown, a 27-block area with the New Haven Green at its center. The University is also a sponsor of Market New Haven, a strategic campaign to promote the City by fostering a more accurate perception of its strengths.
Building Biotechnology
Discoveries being made in Yale laboratories have spawned 15 start-up companies in the Greater New Haven area. These new local companies not only bring new jobs and taxes to the City -- raising more than $1 billion in private capital investment for the New Haven region in the year 2000 alone -- they also hold the promise of new treatments and cures for human disease.
Some of the new ventures are clustered in the 300 George St. technology center that is currently undergoing a $20 million renovation. Others are locating at Science Park, a Yale-sponsored business incubator, where every square foot of available lab space is now occupied (and more is being created).
Experts at the Enterprise Center, a partnership between Yale and City businesses, are helping budding entrepreneurs from the University and beyond build successful enterprises in New Haven by providing consulting services such as strategic
business planning, market research, financial structuring, capital source development and management assistance. Four companies, with 80 employees, have been founded so far.
Revitalizing Neighborhoods
Yale has taken an active role in the neighborhood revitalization efforts that are making New Haven even stronger.
Through Yale's Homebuyer Program, established in 1994, nearly 500 Yale employees have purchased homes in
New Haven with a total value of over $55.4 million.
Working with members of the Dwight neighborhood, Yale secured a $2.4 million HUD university partnership grant that has helped to establish the Greater Dwight Development Corporation; to construct a much-needed addition to Dwight Elementary School (a project that received an additional $40,000 in matching funds from the University and design help from the Yale School of Architecture); and to develop a shopping center featuring Shaw's Supermarket (a project aided by pro bono services from the Yale Law School).
In the Hill neighborhood, Yale works with neighborhood partners to increase homeownership. Yale was also part of a library-business-university partnership to found, equip and staff the state-of-the-art Technology Access Center at Stetson Library in the Dixwell neighborhood, where community members can receive training in computer technologies. That center led to a 300% increase in community usage of the library. The partnership was so successful that a second center opened in a Fair Haven library.
Strengthening the Public Schools
ONHSA also plays an active role in many of Yale's programs and collaborations in the New Haven Public Schools (see
page 5). Each year, more than 10,000 New Haven schoolchildren participate in Yale University-sponsored academic programs. ONHSA coordinates America Reads, for example, with 100 Yale student literacy tutors working in the Dwight Elementary School, while more than 200 students in the Hill Regional Career High School take part in programs with the Yale Schools of Medicine and Nursing. (See page 6.) ONHSA sponsors a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) team for the national Robotics Competition, which immerses high school students in the world of science and engineering. The City's Career Magnet High School has incorporated the FIRST program into its curriculum.
Celebrating Town-Gown Ties
ONHSA helps coordinate two programs that celebrate the vital relationship between Yale and New Haven. The office works with students on Communiversity Day, which brings City residents to the campus each spring for a day of fun and educational activities, entertainment and free food. ONHSA also oversees the annual Seton Elm-Ivy Award program, which honors individuals and groups in the Yale and New Haven communities who have strengthened town-gown partnerships. Since the awards were established in 1979 by Fenmore Seton '38 and his wife, Phyllis, nearly 230 individuals and organizations have been honored.
Contents
A Message from President Levin
Yale & New Haven in the News -- Campus & City Making Headlines
University Honored for its Town-Gown Initiatives
Yale's Office of New Haven & State Affairs
Yale & the New Haven Public Schools: Programs for Students
Yale & the New Haven Public Schools:
Initiatives Aiding City Teachers in Curriculum Development
Yale Community Service Programs
Yale & New Haven Arts and Culture
University Athletes & City Youths
Showcasing Town & Gown
Other Town-Gown News
Yale & New Haven: Facts and Statistics
SPRING / SUMMER