
Yale is a diverse institution with many resources for spouses, partners, and families. New Haven and the Greater New Haven area offer opportunities to enrich your experience in the U.S. We encourage you to take a look at the list below to prepare for your time at Yale and become involved in your community.
Topics
- Before You Leave Home
- Joining the Yale Community: Getting Involved
- General Resources
- Parenting and Schools
- Local Sports, Recreation, Cultural and Arts Activities
- Education and Learning
- Volunteering
- Working
Before You Leave Home
- You will want to bring certain official documents with you, including a translated and certified copy of your marriage license and health records. If you have children who will entering school or daycare, you will need to bring their health and immunizations records and any school records. Review immunization guidelines for children birth to 6 years old and children 7-18 years old depending on the age of your child(ren). There are specific immunization for requirements for children attending daycare or preschool and for those attending elementary school through high school. Having these completed prior to your arrival will make school enrollment easier. You will also find other forms and information about school health requirements on the Connecticut State Department of Education website.
- Prepare for travel and make a departure checklist.
- Arrival information: Clearing U.S. Immigration, transportation to Yale and reporting to the OISS.
- Follow the OISS and the International Spouses and Partners at Yale through Facebook, and ask fellow internationals any questions you may have.
- Sign up for the OISS Newsletter.
Joining the Yale Community: Getting Involved
- New Haven Sports and Recreation
- Check out out the OISS Events Calendar, and register for events.
- Familiarize yourself with ISPY, our very own community of International Spouses and Partners at Yale
- Join one of our ISPY groups. Every year, now groups are formed through the leadership of spouses and partners who have shared interests and the desire to meet regularly for social, cultural events. If you would like to form your own ISPY group, please come to ISPY Orientation (we have them twice a year, at the beginning of each semester).
- Participate in our Community Connection Programs. The OISS coordinates both the Community Friends program, and the Thanksgiving Holiday at Home program.
- Check out the Graduate School's guide for Spouses & Partners, which includes information on how to obtain Yale ID (identification cards), auditing courses, employment, volunteering and parental support and relief.
- Download our online ISPY Handbook for helpful resources.
General Resources
- Housing
- Housing in New Haven (off-campus)
- New Haven neighborhoods
- Shopping and dining
- Farmer's markets
- Transportation to and in New Haven
- Yale transportation
- Places of worship
- Mental Health and Counseling Services at Yale
Parenting and Schools
- Introduction to the American educational system
- U.S. Schools and Childhood Education
- Connecticut State Department of Education - Programs and Services
- Finding schools
- Yale Babysitting Service
- Security Awareness, FAQ for Parents
- The Worklife Program for Yale families contains resources on adoption, breastfeeding, childcare, young children, elder care, marriage, divorce, pregnancy and birth, and pet care, and more.
- Yale's Childcare Directory
Health Requirements for School Age Children
Children attending school in the U.S. are required to have a number of immunizations. Be sure to review requirements depending on the age of your child(ren). Before leaving home make sure to obtain documentation from your child’s doctor, in English, to confirm your child is up to date based on CT Health Department requirements.
Once you are in the U.S., if your child is missing any vaccinations, your doctor in the U.S. will need to administer the immunizations and provide you with documentation. Your child’s school might suggest you go to the CT Department of Health for these requirements, but it is better to go to your U.S. doctor instead.
In addition to the immunizations, your child will need provide a health assessment, conducted by a U.S. doctor. Speak with your child's doctor for more information.
Child Friendly Activities
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For local events, check out the Daily Nutmeg and Visit New Haven, and the Yale Events calendar
- The New Children's Museum in West Hartford
- Kid's activities at the New Haven Free Public Library
- New Haven Sports and Recreation
- Outdoor Adventures in New Haven: Canoeing, kayaking, archery, water rafting, rock climbing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc.
- Playgrounds in New Haven
- Ranger Nature Program programs for students: animal tracking, fishing, hawk watching, nature walks, pond exploration, etc.
