Jump into your Urban Plunge readings like you're exploring a new city! We encourage you to leave any reactions you have below!
All Urban Plunge participants are required to engage with the assigned readings, videos, and art pieces before the program begins. This content will help inform your reflection and engagement throughout the duration of Urban Plunge. Click on each of the topics to access the respective formation materials.
Urban Plunge is about becoming the rose that grew from concrete — a symbol of resilience, beauty, and strength in the face of adversity. Inspired by Tupac Shakur’s poem, we believe that growth can happen even in the most unlikely places, and that every student has the power to rise and make a difference.
We see our students and our communities as resilient, radiant, and capable of transformation. Urban Plunge invites students to rise from the cracks — not in spite of them, but because of them — and to become powerful agents of justice, empathy, and collective healing.
This year, we’re rooted in challenge, guided by courage, and committed to consistent action. A growth mindset isn’t about perfection — it’s about showing up with intention, learning through discomfort, and believing that change is possible, even under the most difficult conditions. It means embracing what’s unfamiliar, leaning into hard conversations, and choosing to act with purpose again and again.
Urban Plunge encourages students to see obstacles not as limitations, but as opportunities to grow — in character, in compassion, and in connection with the world around them. The readings and content below will provide insight and context for each day of programming. Coming prepared and anchored in these materials will help you make the most of this experience
1. Challenge
Challenge is the beginning of transformation. It asks us to confront our assumptions, examine our beliefs, and listen openly to perspectives that may be unfamiliar or even uncomfortable. Urban Plunge is a learning experience for everyone involved, and challenge is a foundational element of what we call bothered excellence. On the first day of the program, we begin by recognizing that we are not defined by single stories — our own or others’ — and that true growth comes from leaning into complexity rather than avoiding it. This first theme invites students to reflect on how challenging our assumptions about identity, both personal and collective, can deepen our understanding of our roles in community engagement. It offers a chance to contextualize Urban Plunge as more than an orientation program — but rather, as a moment to begin cultivating an identity at Fordham grounded in empathy, openness, and curiosity. The materials under this section highlight personal narratives and lived experiences that illustrate how identity is not fixed, but continually shaped by our interactions, environments, and willingness to grow.
Guiding question: How does challenging our assumptions about identity — our own and others’ — help us more deeply understand our role in community engagement?
- Laying the Groundwork
2. Courage
Courage emerges as we respond to challenges. It’s found in showing up fully, in building relationships across lines of difference, and in standing in solidarity with marginalized communities. Courage is the act of finding comfort in discomfort and choosing to speak truth in the face of silence. At Urban Plunge, courage is woven into every experience — from walking into unfamiliar neighborhoods, to engaging in tough conversations, to building trust within a diverse and dynamic community. On Day 2, we invite you to bring this courage into your engagement with the Bronx. As you explore the borough’s history, culture, and present-day realities, you’ll be challenged to ask critical questions — not only about the stories you hear, but also about the stories you carry. How can asking courageous and critical questions help us build trust and meaningful relationships with our neighbors? This day calls for open-hearted listening, honest reflection, and the willingness to step into community with care and intention.
Guiding Question: How can asking courageous and critical questions about the stories we hear—and the ones we tell—help us build trust and meaningful relationships with our neighbors?
- The Bronx Rebuilds
- Art and Culture
- Cross Bronx Expressway
- Sustainability and Environmental Justice
3. Consistency
Consistency is where commitment takes root. On Day 3 of Urban Plunge, we turn inward and reflect on what it means to sustain the values of justice, empathy, and community beyond this three-day experience. Reflecting on the spaces we occupy — their histories, complexities, and our relationship to them — invites us to consider how we will consistently show up at Fordham and in our surrounding neighborhoods. How does reflecting on these spaces inspire us to shape our own stories while also committing to community engagement that has lasting impact? This day challenges you to move from reflection to intention. You’ll engage in activities such as writing a letter to your future self at Fordham, exploring the "2 Feet of Action" model, learning about the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) framework, and setting SMART goals to guide your engagement beyond Plunge. You’ll also be introduced to the historical background of Lincoln Center, offering a deeper understanding of the land our university occupies and the broader context of our community. This final day is about anchoring your experience — connecting what you’ve learned to your social, academic, and personal growth as you prepare to rise with consistency and purpose.
Guiding Question:
How does reflecting on the spaces we occupy, their histories, and our place within them inspire us to engage consistently in shaping our own story at Fordham, while also committing to meaningful community engagement with our neighbors that creates lasting impact?
- Urbanization and Erasure:
- Engagement:
We kindly ask that you leave any reflections in the reactions section on the website of each of the topics covered. We hope this will serve as an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the content and gain insight from your peers!