The CUNY Peer Leaders is a CUNY-wide program that supports undergraduate students from two- and four-year campuses. The CPL program teaches CUNY undergraduate students leadership and mentorship skills that they in turn use to create pathways for Humanities-based scholarship, with core components on a culture of care and social justice. The CPL program provides stipends, professional development opportunities, cultural enrichment activities, networking events, and more. The program welcomes 40 CUNY Peer Leaders (CPLs/Leaders) each year, and it is generously supported through the CUNY Humanities Alliance and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The CUNY Peer Leaders program helped me to decompress my emotions and realize that I’m not alone in this journey called life… The impact of this program will never be forgotten.
Malik Brizan-Reed
CPL Alum
LAUNCH The CUNY Peer Leaders Website
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The CUNY Peer Leaders Program Showcase
Join us for the CUNY Peer Leaders Showcase, a celebration of the creativity, and scholarship, of our undergraduate student leaders on Friday, November 20 • 3 PM – 6 PM at The Graduate Center, CUNY in the Skylight room 9100, New York, NY. This exciting event provides an opportunity for students to bring their ideas…
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Fall 2026 CUNY Peer Leaders Kickoff
Originally posted on the CUNY Peer Leaders website. On Friday, July 31, the Fall 2026 CUNY Peer Leaders gathered in the Segal Theater at the CUNY Graduate Center for a day of orientation, reflection, and connection. From the start the room felt welcoming and unusually cohesive for a group that was meeting for the first time. Budget…
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CUNY Peer Leaders Spring 2026 Kick-off
Originally posted on the CUNY Peer Leaders website. The Spring 2026 CUNY Peer Leaders (CPL) had their cohort kick-off meeting on Friday, February 13th, at the CUNY Graduate Center. Focused on the theme of “Togetherness and Building Community,” the event was designed to lay the groundwork for a semester of growth, collaboration, and mentorship for the student…
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The CUNY Peer Leaders Program Spring ’26 | Applications Open
Deadline: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Are you, or do you know, a motivated, collaborative undergraduate scholar at any of CUNY’s 2 or 4 year campuses? Then consider applying for the CUNY Peer Leaders program! CUNY Peer Leaders is a program housed at the Graduate Center that welcomes 30+ undergraduate students annually from across CUNY colleges. The…
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CUNY Peer Leaders Presents at AAC&U in Washington, DC
The CUNY Peer Leaders (CPL) traveled to Washington, DC, to present an interactive panel at the 2025 American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) conference in January. Part of the Humanities Alliance (Phase II), CPL is a cross-campus community-based program in New York City that promotes undergraduate scholarship and creative work in the Humanities and…
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CPL Meetup: Visionary Words and Thinking, Vision Boards, and Project Planning for the Spring Showcase, January 31, 2025
Originally posted on the CUNY Peer Leaders website. On January 31, 2025, the CUNY Peer Leaders gathered for their first meetup of the year at the CUNY Graduate Center, and began with a grounding activity: everyone shared a quotation or phrase that inspires them. CPL Director Melendez shared quotations from the National Museum of African…
