SUNY Oswego’s participation in SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps has blossomed this year, with 29 students (up from 13 in its inaugural year) taking part in this opportunity to get paid while making a positive difference with their peers and communities.

Students participating in the second year of the program –- nearly 500 across 43 SUNY campuses -- commit to dedicating at least 300 hours a year to engaging in community service and will convene regularly to share and learn from each other's experiences. 

“It really fits a few different needs for students,” said Jenn Joyce, SUNY Oswego’s community engagement and service learning coordinator. “One of them is experience, while another is paid employment in the work that they’re passionate about.”

While many students have the opportunity to engage in community service activities during their time in college, this opportunity for paid, focused work is especially valuable, Joyce noted.

After a successful first year, Joyce and her colleagues in Experiential Learning saw ways to improve and expand the program that was already providing valuable paid public service experience.

“One of the pieces of feedback from last year was that they didn’t feel as connected to the other students unless they were at the same site,” Joyce said. “So I created a seminar course that also doubles as their meeting time. We’re building a sense of community in that space. They can share events they are working on and students can support each other.”

James Rizza, who majors in psychology with a child advocacy studies minor, is learning a lot through the program while also seeing it set a path toward working with children as a career. 

Part of the Student Success Coaching cohort, Rizza works with Syracuse’s Redhouse Arts Center, delivering after-school programs at Lyncourt Elementary School, providing extra support and enrichment programs for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Rizza also had the opportunity to work an open house and meet many past and current students benefiting from the program.

“I have the opportunity to shadow a social-emotional learning coach a couple of times a week and provide extra support for students who might be having trouble,” Rizza said. “I believe the Redhouse after-school program is a wonderful opportunity for these students. It extends beyond being an arts center, as they’re helping their community as well. I’m glad to be part of the impact they're making.”

Dreams coming true

Rizza chose Oswego with an eye toward eventually enrolling in the master’s in school counseling program and becoming a guidance counselor. Joining the Empire State Service Corps has only confirmed his passion for this work.

“I’m very excited to finally get started working toward the dream that I have,” Rizza said. “You never expect them to start coming true, and now they’re coming true for me. It’s very exhilarating.”

Ruby Ramseyer, who transferred to Oswego after completing studies at Onondaga Community College, has been part of the Empire State Service Corps for both institutions.

“I have grown up my whole life serving, volunteering at a food pantry on my own,” Ramseyer said. “I received an email and saw a tagline for paid community service and thought: Wow, I can serve the community and get paid at the same time! That feels like the best deal ever!”

An English major who would like to go on to receive a master’s in education from Oswego to teach English, Ramseyer is gaining confidence, communication skills and leadership experience from the program. 

“For this semester, I’m part of the community outreach team, connecting Oswego students with volunteer opportunities, which could include logistics support, acting as a team leader to guide them,” Ramseyer said. “I recently helped work the Leighton Elementary School Book Fair, and now I’m helping coordinate the October blood drive through the American Red Cross.”

In addition to the Oswego experiences, Ramseyer worked at a Micron Chip Camp and other educational programs for schoolchildren and served as a peer advisor at OCC. All the opportunities reinforced the notion of serving and how efforts of any kind can have a large impact.

“The little things that you do in the job that you have can make a big difference in the community, and that’s something that really resonates with me,” Ramseyer said.

Serving many areas

In addition to the Student Success Coaching area, where Oswego students are involved in a variety of outreach programs, Empire State Service Corps members work in the following areas: 

  • Civic Engagement/Civil Discourse: Students serve organizations such as local nonprofits related to civic engagement and civil discourse, including nonpartisan voter outreach, voter registration and engaging campus peers in voter activity, such as the university’s VOTE Oswego initiative.
  • Early Childhood: Students serve at a host site dedicated to early childhood education and/or development. For SUNY Oswego students, this includes working with Integrative Community Planning of Oswego County and its Early Childhood Alliance.
  • FAFSA Completion: Students serve local communities, in visits to local high schools and through work on campus, to support students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, including via SUNY Oswego’s FAFSA Completion Corps.
  • Food Insecurity/SNAP Basic Needs: Students serve on or off campus, supporting students/individuals with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For SUNY Oswego, this includes staffing the university’s new SHOP (Students Helping Oz Peers) pantry at its Syracuse Campus. 
  • K-12 Education: Students partner with local school districts for regular tutoring sessions with students in the community who need more academic support, which includes students tutoring at Oswego High School
  • Peer Mental Health: Students are trained to serve as a peer mental health educator, typically at a campus/community wellness or counseling center. Students support peers on or off campus in supporting strong mental health practices and overall wellness initiatives, including Oswego student support of the Friends of Recovery program.
  • Sustainability: Students serve in campus roles and with local nonprofits and state agencies on sustainability work, such as recycling campaigns, tree planting, pollinator gardens and sustainability outreach. At SUNY Oswego, this has included student support for the university’s Rice Creek Field Station, planning community events and outreach.

About the Empire State Service Corps

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. celebrated this year’s participating students as an example of civic education and engagement as part of SUNY’s observance of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

“Ensuring students become well-rounded, civically engaged members of society is a core component of a SUNY higher education,” SUNY Chancellor King said in announcing this year’s cohort. “I applaud every member of our Empire State Service Corps, and the outstanding staff and faculty who support these future leaders across our SUNY campuses as they work to advance public education, civil discourse, and civic engagement.”

This year, for the second year in a row, applications far exceeded the number of spots. About 1,500 students across 55 SUNY campuses applied for the 500 spots available to participate in the Empire State Service Corps, funded from $2.75 million championed by Governor Hochul in the state budget and is a recognized AmeriCorps program, meaning that participating students who complete 300 hours also receive an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of up to $1,500 for their service.

James Rizza works a recent open house at Lyncourt Elementary School for the Redhouse Arts Center

SUNY Oswego Empire State Service Corps member James Rizza works at a recent open house at Lyncourt Elementary School in Syracuse for the Redhouse Arts Center.