SUNY Adirondack named Empire State Service Corps college

QUEENSBURY (April 14, 2026) — SUNY Adirondack is proud to announce the college was named a participant in Empire State Service Corps (ESSC) for the 2026-27 academic year.

ESSC is an opportunity for SUNY students to be paid for public service work, learning lifelong skills and making a positive impact on the community. Students are placed in one of six cohorts — Civic Engagement, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures, Education, or Veterans & Military Families Outreach — then perform 300 hours of work throughout the academic year.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our students to engage in meaningful service while building skills that will benefit them long after they leave SUNY Adirondack,” said Wendy Johnston, associate professor of Political Science, chair of the Social Science Division and campus coordinator for ESSC.

In the program’s first year at SUNY Adirondack, 10 students will be accepted to participate in on-campus sites. Applications are being accepted from campus offices to host students in service-related projects. Interested students are invited to apply, and will be assigned based on their interests and position availability.

ESSC can be expanded to community-based host sites and more students in the future.  

Work assignments, Johnston emphasized, aren’t typical work-study tasks. As an example, she cited filing paperwork as a traditional assignment in the Financial Aid office; students in ESSC might instead be tasked with developing and instilling a plan to increase completion of Free Application for Federal Student Aid applications.

“The work is civic engagement,” Johnston explained. “Through this program, students will make a real impact in our community and gain a deeper understanding of their own ability to lead, contribute and create positive change.”

Participating students are eligible for additional benefits, including an education award, through AmeriCorps should they choose to apply.