Skip to main contentSkip to footer content

ESF Students Among Inaugural Class of SUNY Climate Corps

Syracuse, N.Y. – June 26, 2024 Three students from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are among the inaugural class of paid student interns from the SUNY Climate Corps Internship Program. Thirty-six SUNY students from eight campuses were selected for immersive, real-life work experiences in research and policy at state agencies with environmental and sustainability missions and SUNY System Administration.

Interns were selected based on demonstrated interest in sustainability careers and potential for leadership and innovation, with a preference for those from disadvantaged communities designated under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and students facing related barriers to obtaining an internship experience. Funding for the program is provided through Empire State Development.

ESF students and their host agencies are:

  • Emily Bridgeford, Master's Program in Environmental Policy, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
  • Leah Ellender, Master's Program in Climate & Energy, Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Savi-Cartier Stewart, Environmental Resources Engineering, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

“Across SUNY we are opening up opportunities for paid internships and college credit, and in doing so, expanding our students’ exposure to meaningful hands-on experiential learning outside the classroom,” said King. “The SUNY Climate Corps Internship Program puts students in positions that contribute to data analysis, environmental justice, waste reduction and recycling, and everything in between, and we are thankful to our state agency partners and campuses across the state for making the experience enriching and bringing each student closer to pursuing work in environmental and sustainability-related fields.”

Students will gain experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to excel in the clean technology, energy, circular economy, conservation, and environmental regulation sectors of the sustainability field. Through close partnership between SUNY campuses and state agencies, students will take advantage of a crucial opportunity to apply their classroom work and academic research to current environmental issues and gain governmental and policy-making experience.

“SUNY Climate Corps is an incredible opportunity for our students, and we applaud Chancellor King and New York state partners for bringing it to fruition,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “Our students will be even more strongly positioned for success after graduation, thanks to these internship and mentorship opportunities. I look forward to seeing our students put into action all they learn about climate change and sustaining our environment, which are at the heart of our focus at ESF.”

Students will be mentored by seasoned professionals in the field, granting interns deeper insight into the industry. 

Providing paid internships enables students from low-income households, in particular, to take advantage of applied-learning opportunities, which have a high impact on student success and completion. In turn, student interns from disadvantaged frontline communities, who are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and understand related challenges, may contribute to solutions.

Paid internships level the playing field, enabling rising environmental leaders to compete based on their interests, training, and qualifications, without being constrained by economic circumstances. 

Through $500,000 in funding from Empire State Development, SUNY is removing barriers for the next generation of innovators to contribute to New York state's climate action goals. The program also creates a talent pipeline for partner agencies, offering them a unique opportunity to engage with high-potential students who may become their future employees and leaders. 

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.

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, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire 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 $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu

 

###