A New Learning Paradigm

A new vision of education is needed to address the urgent challenges of our time. Such a vision must not only help chart the future of the field, it must incorporate the remarkable growth of new information sources. Experiences and perceptions of globalization, the Internet and media, music and the arts, sexuality and spirituality are dynamically reshaping the way children and youth understand themselves and the way they access information. At NYU Steinhardt, we recognize that learning in large measure occurs outside the confines of educational institutions. In addition to schools and research sites, we believe that hospitals, neighborhood centers, theatres, and living rooms can be places where knowledge and culture are transformed in ways that can promote the common good.

Understanding human development in this dynamic 21st-century context compels NYU Steinhardt to look past outdated educational models to view challenges and opportunities as integrated wholes and to create new, relevant practices and methodologies. Today, Steinhardt faculty and students are actively moving theory and research into practice—and using practice to inform research and theory. We believe such approaches create a culture where information is shared rather than stored, where cutting-edge research and insights gleaned from practical experience are communicated across disciplines, thereby creating an environment that fosters excellence, empowers action, and influences policy.

New York is an interdisciplinary research laboratory that equips graduates to play an indispensable role in transforming families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities throughout our global society.

A Global Classroom

NYU Steinhardt students venture into the world conducting research and interning in major cities and remote villages. They travel to South Africa to study ties between the arts and democracy and to Ghana to study the rich traditions of African drumming and dance. Students examine traditional drama and theatre as educational tools in England, Ireland, and Puerto Rico as well as the emergence of cutting-edge fields, such as interactive arts technology in Italy and the communication industry in China. As varied as our students’ interests and as diverse as the world’s cultures, NYU Steinhardt’s study abroad programs promote an academic experience nurtured by prominent scholars, artists, and professionals in leading educational, arts, and community centers.