American public universities have a broad and fundamental commitment not only to learning, education, and scholarship, but also to serving the wider public by driving economic development through the preparation of tomorrow’s workforce, conducting research that can improve the world we live in, and even helping to solve some of society’s greatest challenges.
Key to achieving our highest ambitions are the partnerships that our universities are cultivating in communities across New York State and abroad. That is why one of six major goals outlined by our strategic plan, The Power of SUNY: 2010 and Beyond, is helping to advance New York’s “vibrant communities” by creating a more direct link between the work of the University and the enhancement of quality of life for all of New Yorkers.
Applied Learning refers to a hands-on, real-world approach where students learn by doing. Although the setting and context may vary for each applied learning opportunity, these traditionally include planning, training, monitoring, reflection, and evaluation, and can be credit-bearing or not, at home or abroad.
Each campus within the State University of New York makes many diverse contributions to its nearby region. When these contributions are gathered together, we are better able to appreciate the enormous impact of SUNY on each of our communities.
The information below is not meant to be comprehensive. Each campus makes many more contributions than we could hope to list, with more added every day. For further information on each campus and its contributions, follow the links below or contact the person(s) listed under the entries for each campus.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance
On January 20th, The SUNY Adirondack Residence Life Office aired the viewing of the Statewide Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Observance, Learn more...
Community and Public Service Program (CPSP)
The Community and Public Service Program is a campus-wide program administered by the School of Social Welfare that exemplifies University at Albany’s commitment to public engagement. Learn more...
Alfred Community Garden
Founded in 2010, the Alfred Community Garden makes a working plot of land available to any interested local community member or group. Learn more...
Johnson City Mentor Program
Partnership between Binghamton University and Johnson City School District, providing role models and academic support to Johnson City middle school students. Learn more...
Annual Fall Saturday of Service
SOS is designed to introduce all incoming students to Brockport’s culture of service and provides an opportunity prior to the start of classes to work alongside peers and faculty/staff members while making an impact in the community. Learn more...
Public Achievement
Public Achievement is a civic youth program that puts students in the ‘driver’s seat’ of life. Our college students receive instruction in public deliberation, leadership, and problem solving skills. Learn more...
Community Service Peer Leader Program
The Community Service Peer Leader program is geared towards students who wish to have a long-term structured service experience during their collegiate career and offers students an opportunity to interact with the community through service. Learn more...
UB Community Day
Begun in 2010 and occurring twice per school year, UB Community Day brings hundreds of student volunteers to various locations throughout Western NY where they work hand-in-hand with community residents on projects to improve the overall appearance of neighborhoods. Learn more...
Canton Soup Kitchen
SUNY Canton students, staff, and faculty are afforded the opportunity on a weekly basis to work at a local soup kitchen. Learn more...
The Nature Trail Project
During the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014 students planted native wetland species, helped with the removal of the invasive buckthorn trees that line the trail and planted over 30 new trees in their place on the campus Nature Trail. Learn more...
Civility Club - Adopt a Friend
The Clinton community participated in a program through the Clinton County Department of Social Services to “adopt” 18 local children by providing toys and items for them for Christmas. Learn more...
Feed the Need
This campus-wide food drive began in the fall of 2013 and was expanded to include three area businesses. Learn more...
Giving Tree Project
The program, now in its second year, is a combination of adopt-a-family efforts from various organizations in both Columbia and Greene counties and employees at the college. Learn more...
Further Educators Club
The college further educators club visited Tammy Alexander's second grade classroom in Elmira NY, as a group, bringing twenty educational books based on Dr. King's life and message on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Learn more...
Institute for Civic Engagement
The Institute for Civic Engagement strives to increase the number of undergraduate students engaged in meaningful civic actions by restructuring and influencing academic programs, extracurricular activities, and the institutional culture. Learn more...
Sandy Relief Effort
SUNY Delhi students majoring in carpentry, electrical, architecture and construction technology and management provided skilled assistance for Sandy recovery efforts during the college spring break 2013. Learn more...
Brooklyn Free Clinic Hurricane Sandy Outreach
This free clinic provided health screenings at a Health and Resource Fair organized by NYS Assembly member Felix Ortiz at the Joseph A. Miccio Community Center. Learn more...
Human Services Associate in Science Program
The Human Services program at Dutchess Community College has forged successful collaborations in our community, with students performing fieldwork at 68 different local agencies. Learn more...
Give Your Heart to Those In Need: A Benefit Luncheon for Franklin Community Center
SUNY Empire State College’s Center for Distance Learning and School of Nursing jointly hosted "Give Your Heart to Those in Need," a luncheon to benefit the Franklin Community Center Food Pantry. Learn more...
Fire District Energy Saving Projects
Students in the Architecture and Construction Management Department of Farmingdale State College volunteered to assist fire districts prepare as-built drawings and proposed energy saving construction. Learn more...
Interior Design Sandy Relief Project
Students provided assistance to help families rebuild their homes, using their design skills to help 16 Long Beach, NY families rebuild their homes after Superstorm Sandy. Learn more...
Arts and Cultural Engagement
Finger Lakes Community College contributes to the arts and cultural offerings in the Canandaigua area by granting the use of its state-of-the-art auditorium, which opened in 2012, to the festival. Learn more...
Relay for Life of SUNY Fredonia
Colleges Against Cancer, a SUNY Fredonia student organization, hosted its annual Relay for Life of SUNY Fredonia event. Learn more...
United Way Campaign
With 38 active clubs on-campus, clubs competed against one another to see who could raise the most money for this worthy effort. Learn more...
Eco-Fest Celebration of Earth Day
The Eco-Fest celebration encourages participants to “Get their Green On” and enjoy more than 40 different indoor and outdoor activities such as recycling, reusing, reducing, climate change, animal habitats, endangered species, gardening, and composting. Learn more...
