Empire State Service Corps

Empire State Service Corps at MVCC

The SUNY Empire State Service Corps (ESSC) is a paid opportunity for students to make a difference in the community while gaining valuable skills and professional experience. Through ESSC, students can turn their passion for service into meaningful, hands-on experience while developing skills that will benefit them throughout their careers. Their work also creates lasting positive community impact.

Selected students engage complete 300 hours of paid public service over the course of an academic year. Students are placed in cohorts based on their areas interest areas and serve at an on-campus or community-based host site. 

Cohorts:

Civil Discourse and Civic Engagement

Students will serve either on or off campus with 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.

Economic Opportunity: FAFSA Completion

Students will serve either in local high schools or work on campus to support students with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Healthy Futures: Food Insecurity and Basic Needs

Students will serve on or off campus supporting students/individuals with SNAP outreach, basic needs support (could include shifts at campus food pantry), or other food insecurity-aligned work.

Education: K-12 Tutoring

Students will partner with local school districts for tutoring sessions on a regular basis to support recovery from pandemic-era learning loss.

Education: Student Success Coaching

Students will work with secondary education-level students to combat common challenges external to academics, such as addressing chronic absenteeism, access to socio-emotional learning, mentoring, and mental health support. Alternatively, this cohort can be aligned to other relevant on-campus offices or community-based sites that are non-education related to support students of all ages holistically.

Environmental Stewardship: Sustainability

Students will serve in campus roles or off-campus with local nonprofits, state agencies, or other organizations focused on sustainability work, such as recycling campaigns, tree planting, pollinator gardens, sustainability outreach, building sustainable civic habits, etc.

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