MCC Daily Tribune

SUNY Empire State Service Corps Students Have Historic Turnout for Read Across America Week

Nationwide Effort from March 2 through March 6 to Support Reading Programs for Young Students

Throughout New York State, SUNY Empire State Service Corps Students Participated in Events, including Read for the Record on February 26.

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. on Monday applauded members of SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps for participating in the Read Across America weeklong program. The theme of the 2026 Read Across America event was “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers,” and to celebrate, SUNY Service Corps members participated in reading events, as well as the Read for the Record event organized by Jumpstart on February 26.

“SUNY Empire State Service Corps members step up and answer the call to help their local communities,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “From working to address food insecurity, to helping students fill out their federal student aid applications, to inspiring young New Yorkers to enjoy a lifelong love of reading, our service corps members are out in the community serving others. I applaud each and every Service Corps member who participated in Read Across America week and thank Governor Kathy Hochul and our state leaders for their commitment to growing the service corps so more SUNY students can participate in these valuable paid service internships.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Through the leadership of Governor Hochul, and the support of the State Legislature, SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps members have been able to give back to their local communities and improve the lives of New Yorkers throughout the state. We commend our Empire State Service Corps members for their continued dedication to their service work. Thank you to Governor Hochul for championing the program, and for her unwavering support of SUNY’s service corps students.”

Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), NEA’s Read Across America is the nation's largest celebration of reading. The year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources, including celebrations on National Read Across America Day and throughout National Reading Month in March. The titles and resources included in NEA’s Read Across America include books that students can see themselves reflected in, as well as books that allow readers to see a world or character that might be different than them.

Empire State Service Corps members on SUNY campuses throughout New York State have organized or participated in events to celebrate Read Across America week, as well as National Reading Month, including:

Chancellor King reading Mae Among The Stars at the Hudson Valley Community College’s Viking Child Care Center on Tuesday, March 3.
SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech ESSC members reading See Marcus Grow to students at the Cobleskill Campus Child Care Center.
Finger Lakes Community College ESSC members reading See Marcus Grow at the FLCC Child Care Center.
Monroe Community College ESSC members reading See Marcus Grow at the MCC Guon Child Care Center.
SUNY Plattsburgh ESSC members reading See Marcus Grow at the Momot Elementary School. ESSC members at SUNY Plattsburgh also read See Marcus Grow to students at the JCEO Head Start Program and held a discussion with the students.
Rockland Community College ESSC members reading See Marcus Grow at the Campus Fun & Learn Children’s Center.
SUNY Schenectady ESSC members reading to students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School.

Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association, said, “On NEA’s Read Across America Day, we recognize those who intentionally carve out space for students to read boldly and freely—who host Read-Ins not just as celebrations, but as commitments to the freedom to read. At a time when some politicians are censoring ideas and banning books, educators, students, and parents are standing firm. They know books help students understand both our shared humanity and our differences, and they refuse to let fear dictate what young people can learn. In classrooms across the country, choosing to teach the truth, protect diverse stories, and defend every student’s right to read is not just instruction—it is principled resistance. Every student, no matter their race or ZIP code, deserves educators who safeguard their freedom to read in a world as complex and expansive as the one they inhabit.”

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, “When we celebrate a nation of diverse readers, we’re celebrating the heart of public education. Our library media specialists and educators work every day to make sure students see themselves reflected in books, and also see beyond themselves. And when young people step up to serve their communities, whether through reading to children or civic engagement, they’re not just volunteering, they’re strengthening our democracy. Growing informed, active citizens starts with literacy and opportunity, and we are proud of the young people who are leading the way.”

The SUNY Empire State Service Corps participation in the Read Across America weeklong program followed service corps members reading to New York students as part of the Read for the Record effort organized by Jumpstart on February 26. The annual event is the world’s largest shared reading experience, uniting millions of readers to take part in the same book on the same day and raise awareness of early literacy. The book selected for the 2026 Read for the Record was See Marcus Grow by Marcus Bridgewater.

Crystal Rountree, CEO of Jumpstart, said, “Our partnership with SUNY is a powerful reminder that preparing young children for kindergarten success takes a community. We are grateful to SUNY for engaging their students and staff to become the caring adults who make all the difference in a child's early learning journey. On Read for the Record Day we celebrate that commitment alongside millions of readers across the country and around the world.”

Marcus Bridgewater, Author of See Marcus Grow, said, “I am excited to support Jumpstart and their important mission of promoting early literacy. It's an honor to share See Marcus Grow with young readers across the country for the 20th anniversary of Read for the Record. The stories I read as a child planted the seeds for the forest of my life today, and I'm thankful to share the joy of reading with the younger generation as an author.”

The Empire State Service Corps, funded by $2.75 million in the FY25 Enacted State Budget, is New York State’s largest AmeriCorps program. In her 2026 State of the State Agenda (PDF), Governor Hochul proposed doubling the size of the Empire State Service Corps, including new programs to meet New York State’s most pressing needs — offering new capacity to assist in areas such as disaster recovery.

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Higher Education Committee Chair said, “A love of reading can change the course of a young person’s life. The Empire State Service Corps is a powerful example of how SUNY students are giving back to their communities while gaining meaningful experience of their own. I commend these fellows for participating in Read Across America Week and helping inspire the next generation of readers across New York.”

Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “During Read Across America Week, more than 150 fellows from the State University of New York’s Empire State Service Corps stepped into classrooms across New York to inspire the next generation of readers. For communities like those I represent in Southeast Queens, initiatives like this highlight why engaging students early matters. A lifelong love of reading is the foundation of successful learning and opens the door to countless opportunities. I applaud these SUNY fellows for dedicating their time and service to helping young people in our communities discover the power of reading.”

Students participating in the Empire State Service Corps dedicate at least 300 hours to engaging in paid community service and convene regularly to share and learn from each other’s experiences. As a recognized AmeriCorps program, participating students who complete 300 service hours also receive an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of up to $1,400 for their 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.

The first cohort of Empire State Service Corps and Empire State Summer Service Corps members logged a combined 102,343 service hours during the 2024-25 program, serving 74,638 New Yorkers. Empire State Summer Service Corps members also supported 200 new SNAP application submissions during the Summer 2025 session.

Focus 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 middle and high school students to 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 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. 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: 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.

The Empire State Service Corps is part of SUNY’s ongoing efforts to support New Yorkers in need and promote civics and service opportunities among SUNY students. Last week, Governor Hochul announced that the 2026-2027 applications for Empire State Service Corps program were officially open. 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, Empire State 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. In January 2025, Chancellor King announced the addition of a civic discourse component to the general education core competencies, as well as an update to the existing information literacy core competency in order to reflect the rise of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.

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 one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
03/10/2026