MCC Daily Tribune
Seven SUNY Campuses Participating in Summer 2026 Internship Exchange
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. highlighted the partnership between SUNY and the environmental conservation organization Para La Naturaleza during the 2026 SOMOS Conference in Albany. Through the annual internship exchange program, SUNY students are given the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico to conduct hands-on research to take climate action and improve sustainability. The nine SUNY undergraduate student will be departing for Puerto Rico in the coming weeks to participate in the upcoming Summer 2026 program — part of SUNY’s goal to provide an internship or other experiential learning opportunity for every undergraduate student.
“Paid internship opportunities are an important part of helping students achieve their aspirations and prepare for careers,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Through our partnership with Para La Naturaleza, more SUNY students are being given the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience while also exploring a career path in conservation and sustainability. I thank Para La Naturaleza for working with SUNY to continue providing our students with high-quality internship opportunities.”
SUNY Trustee Marcos Crespo, Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, said, “Through the support of Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY is able to provide our students with hands-on research and internship opportunities through unique collaborations. This exchange program, made possible through the visionary leadership of Para La Naturaleza President Fernando Lloveras San Miguel and SUNY Chancellor King, provides students with life-changing experiences and opportunities. We are proud that this exchange program is expanding to provide students at more SUNY institutions the chance to participate, and we applaud Para La Naturaleza for their strong partnership with SUNY to support our students.”
In Summer 2026, nine students from seven SUNY campuses will participate in the second year of the internship exchange program with Para La Naturaleza, expanding from three participating campuses in Summer 2025. The SUNY campuses selected to participate in this year’s program are:
- State University of New York at Albany
- SUNY Cortland
- SUNY ESF
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- SUNY New Paltz
- SUNY Oneonta
- SUNY Oswego
Chancellor King highlighted the partnership during the 2026 SOMOS Conference in Albany. In 2025, SUNY students from the State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY ESF, and SUNY Oneonta were selected to travel to Puerto Rico for the research exchange experience funded by the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund. As part of their summer internship, students examined and monitored Laguna Grande’s water quality, visited the El Yunque rainforest to identify endemic species, explored unique canyons to identify geological formations, and discussed conservation strategies, and the internship experience ended with a volunteering opportunity. In addition, four students from the University of Puerto Rico were selected to conduct research at SUNY Upstate Medical University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook over the summer.
Additionally, Chancellor King highlighted that this summer, four University of Puerto Rico students will be interning this summer at two SUNY campuses — SUNY Upstate Medical University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook as part of the 2026 internship exchange program.
Para La Naturaleza President Fernando Lloveras San Miguel said, “For the second year in a row, Para la Naturaleza proudly welcomes students from State University of New York into its transformative Ecovivencias program—a living classroom where nature itself becomes the teacher. This immersive series of experiences invites participants to step beyond theory and into the vibrant landscapes of the Puerto Rican archipelago, where conservation comes alive. Here, students don’t just learn about ecosystems—they encounter them, tracing the deep ecological, historical, and cultural threads that shape each place. Nature-based education is more than instruction—it is awakening. It sharpens environmental awareness, nurtures a profound sense of belonging, and reveals the delicate, essential bonds between thriving ecosystems and the well-being of all life—human and non-human alike. Through hands-on, place-rooted learning, students are called not only to understand, but to feel—to cultivate an ethic of care, a commitment to stewardship, and a lasting respect for the natural world. In these shared landscapes, knowledge becomes connection, and connection becomes responsibility.”
State Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N., Chair of the Assembly & Senate Puerto Rican / Hispanic Task Force, said, "I'm proud to spotlight the partnership between SUNY and Para La Naturaleza, which is opening doors for students across New York to engage in meaningful, hands-on climate research while deepening ties with the Puerto Rican community. Every student deserves an academic opportunity like this. By bringing SUNY students to study Puerto Rico's rich climate, we are investing in the next generation of environmental leaders and in the island's future. I applaud Chancellor King and Para La Naturaleza for building such a bold and collaborative program that grows stronger each year. I look forward to seeing the incredible work these students will contribute, and I remain deeply committed to every effort that advances educational equity, climate resilience, and environmental justice for our island and our communities."
The internship exchange program between SUNY and Para La Naturaleza showcases SUNY’s commitment to collaborating with partners to increase student access to internships, and awareness of the array of career paths available to students. SUNY has also launched internship partnerships with the New York State Association of Counties, the New York State Insurance Fund, as well as programs including the SUNY Educational Opportunity Career Development Internship Program, Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund, the SUNY Institute for Local News, the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program, and the SUNY Climate Corps. Through strong investment from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, the SUNY Board of Trustees provides $14.5 million in annual state funding to support paid internships for students at State-operated campuses. Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget includes an additional $7.4 million to expand career-connected internships across the SUNY System.
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.
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
04/20/2026