Local middle and high school students are on SUNY Sullivan’s campus this week, learning about sustainable agriculture at Hope Farm, cooking lunch with College Culinary Arts faculty, and learning stop-motion animation techniques with Bethel Woods Center for the Arts educators. The programs are part of a six-week summer enrichment program sponsored by the SUNY Sullivan Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP).
More than 50 middle and high school students from Liberty and Monticello school districts and Sullivan County BOCES are expected to attend the Summer Program, which includes career and academic support, tours of the College, and financial literacy, nutrition, team-building, healthy relationships, and other programs.
Part of the statewide Liberty Partnerships Program, SUNY Sullivan LPP and its community-based partners help underserved and underperforming area youth become college- and career-ready, through the Summer Program, as well as year-round mentoring, tutoring, study skills classes, ESL support, field trips, and admissions and financial aid workshops. Civic responsibility, leadership skills, and volunteerism are highlighted, and LPP students participate in service-learning projects that improve their communities. In 2023, SUNY Sullivan LPP served 300 plus students in Liberty and Monticello school districts and Sullivan County BOCES.
This summer’s activities include creating a bilingual cookbook with Culinary Arts faculty, featuring recipes students learn on campus, as well as ones they bring from home. Proceeds from cookbook sales will benefit SUNY Sullivan’s Food Pantry.
“Students and staff alike finished our first week,” said SUNY Sullivan LPP Project Director Valerie Brescia. “It was both an informative and interactive week where our staff and students had fun and learned about new things and each other.”
Community partners in the Summer Program include Sullivan County BOCES, New Hope Community/HOPE Farm, Cornell Cooperative Education, Sullivan County’s SNAP-Ed Program, PPGNY, Follow Us To Success, Mid-Hudson Migrant Education Program, Bethel Woods Center for Arts, and Sullivan County Center for Workforce Development’s Summer Youth Employment Program, as well as staff from SUNY Sullivan’s Admissions; Financial Aid; IT; Student Activities, Buildings and Grounds, Tutorial and Student Success Services; and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion offices.
The Sullivan Promise Scholarship provides eligible Sullivan County residents who earn a high school diploma or GED in 2023 the opportunity to receive free tuition and fees at SUNY Sullivan. Learn more at sunysullivan.edu/sullivan-promise-scholarship.
About SUNY Sullivan
SUNY Sullivan is the leader of innovative higher education and a catalyst for workforce development throughout the Sullivan Catskills and beyond. Our diverse community cultivates personal growth and professional advancement, preparing students for success in a sustainable and interconnected world. A forward-looking, top-tier community college in New York, SUNY Sullivan offers over 40 degree programs, certificates, and micro-credentials for learners at all levels of their educational goals. We value critical inquiry and creativity while supporting our students in a culture of inclusion and respect. For more information, visit sunysullivan.edu.
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June 29, 2023.