New OCC agreement targets students performing gap-year community service in Buffalo, NYC

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Under a new agreement, students who complete a gap year of community service in either Buffalo or New York City can have a “seamless pathway” to Onondaga Community College (OCC).

OCC and the organizations City Year Buffalo and City Year New York have signed the agreement.

City Year Buffalo and City Year New York are service programs affiliated with AmeriCorps. They bring together young adults from diverse backgrounds for a “demanding year” of full-time community service, per OCC’s announcement.

The organization includes more than 3,000 members serving in 29 U.S. cities. Those who successfully complete their service become eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award which can be used to pay educational expenses.

This new educational partnership between OCC and City Year will provide education pathways for diverse student populations who have completed service in New York State’s two largest cities.

It’ll also bring “strong citizens and leaders” to the OCC campus who will have the chance to live in residence halls at reduced rates, OCC said.

The partnership will also help businesses fulfill workforce needs in in-demand fields such as health care, technology-based careers, and education.

“We are proud to partner with City Year and provide their community-focused students with an outstanding higher education opportunity,” Warren Hilton, president of Onondaga Community College, said in the announcement. “While they work hard to achieve their dreams through their chosen field of study, they will also enrich our campus life with their civic mindedness. I thank the leaders of City Year for collaborating on this pathway to a better life and a stronger workforce across New York State.”