Livingston CARES
This unique community partnership brings together SUNY Geneseo students, faculty and community members dedicated to local and global humanitarian projects. Learn more...
"Adopt a School" Anti-Bullying Program
Herkimer College Athletic Department provides outreach to youth in the community by visiting local schools to present an anti-bullying program. Learn more...
Building Civic Capacity for a Stronger Troy
Faculty and student volunteers work to create opportunities for Troy residents to be engaged in discussions leading to a clear, non-partisan direction for the city, allowing individuals and organizations of Troy to work together to create a better and more vibrant future. Learn more...
Two People, One Journey residency
Programs designed to help the college community, area high school students, and the community at large examine how social and racial history can inform one’s knowledge of past injustices. Learn more...
Center for Community Studies
Through the Center for Community Studies (CCS) at Jefferson Community College, nearly 400 JCC students each year gain real-world experience applying the concepts and mathematics learned in their classes to actual research. Learn more...
Blood Drive
Community, students, faculty and staff join together to donate blood and save lives, in coordination with Hudson Valley Blood Services. Learn more...
College Literacy Drive
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Mohawk Valley Community College is partnered with the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, to enhance the literary collection of the organization. Learn more...
Literacy Kits and Family Fun Packs
These literacy tools incorporate early literacy through reading comprehension and MCC has developed partnerships with over 15 different childcare centers that receive and implement these learning tools on a regular basis. Learn more...
Solarize Madison
Students partner with local solar installers and community members to raise awareness of solar energy, encourage a shift to renewable resources, and train solar technicians. Learn more...
Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees has been held for over 20 years, raising funds for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau and the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Learn more...
Alternative Spring Break Program
Fourteen students, including one student from ASB 2013 returning as a Peer Mentor, were chosen from a pool of applicants to participate in leadership activities and to volunteer with seven different organizations during their break. Learn more...
Best Buddies Club
Best Buddies fosters one-to-one friendships between college students and adults with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) and college students without IDD. Learn more...
Winter Carnival
Students majoring in Sports and Event Management join forces with the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival planning committee to implement a fun filled day of community activities at the village owned ski center at Mt. Pisgah. Learn more...
CALL For Change
The CALL Program challenges students to confront the big questions facing the world today by participating in and reflecting upon civic engagement activities. Learn more...
First-Year Service Days
Working with the Center for Social Responsibility and Community in collaboration with nearly 100 nonprofit agencies, students worked on many projects. Learn more...
Step Up to Stop Falls
The Step Up to Stop Falls program helps senior citizens increase their strength, power, and flexibility by using the muscles most needed to prevent falls. Learn more...
Community Vision Care
Students and faculty members of the College provided residents of East Harlem—both children and adults—with a general ocular health screening. Learn more...
Chamber of Commerce Partnership
Students begin their workforce initiation at the Chamber, which provides them with valuable work experience while at the same time providing opportunities to build up their resumes and portfolios. Learn more...
Alternative Breaks
By the end of the 2013-2014 academic year, 109 SUNY Oswego students and 9 staff will have provided approximately 3,540 hours of service through 11 Alternative Break trips. Learn more...
Project CONNECT
In fall of 2012, SUNY Plattsburgh's Teacher Education Unit assumed responsibility for running Project CONNECT, an afterschool program at three elementary schools and one middle school in the Plattsburgh City School District. Learn more...
Very Special Arts Festival
The Very Special Arts Festival has been an annual event since 1971. Each year hundreds of disabled public school age children and adults come together for the day to showcase their abilities and their creativity in the arts. Learn more...
Project Focus
Project Focus is an internship through the Office of Student Life & Community Partnerships. It focuses on mentoring & leadership development through partnerships with local K-12 schools and community partners in Port Chester, NY. Learn more...
Homes for Heroes Project
Students and the advisor for the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity along with the RCC student veterans group have participated in a local Homes for Heroes project - volunteering and doing construction, landscaping and raising funds. Learn more...
Interpersonal and Group Dynamics- Direct Service Learning Experience
he purpose of this class is for students to learn interpersonal and group communication skills. They apply these skills through a direct service learning experience with agencies and schools in the Capital District. Learn more...
AmeriCorps Volunteers for Community Service
Participating students address community needs in health, homelessness, hunger and poverty, performing tasks such as leading community health campaigns, conducting food collections and responding to natural disasters by providing relief for victims. Learn more...
Coop and Internships
Coordinated by Veronica Miller, the Suffolk County Community College Cooperative Education and Internships program has placed many students into community settings where they both serve their community and learn about careers in many different fields. Learn more...
Baseball & Autism Speaks Team Up
Community-minded SUNY student athletes share time and talents to help make annual Walk Now For Autism event a success. Learn more...
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Bullying
Utilizing data obtained from the Oneida County TEEN ASSESSMENT PROJECT (TAP) the presenters add to the research on peer victimization by further investigating the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on bullying behavior. Learn more...
Dryden Kitchen Cupboard Food Drive
TC3 Student Activities Office leads a campus-wide food drive to restock local food pantry shelves after Thanksgiving. Learn more...
Hudson Valley Hurricane Helpers
SUNY Ulster nursing students galvanized a campus- and community-wide effort to help residents on Long Island who had been impacted by Super Storm Sandy in 2012. Learn more...
Clinical Placements for the Real World
Upstate Medical University places students in meaningful clinical placements to help them acquire real-world skills. Learn more...
The Kathryn W. Davis Global Community Scholarship Program
The Davis Program promotes the interchange of ideas, enlightens participants about global and local issues, and engages the students in cooperative and productive experiences. Learn more...