United Neighborhood Houses strengthens settlement houses to be vibrant centers of learning, connection, community, and social change for and with their communities.
Professional Development
UNH offers a variety of professional development opportunities to enhance settlement house staff skills, knowledge, and expertise.
Leading for Impact
Leading for Impact is our new 8-week program that focuses on building the leadership and management capacity of settlement house staff. Participants are nominated by their supervisors, endorsed by their Executive Directors, then selected by UNH Staff.
The course is designed to be interactive and, like other UNH opportunities, seeks to strengthen the network by establishing a learning community among participants. Courses include leadership and networking, include budgeting, communications, public speaking, management and supervision, and positioning oneself as an agent of change.
Watch this video of our inaugural cohort's 2021 Closing Ceremonies.
EMM Scholarship
UNH has supported settlement house staff with scholarships for higher education since the early 1990s. Applicants pursuing a college degree or certificate are eligible for tuition assistance.
The Emily Menlo Marks Scholarship Program provides $500 scholarships to UNH member organization employees who have demonstrated skill, leadership, contributions to their settlement house and community, commitment, and likelihood to remain an active and dynamic contributor in the organization. The Scholarship Program is designed to develop skills and build on employee potential and dedication.
The scholarship is named for UNH's former Executive Director, Emily Menlo Marks in honor of the extraordinary contributions she made to social justice and community building in New York City over the course of her 14-year career as UNH Executive Director. The scholarship was developed to ensure that there is a next generation of leaders within UNH member organizations equipped to carry on her tradition of exceptional leadership and vision, in working on behalf of New York City’s Settlement House community and all disadvantaged New Yorkers.
Peer Learning
UNH organizes meetings of staff by both job title and subject matter to connect, learn, share ideas and effective practices, and work on projects to address and find solutions to challenges and enrich neighborhoods.
Through these meetings, UNH strengthens the capacity of our members—which in turn strengthens their programs and services, their collective political advocacy, their civic engagement efforts, and the skills and knowledge of their staff.
Peer Groups include:
Aging
Arts
CFO’s
Civic Engagement
College Access and Prep
Data and Evaluation
Communications
Development
Early Childhood Education
Emergency Preparedness Advisory
Emerging Leaders Alumni
Executive Directors Council (Note: executive directors only)
Facilities
Family Literacy/FULL (Families United for Learning and Literacy)
Peer/Issue Group
Human Resources Leaders
Immigrant Issues
Neighborhood Family Services (NFS) Roundtable
NYCHA Issues
Senior Leaders
Small But Mighty Group (Note: executive directors only)
Other Learning Communities
If you work for a UNH member organization and want more information, click here.