66 SUNY Oneonta Students Participate in Empire State Service Corps

Sixty-six SUNY Oneonta students are participating in the second class of Empire State Service Corps (ESSC) members during the 2025-2026 academic year. More than 500 students from 45 SUNY campus are participating in the program, and the number of applicants outpaced the number of available spots at 4:1. SUNY Oneonta has the highest number of participating students of any SUNY campus.

The Empire State Service Corps, championed by Governor Kathy Hochul and funded by $2.75 million in the FY25 Enacted State budget, is New York State's largest AmeriCorps program. As a recognized AmeriCorps program, participating students who complete 300 service hours are also eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of up to $1,500 for their service.

"The Empire State Service Corps program empowers our students to take on civics and service opportunities that benefit all New Yorkers. Communities throughout the state are enriched, and SUNY students receive real-world experience as they work to improve lives through this program," SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said during a visit to Hudson Valley Community College in October. "I applaud every member of our Empire State Service Corps, and the staff and faculty who support them as they work to make a difference in their on- and off-campus communities."

Students began their assignments in September in a variety of high-need areas that include K-12 education, SNAP and basic need outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, nonpartisan civic engagement and FAFSA completion. New to the program this year, students are also completing in early childhood education, student success coaching and veterans' affairs outreach. Local site assignments include the Salvation Army, Oneonta City School District, Village of Cooperstown and Gilbert Lake State Park, to name a few.

The first cohort of Empire State Service Corps and Empire State Summer Service Corps members logged a combined 102,343 service hours during the 2024-25 program, serving 74,638 New Yorkers. Empire State Summer Service Corps members also supported 200 new SNAP application submissions during this year's summer session.