CUSP in Brief The Cornell Urban Scholars Program (CUSP) is dedicated to supporting the efforts of New York City's most innovative nonprofit organizations and local government agencies to eliminate the fundamental causes of poverty. CUSP seeks to achieve this goal by encouraging Cornell's most talented students to pursue public service careers with organizations that work with New York City's poorest children, families, and communities.
CUSP, with an executive director based in NYC, involves a suite of programs that together provide an innovative model for public service internships and mentorship activities.
- Summer: Undergraduates in the CUSP summer program enroll in a spring- semester preparation class that prepares them for the internship as a learning experience; work for pay in New York City for eight weeks with housing provided; participate in a Friday reflection session and field trips; and may choose to take a post-internship fall-semester course.
- Graduate Research: Graduate students in the CUSP graduate research programs enroll in a spring-semester research design course, and work for pay with a faculty supervisor and a community research partner to produce a research report.
- Mentorship Initiative: Students in the CUSP Mentorship Initiative enroll in a fall- and spring-semester weekly seminar and interact with a public school student in New York City -- in person, though field trips, and via the Internet.
Other special programs supplement these activities. 
Jackie KleinCUSP students.