- Peabody Museum of Natural History
- New Haven Youth Programs
Local Sports, Recreation, Cultural, and Arts Activities
- New Haven Ballet
- Neighborhood Music School, New Haven
- List of recreational sports in New Haven
- Air Temple Arts
- A guide to arts and culture in New Haven
- Yale Arts Calendar
- MakeHaven in New Haven
- The Grove in New Haven
- Elm City Dance Collective
- Ice Skating in New Haven
- City Climb gym
- Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven
- Craft Haven
- Knit New Haven
- Yale Sports & Recreation at the Payne Whitney Gym
Education and Learning
- ERACE (East Shore Adult and Continuing Education)
- Local libraries
- New Haven Public Library
- Yale University Library, and how to obtain library privileges as a spouse/partner
- New Haven Reads (free book bank)
- Foreign language learning opportunities: Aux 3 Pommes
- Local educational opportunities
- Choosing a college? check out the National Application Center
- List of Higher Education programs in Connecticut
- Colleges and Universities in Connecticut
- Connecticut's Office of Higher Education Colleges & Institutions
- New Haven Adult Education
- New Haven Youth Programs
Auditing Classes
Spouses and partners who are interested in attending a course in Yale College or the Graduate School without receiving academic credit may do so for free by auditing a course. Begin by choosing the class you are interested in from the Yale course listings online. Then contact the professor/instructor by email to ask if you may audit the class. It is sometimes possible to audit courses at Yale Professional Schools, but please note that these courses may incur registration and/or equipment fees.
Your participation level in the class is determined by the professor/instructor. Some would like you to fully participate in the discussion and assignments while others expect you to observe only. Feel free to ask if you are unsure.
If the professor/instructor says “no” to auditing the class, don’t take it personally. There may be limited course materials or restrictions according to the department or program.
You will need the professor of each course you are auditing to sign off on a separate form. This should be done at the beginning of the term, but since Yale College has their shopping period for classes the first two weeks of the semester, instructors may not give you a firm answer until the third week of classes. Permission is required of the instructor and of Dean Risa Sodi, 1 Prospect Street, SSS 25, 432-8427.
Open Yale Courses
A number of Yale University courses are available online through Open Yale. Choose a course you are interested in from the selected list and stream the recorded class lectures from the Open Yale website. Course materials can be downloaded in PDF form. These courses are free and registration is not required. No course credit is given.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a rewarding way to meet new people and become a part of the community. You can use volunteer opportunities to strengthen skills you already have or learn new skills in a field that interests you. This can be particularly appealing for spouses and partners who are ineligible for employment in the U.S. due to immigration status.
The Office of New Haven and State Affairs maintains an online list of volunteer opportunities and resources in the Greater New Haven area. Short-term and long-term volunteer positions are available on campus and at local non-profit organizations throughout the year. Whether you are interested in mentoring youth, taking care of animals, helping health workers, or building houses, you can find a meaningful way to be involved in your new community!
Volunteer Opportunities for Spouses and Partners
- Volunteer opportunities in the New Haven Community: a very comprehensive list put together by WorkLife at Yale
- New Haven Tree Planting Programs
- New Haven Reads (free book bank)
- IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services)
- Dwight Hall
- Yale-New Haven Hospital
- United Way of New Haven
- Local soup kitchens and food banks
Obtaining a Work Permit in the U.S. on a J-2 Visa
After obtaining an Employment Authorization Card, here are are couple of suggestions (this is not an exhaustive list of they types of employment you can get in New Haven, of course):
- Need a job-seeker support group? Consider joining the ISPY Job Hunters group.
- Do you have language skills that you'd like to put to use? consider private tutoring at a place such as Aux 3 Pommes, or through the Yale Center for Language Study.
- If you'd like to explore the possibility of working for Yale, this is is Yale University's Employment portal.
- There are other employment portals for on and off-campus work in New Haven.
- Also very valuable for job seekers is New Haven Works.