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Perk of the Week: Boston community heat breaks

 The offices of City and Community Engagement and Sustainability are teaming up to bring extreme heat education, fun activities and cool treats to neighborhoods around the Boston campus.

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Close-up of two colorful ice pops held outdoors, with blurred summer lights and buildings in the background.
For the next two weeks, Northeastern University is hosting four “Community Heat Breaks” in neighborhoods surrounding the Boston campus. Getty Images

What is it? 

Starting July 16, Northeastern University is hosting a series of free community events around the Boston campus dedicated to safely managing the effects of extreme heat. Run by the university’s City and Community Engagement office as well as the Sustainability office, “Community Heat Breaks” will feature informational sessions and resources from the Boston Public Health Commission and Northeastern staffers, as well as live music, raffles, arts & crafts and free frozen lemonade. 

“It’s about getting the word out about the risks of heat, and how to stay cool and safe,” says Northeastern senior sustainability strategist Torrey Spies. “But it’s also about community building, which in itself builds resilience, and it helps us at Northeastern continue to make those connections with our neighbors.” 

Where and when can I attend?  

There are four community heat break events, all running from 2 to 4 p.m: 

How did the Community Heat Breaks start? 

This is the third year for Community Heat Breaks, but the first in which all events are open to the public. 

“It really started with Mayor [Michelle] Wu and the Green Ribbon Commission,” Spies says. Upon its formation, the task force began working with Boston’s universities and corporate leaders on solutions to mitigate the effects of extreme heat. 

In the first iteration for Community Heat Breaks, events were held at nearby nonprofits, including the Roxbury YMCA and Tobin Community Center. This year, by setting up in public parks, organizers hope to reach more neighborhood residents and talk with them directly about their concerns and needs. 

“We really mapped it out so people would show up from those places,” says Chelsea Lauder, Northeastern’s director of outreach and planning.

Why should Boston campus employees check it out? 

There will be free Del’s Frozen Lemonade, and it’s going to be hot and sunny again this week — temperatures are expected to inch back into the 90s. But it’s also a chance for those who work in Boston to get to know the surrounding communities better, Lauder says. 

“Every location is less than a mile, or less than half a mile from campus,” Lauder says. “If they come to campus every day, they are traveling through those neighborhoods. What better way to meet the actual people who live right next to our campus, to help them see the work our university does and ensure that we are being good neighbors?”