State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado visited campus today to officially launch the Empire State Service Corps, share good news about the initiative, and celebrate SUNY Oneonta’s record student participation in the program.
Announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in May as the sixth proposal from her 2024 State of the State agenda, the Empire State Service Corps—spearheaded by Delgado and SUNY—aims to increase civic and public service opportunities for students by creating paid service positions for more than 500 students across the SUNY system. The program is funded by a $2.75 million expansion of community service endeavors.
King and Delgado met with University President Alberto Cardelle, students in the inaugural class and campus coordinators for a roundtable discussion and news conference, where they announced that the Empire State Service Corps has been formally accepted as an AmeriCorps partner. This means that, upon completion, participating students will be considered AmeriCorps alumni and will be eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, a scholarship they can use for graduate school or to repay student loans.
“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,” Delgado said. “Today 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.”
SUNY Oneonta will have 48 Empire State Service Corps student members, the most of any participating SUNY. Students begin their assignments this month, which are in a variety of high-need areas such as K-12 tutoring, SNAP and basic need outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement, and FAFSA completion. Local site assignments will include the Salvation Army, Oneonta City School District, Village of Cooperstown and Gilbert Lake State Park, to name a few. Students will perform 300 paid public service hours over the course of a year.
"Making a difference by serving others is at the heart of our mission at SUNY Oneonta," said President Alberto Cardelle. "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."
During its first application cycle, which opened in July, almost 2,000 students across the SUNY system applied for the program. Alex Garcia, a psychology and sociology dual major, is one of SUNY Oneonta’s 48 Empire State Service Corps members, assigned to the campus Counseling Center to help promote mindfulness initiatives, coordinate events and social media, and more.
“I volunteered in high school but didn’t have as much time in college because I needed to work to earn money to help pay for my education,” said Garcia, a first-generation college student. “Before accepting this opportunity, I worked as a server downtown and also had a Federal Work Study job on campus as a receptionist. Having a paid service opportunity like this not only has me engaging with the community and helping fund my education, but now I have extra time to volunteer even further in the Oneonta community, and it’s given me courage to further develop connections and skills that could help in my career – social work or public health.”
View more photos from the Empire State Service Corps Press Conference