At the Carl A. Fields Center, diverse perspectives and experiences of race, class, gender, and their intersections are supported and challenged, questioned and answered. Touchstones of engagement, empowerment, leadership, and action are realized through dialogues and discussions, the Princeton University Mentoring Program (PUMP), and the Carl Fields Fellows peer educator program. The Center itself offers a welcoming and inclusive space for study breaks, movie nights, festivals, and more.
The Fields Center’s mission is to foster unity among the Princeton community through programs and experiences that integrate self-awareness, multicultural and intercultural communication skills, social justice education, and leadership opportunities.
"I was introduced to the Field Center during my DDA orientation trip, and I immediately fell in love with it as I began working there and getting to know the many faces of the CAF. It’s a place where I can be sad, happy, and rightfully angry as well as a place where I can simply exist without the pressure of having to prove my belonging in this elite university community." —Saran Toure ‘22
Cultural Leaders Summit
This Summit is for officers of cultural student organizations and allows undergraduate students to enhance their leadership skills, develop ways to build collaborative relationships with other organizations, engage in meaningful interactions with leaders from different organizations, and hear from alumni of color panelists about their undergraduate experience and what they have learned in life after Princeton.
Fields Day
This annual event during Orientation welcomes first-year students to the Fields Center. It is an opportunity to relax, learn about cultural student organizations on campus, and connect with students, staff, and administrators. This event features an afternoon of food and activities.
Fields Fellows
Fields Fellows are trained peer leaders who educate and advocate for diversity, inclusion, and social justice in the Princeton community through peer-facilitated workshops, trainings, and dialogues. Student groups and academic departments request Fellows for workshops on such topics as accountable allyship, social identity, and building a diverse community.
Heritage Month Events
"Throughout my time at Princeton, the Carl A. Fields Center has been one of the only spaces on campus where I feel fully welcomed, validated, and appreciated. More than a space, the Fields Center is a community hub where my friends and I come together to celebrate our heritage and plan ahead to achieve our advocacy goals." – Samuel Vilchez Santiago ‘19
Each year, the Fields Center organizes four heritage months: Latinx Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. These celebrations honor heritage and history and take multiple formats including lectures, workshops, and social opportunities. Each heritage month is planned collaboratively with students and campus partners.
Princeton University Mentoring Program (PUMP)
“I have met so many wonderful PUMP members whose stories became an important source of inspiration and motivation to me in my Princeton career. I have become a more confident leader, a more considerate listener, and a more sophisticated person. There will, for certain, be many more ups and downs in my Princeton journey, but I know I am always supported by the CAF community.” – Edelyn Lau ‘21
PUMP provides academic, social, and cultural support to students of color with emphasis on first-year students and their successful transition into university life. In addition to regular one-on-one meetings, peer mentors and mentees engage in workshops, study breaks, large group socials, and off-campus experiences. PUMP became a certified mentoring program in fall 2018 through the College Reading and Learning Association’s International Mentor Training Program Certification. linked here.
Cultural Graduations
The Fields Center organizes cultural identity-based graduation events for graduating students to celebrate their culture and recognize the accomplishments of the graduating class. Latinx and Pan-African celebrations are well-established, with growing participation in Asian Pacific Islander, Desi American, Middle Eastern and North African, and Native American cultural graduation ceremonies.
Unpacking Princeton
Unpacking Princeton is a collaborative program during the first few weeks of classes designed to help acclimate first-year undergraduate and graduate students of underrepresented identities, especially students of color, to the Princeton community. A range of welcome events, panels, and identity-based gatherings encourage students to explore diversity at Princeton as well as the centers and groups that can support them.