SUNY Chancellor King Celebrates Expansion of Empire State Service Corps to 1,000 SUNY Students

September 9, 2026

Chancellor King Joined State University of New York at Binghamton Service Corps Members to Prepare Hygiene Kits for Local Schools and Nonprofit Organizations

FY26-27 Enacted State Budget Doubled SUNY Service Corps to 1,000 Available Spots, and New Service Areas Including Disaster Recovery

Photos Available Here

Binghamton, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today celebrated the expansion of the Empire State Service Corps to 1,000 members at 57 SUNY campuses for the third year of the program. The Empire State Service Corps was also expanded through last year’s Enacted State Budget to include new service impact areas and new teams such as the disaster recovery team, so students can be mobilized to help New Yorkers in need following a natural disaster or other crisis event. To learn more about the Empire State Service Corps, visit: https://www.suny.edu/student-experience/servicecorps/.

Chancellor King made the announcement during a visit to the State University of New York at Binghamton, which will have 100 SUNY Service Corps members for the current academic year thanks to the expansion. During his visit, Chancellor King joined members of the Binghamton Service Corps to prepare back to school hygiene kits – which include personal care items like toothbrushes, body wash, and hair grooming kits – for local schools and nonprofits.

"The Empire State Service Corps provides our students with vital opportunities to uplift their local communities, while completing paid public service that prepares them for future careers," said SUNY Chancellor King. "SUNY's Service Corps members are leaders that are willing to step up and make a positive difference in the lives of New Yorkers. I was proud to join our Service Corps members at the State University of New York at Binghamton for their day of service and applaud all of our dedicated members throughout the state as they work to make a difference in their on- and off-campus communities."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Through Governor Hochul's support and leadership, the Empire State Service Corps has empowered our students throughout the state to pursue life-changing opportunities to give back to their communities. We thank Governor Hochul for championing the program, and for her dedication to SUNY's Service Corps members."

During the day of service, Chancellor King and State University of New York at Binghamton Service Corps members and staff packed 1,000 hygiene kits that will be distributed to Binghamton-area Empire State Service Corps host site partners, including local school districts and nonprofit community organizations, to support children and families throughout the area.

State University of New York at Binghamton President Anne D’Alleva said, "Service is an essential ingredient of holistic student success and I’m enthusiastically in support of the Empire State Service Corps’ mission. Taking time to help others makes college students feel more confident and able and it boosts everything else they do as students. I’m proud that Binghamton students do so much on behalf of the neighbors in our community and the Empire State Service Corps gives them both the avenue to volunteer and meaningful compensation for their time and efforts."

State Senator Lea Webb (BU ‘04) said, "The Empire State Service Corps program is a great opportunity for students to connect with the greater community of the college they attend, and I am excited to see this program progress and expand. I had an amazing time with SUNY Chancellor King and Binghamton University President Anne D’Alleva visiting the students at Binghamton University’s Empire State Service Corps program. These students are truly remarkable, dedicated to giving their time back to our community and contributing thousands of community service hours to organizations right here in Binghamton."

Students participating in the Empire State Service Corps dedicate at least 300 hours to engage in paid community service, and convene regularly to share and learn from each other's experiences. As New York State's largest AmeriCorps program, participating students who complete 300 service hours also receive an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of up to $1,400 for their service. Funding for the Empire State Service Corps includes support from The Educating Character Initiative (ECI) at Wake Forest University through support from the Lilly Endowment Inc.

New York State Commission on National and Community Service Executive Director Beth Tailleur said, "On behalf of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service, I congratulate the Empire State Service Corps on the start of its third program year. The Service Corps has already had a positive impact on communities throughout our state, improving academic performance for K-12 students, providing peer mental health counseling for thousands, increasing food security, supporting veterans and more. We truly value our partnership with SUNY, and we look forward to continuing to support the Empire State Service Corps as it continues to benefit the residents of our state."

