More Than 500 Students Across SUNY Campuses Will Participate in Paid Public Service Opportunities; Program Recognized Through AmeriCorps

The Program and SUNY’s Civics and Service Agenda Factsheet is Available on the SUNY Website

Lieutenant Governor Delgado and SUNY Chancellor King Kick Off Program at SUNY Oneonta, With Up to 40 Participants Selected Per Class

Traducción al español

Governor Kathy Hochul on Sep 18th, announced the inaugural class of Empire State Service Corps members, with 515 students selected from State University of New York campuses statewide to participate in paid public service opportunities. During its first application cycle, almost 2,000 SUNY students submitted applications for the program, which provides assignments in high need areas such as K-12 tutoring, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and basic needs outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement, and Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion.

“Working in state government as a young person was a formative experience that catalyzed my interest in public service and serving the people of New York,” Governor Hochul said. “By expanding our initiatives to get more young people involved with the Empire Service Corps, we made a forward commitment to their well-being and to the betterment of our State as a whole. I’m proud to welcome the inaugural class of the Empire State Service Corps, including 515 students from New York State’s very own SUNY schools. Congratulations and thank you for your public service.”

The SUNY Oneonta team, the largest class of the Empire State Service Corps with 48 students participating, met with Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. as the program starts this month. They were joined by NYS Chief Service Officer Matt Schaffer, SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle, participating students and campus coordinators.

“National and community service has the power to unite New Yorkers, address pressing social issues, and improve the lives of those who participate in it,” Lieutenant Governor Delgado said. “On Sep 18th, we celebrate the launch of the Empire State Service Corps, which will in its first year create 500 new meaningful, paid service opportunities for SUNY students, while also addressing critical community needs. I am grateful for Governor Hochul’s leadership in establishing the new Office of Service and Civic Engagement, which will expand and enhance service opportunities across New York State, to make service more accessible, inclusive, and widespread. The Empire State Service Corps is a wonderful first step toward expanding service opportunities and creating a stronger, more unified and resilient state.”

Empire State Service Corps connects participating SUNY students with impactful public service opportunities for over 300 paid public service hours over the course of a year. The New York State FY25 enacted Budget allocated $2.75 million to launch the program. Currently, more than 45 SUNY campuses have signed on to host Empire State Service Corps members.

In addition, the Empire State Service Corps was awarded $2.5 million as an AmeriCorps program by the New York State Commission on National and Community Service. These federal funds will support the administration of specific service projects, and at the end of the AmeriCorps service term, eligible students will receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which may be used to repay qualified loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

SUNY Chancellor John King said, “Civics and service are integral to the mission of public higher education and to the work of SUNY. SUNY is proud of the students selected for the first-ever Empire State Service Corps who will be answering the call to service and bettering their communities. I am especially grateful for Governor Hochul, Lieutenant Governor Delgado, and the Legislature’s leadership in creating a service program that will both expand opportunities for hands-on experiences while also meeting the needs of New Yorkers across the State.”

SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle said, "Making a difference by serving others is at the heart of our mission at SUNY Oneonta. We appreciate the paid public service opportunities made possible through this effort, championed by the Governor's Office and SUNY. I am proud that our students responded to this call to serve Oneonta and the surrounding region so enthusiastically."

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “The Empire State Service Corps provides valuable hands-on experience for our SUNY students while helping people who benefit from their work. This program is another example of SUNY's extensive, robust menu of educational opportunities for our students.”

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, “Through the Empire State Service Corps, New York students are engaging in meaningful public service opportunities that are connecting them to their communities and neighbors. Experiential learning opportunities like this help expand a student’s skillset and their ability to secure employment upon graduation, while cementing a commitment to serving one’s community and others through meaningful public service. I was proud to collaborate with Chancellor King and Governor Hochul to fund the Empire State Service Corps in this year’s final Budget, and congratulations to the inaugural class on your achievement!”

AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith said, “SUNY has innovatively integrated national service into its operations by initiating the FAFSA Completion Corps and offering AmeriCorps alumni benefits through the Schools of National Service Initiative. The Empire State Service Corps initiative continues this work by allowing hundreds of students to serve their communities as AmeriCorps members, where they gain valuable professional and personal skills while earning educational funds. AmeriCorps looks forward to learning from SUNY's efforts and hopes other higher education systems will follow in their footsteps."

Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur said, “The Empire State Service Corps showcases the transformative potential of higher education civic engagement. The hundreds of SUNY students who will participate in this program will acquire valuable skills and hands-on practical experiences and be instilled with a lasting commitment to civic involvement. As they make a positive difference in the lives of New Yorkers and their communities, this innovative initiative inspires us all to explore new and impactful ways to serve.”

NYS Commission on National and Community Service Executive Director Linda Cohen said, “The Commission is very pleased to partner with SUNY and the Office of Service and Civic Engagement on this bold new AmeriCorps initiative. A network of hundreds of SUNY students across the State will bring services and support to New Yorkers and their communities on a scale that will surpass our previous efforts. The Empire State Service Corps is a fitting successor to the thousands of New Yorkers who have served in AmeriCorps in the past thirty years and an inspiring start to the next thirty and beyond.”

Partners for Campus-Community Engagement Executive Director Dr. David Harker said, “Partners for Campus-Community Engagement (PCCE) applauds this commitment by the SUNY system and the Lieutenant Governor’s office to deepen high-quality community engagement throughout our State. The Service Corps program acknowledges the importance of supporting engaged students financially, ensuring equitable access to mutually beneficial experiential education opportunities. These Corps members will make a tremendous impact in their communities, while developing crucial skills and experiences that will benefit them greatly. This is another huge step forward in the State of New York and SUNY’s commitment to higher education as a public good.”

Multi-State Collaborative for College Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement Senior Advisor Carol Geary Schneider added, “Education has always had a public good mission — but today, New York is revitalizing that mission to make community engagement and service central to it. We in the Multi-State Collaborative for College Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement are elated to see that New York is breaking new ground in preparing students to act with others to improve the quality of life for all.”

The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens Author Richard Haass said, “Public service can foster community, develop skills, address real needs and build bridges between citizens and their government. All of which is to say I am heartened to see my own State of New York and the State University of New York come together to launch the Empire State Service Corps. Public service programs of this sort transcend politics and deserve broad support.”

The Empire State Service Corps was launched as part of Governor Hochul and Chancellor King's commitment to increasing service opportunities for students across the State. In addition to the Empire State Service Corps, the university system has launched additional programming for civic education, civil discourse, and civic awareness across campuses. This spring, Chancellor King announced 10 faculty fellows would become the first-ever Civic Education & Engagement and Civil Discourse Fellows. The fellowship aims to promote civic discourse among students, faculty, and staff across SUNY campuses. More information about the program and SUNY’s work to expand civic engagement opportunities is available.

In addition to the State-funded 500 Empire State Service Corps members, the philanthropy Ibis Group is supporting 15 additional Corps members to serve in nonpartisan voter outreach and civic engagement roles.

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the State’s only college of optometry, and manages one U.S Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.