Programs
Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack is a national program with local support organized on campus by two groups of Syracuse University student athletes. The athletes held a fundraising drive entitled “44 Hours of Change” on Sept. 15-17, 2022, with the goal of raising $10,000 in partnership with the Syracuse City School District.
Please consider supporting this effort by donating to Blessings in a Backpack.
Citizens Academy
The Citizens Academy is an interactive educational program that informs Onondaga County citizens how local governments are organized and how services are funded and delivered. It is a place to learn about citizen involvement through an integrated approach to economic vitality, social equity and a healthy environment. Citizens Academy was created and is administered by FOCUS Greater Syracuse and Syracuse University.
Contact: Office of Community Engagement
Food Insecurity Awareness Week
The Office of Community Engagement supports efforts to combat food insecurity, both on the Syracuse University campus and in our Central New York community. Food Insecurity Awareness Week (September 13-17, 2022) raises awareness to the issue of food insecurity by highlighting programs from both on campus and in the City of Syracuse. The focus is on student programs and resources to combat this issue along with community organizations that work to combat food issues in our community. To culminate the week, Community Engagement supported a major community food drive, partnering with the Salvation Army, Stadium staff, and student volunteers prior to the Sept. 17, 2022 SU vs. Purdue football game at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Academic Programs - Food Insecurity
Syracuse University offers academic programs focused on food insecurity and nutrition and their ties to social justice work. The Food Studies program at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics includes several programs and degrees in these areas. Pete’s Giving Garden, on the South Campus of Syracuse University supplies homegrown vegetables to the food pantry and serves as a “living laboratory” for students and faculty. The Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project is an interdisciplinary research initiative between SU and SUNY ESF that is examining the connection between ecological and human systems in the urban forests along Syracuse’s southwest side.
Learn more about work being done by Syracuse University faculty, staff, and students in the area of food insecurity:
- Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry, Pete’s Giving Garden Help Combat Food Insecurity in Campus Community (SU News)
- Food Studies Graduate Student Seeks to ‘Bring Hope to Others’ by Improving the Food System (SU News)
- Forests of Food in the City of Syracuse (Falk College)
- On Remote Farms and in City Gardens, a Native American Movement Grows (New York Times)
- These Indigenous recipes blend traditional foods with modern twists (Seattle Times)
- Second Lender Symposium Honors Life of Evan Weissman (SU News)
- Lender Center Fellows Following Weissman’s Vision for Food Justice (SU News)
- Reconnecting to the Land (The Stand)
- Have you ever tasted paw paw fruit? (The Stand)
Holiday Giving Programs
During the holiday season, the Office of Community Engagement coordinates various holiday giving programs on campus so University faculty and staff can voluntarily contribute to the distribution of holiday items through programs administered by our local nonprofit partners.
New York State Mentoring Program
Tthe New York State Mentoring Program creates supportive mentor relationships for select students, identified by their own teachers and NYS Mentoring Site Coordinators. This unique program takes place in a school-based setting, one-to-one between the mentor and mentee with a school coordinator present who is selected by the principal. The program provides background checks and training for volunteer mentors and mentees. (This program is currently operating virtually.)
Contact: Office of Community Engagement
PAL STEAM Camp
Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse's Police Athletic League (PAL) partner to offer a week-long science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) camp for local youth. Participants engaged in hands-on activities with community partners and University faculty that highlight the arts and sciences. This program aims to present STEAM topics in an accessible way to get young people excited about exploring the arts and sciences.
Contact: Office of Community Engagement
Syracuse City School District Career and Technical Education Program Partnership
The Summer Internship program is a partnership between Syracuse University and the SCSD that offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) students to engage in a 6-week hands-on opportunity with Syracuse University employees in a field that aligns with their chosen learning pathway. The Summer Internship Program offers the opportunity for rising high school juniors enrolled in the SCSD CTE program to gain valuable hands-on experience working with professionals in their chosen field.
The Spring Shadow program offers the opportunity for high school seniors enrolled in the SCSD CTE students to engage in a 4-week job shadow opportunity with Syracuse University Facilities staff in a field that aligns with their chosen learning pathway, helping them gain valuable on-site experience observing professionals in their chosen field.
Syracuse University Guaranteed Mortgage Program
Provides eligible faculty and staff an alternative financing method to purchase a home in designated neighborhoods. For more information, visit the Guaranteed Mortgage Program website.
Thursday Morning Roundtable
Currently being held via Zoom, Thursday Morning Roundtable is a civic engagement program hosted by Syracuse University. The weekly Thursday morning meetings, held during the academic year, feature a presentation about an issue or topic of general interest. After each presentation, the speaker holds a question-and-answer session. WCNY-FM, 91.3, broadcasts the programs on the following Sundays at 8 p.m.
Contact: Office of Community Engagement
United Way
The Office of Community Engagement serves as the administrative site for the university-wide United Way campaign. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Syracuse University campaign may email the Office of Community Engagement .
Resources
Meeting Room Request
Groups or organizations with nonprofit status and an educational component in their mission may use the Warehouse community spaces, free of charge. For more information and to submit a request, visit our Meeting Room Request page.
Campus Filming Office
The Campus Filming Office coordinates all aspects of commercial filming and photography on the Syracuse University campus or University-owned property. For more information, visit the Campus Filming Office .