Executive Director of the American Red Cross Southern Tier Chapter Zachariah K. Riley said, "The Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross has greatly benefited from our partnership with the Empire State Service Corps. The students our team has had the privilege of working with have brought enthusiasm, energy, creativity, and a strong commitment to serving others. Their contributions have helped strengthen communities, engage volunteers, promote preparedness, and expand our ability to deliver critical Red Cross services throughout the Southern Tier. We are proud to serve as a host site and look forward to continuing this partnership to create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, lead, and make a lasting impact in their communities."

Governor Hochul has championed the Empire State Service Corps since 2024 and funded the program with $2.75 million in the FY25 Enacted State Budget. The Empire State Service Corps is also supported by a federal AmeriCorps grant which is administered by SUNY's partners at the New York State Commission for National and Community Service. In 2025, applications far exceeded the number of available spots for the second year in a row, with applications outpacing the number of campus spots 4:1.

Service areas Empire State Service Corps members traditionally work in include:

  • 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 and voter registration.
  • Education: 
    • K-12 Tutoring: Students will partner with local school districts for regular tutoring sessions with students in the community who need more academic support.
    • Early Childhood Education: Students will serve at a host site dedicated to early childhood education and/or development (for example, daycare or Head Start centers).
    • Student Success Coaching: Students will work with elementary, middle and high school students to support academic achievement and combat common challenges external to academics like addressing chronic absenteeism, access to socio-emotional learning, mentoring, and mental health support.
  • Economic Opportunity:
    • FAFSA Completion: Students will serve local communities, in visits to local high schools and through work on campus, to support students in completing the FAFSA or other financial aid forms.
  • Healthy Futures: 
    • Food Insecurity/SNAP & Basic Needs: Students will serve on or off campus supporting students and others with SNAP outreach as well as basic needs support (which could include shifts at a campus food pantry) or with other food insecurity-aligned work.
    • Independent Living: Students will promote independence and quality of life for aging populations and individuals with alternative abilities.
    • Justice-Impacted Support: Students will support reentry and stability by connecting justice-impacted individuals to resources, opportunities, and community networks.
    • Mental Health & Substance Abuse Support: Students will be trained to serve as a mental health educator, supporting peers or community members either on- or off-campus with building strong mental health practices and overall wellness initiatives. Students will promote well-being by expanding access to mental health resources, prevention efforts, and supportive services.
  • Environmental Stewardship:
    • Sustainability: Students will 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.
    • Climate Action: Students will advance long-term climate initiatives through research, education, and resilience-building that supports healthier communities (e.g. supporting local municipalities, climate-focused campus initiatives, climate outreach campaigns, etc.).
  • Veterans Affairs & Military Families Outreach: Students will serve at host sites dedicated to supporting active military or veterans' affairs for individuals, families, or affiliated groups through outreach, resource connection, and responsive services.
  • There are two optional teams for Empire State Service Corps members to participate in:
    • Disaster Relief Team
      • The Empire State Service Corps Member Disaster Relief Team Program is focused on connecting any interested SUNY corps members from around NYS to various disaster relief organizations, and to ensure they receive thorough citizen preparedness trainings. Members who have successfully attended the preparation training will have the option, should a state or national disaster arise, to respond to and perform necessary disaster relief work.  All interested corps members have the option to participate in the program.
    • Ambassadors Team
      • The Empire State Service Corps Member Ambassador Team Program is focused on connecting returning SUNY corps members from around NYS to share ideas, generate thoughtful dialogue, and to expand their leadership on campus. Campuses have the opportunity to nominate one student representative to serve as their campus Ambassador.

The Empire State Service Corps is part of SUNY's ongoing efforts to support New Yorkers in need by encouraging civic engagement and volunteerism. In August, SUNY announced a partnership with Educating Character Initiative to provide additional professional development and training to Empire State Service Corps members. In March, Empire State Service Corps members hosted a day of service and prepared meal kits at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. In January, members of the Empire State Service Corps assembled literacy kits as part of a day of service to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In November 2025, Service Corps members were mobilized to support their communities during Governor Hochul's Day of Hunger Action, and they provided additional assistance during the food insecurity crisis.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

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