The CUNY Athletic Conference Goodwill Tour

Our Mission
The mission of the CUNYAC Goodwill Tour is to develop well-rounded student-athlete leaders who can serve as ambassadors of the City University of New York, community advocates, and role models on local campuses. Scholar-athletes and student leaders will travel abroad with coaches and administrators to engage in humanitarian work in high-need areas of the world, to exchange cultural values, and to develop the leadership skills necessary to become leaders in college, career, and life.

History of the Goodwill Tour
For five consecutive years, the CUNY Athletic Conference sponsorsed teams of student-athlete All-Stars to compete abroad and experience a foreign culture. From 2003-2007, five sports teams visited cities in South America, Europe, and Africa to face off against local sports clubs. As the Goodwill Tour evolved, service components became a more pronounced piece of the trip. Beyond learning a new language, gaining historical and cultural perspective, and athletic competition, sutdent-athletes also hosted sports clinics for local youth, visited hospitals and schools, and distributed food and gifts. The latter experiences were the ones that truly resonated with student-athletes and infulenced them as leaders back home at the City University of New York.

Structure of the Goodwill Tour - Team CUNY
The composition of Team CUNY has progressed into a diverse group of scholar-athletes, honors students, and leadership academy members. Each of the 14 campuses comprised within the CUNY Athletic Conference nominate the "best of the best" of its population. Nominations are also received from the Macaulay Honors College, the Malave Leadership Academy, and the University Student Senate. Identified as exemplary on their campuses - both in the classroom, on the playing field, and in their leadership roles in CUNY programs - these Goodwill Tour participants are selected to take part in a unique experience and take the lessons they learn back home to influence their peers and community.

Program Components
The Goodwill Tour program focuses on the following components:

- Service Learning
-  Cultural Appreciation
-  Athletic & Academic Exellence
-  Leadership Training
-  Student Development

The vision of the CUNYAC Goodwill Tour is to foster a self-sustaining cycle of CUNY student leaders that continually heighten standards of leadership, student development, cultural awareness, and academic and athletic exellence. By taking students outside of the classroom and exposing them to new people, places, and complex social environments, the CUNYAC Goodwill Tour complements the academic and athletic experience students get on a daily basis and harnesses their exceptional leadership and character.