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This summer, I worked with Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) – an economic development organization that works to build a stable, equitable economy for all residents in the Adirondack North Country region. ANCA works to achieve this goal with four teams: small businesses, clean energy, food systems, and equity and belonging. My work this summer has been with ANCA’s small business team, which exists to keep small businesses open and thriving, because they are an integral part of our rural economy.

The Midtown Utica Community Center (MUCC) is deeply rooted in Utica’s rich history of embracing immigrants and refugees. MUCC creates a multicultural, refugee-friendly environment and offers a diverse range of services such as; academic support through English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education, citizenship classes, after-school programs, college readiness workshops, arts and cultural activities promoting cross-cultural understanding and connection within the community. This summer, I worked at MUCC and contributed to its mission by working as a grant writer and assisting in teaching an Adult Learning English course (ALE/ESL) at BOCES.

As an Upstate Institute Field School Fellow, this summer I had the opportunity to work with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Central New York Regional Field Crop Specialist. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)  provides a variety of important services for local communities including regional agricultural programs, outreach and education, insect pest monitoring, plant variety trials, as well as other agricultural and sustainability-related initiatives.

BRiDGES, or the Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (MCCASA), started in 1985 in Oneida, NY, to tackle the rising issues of alcohol and drug use among adolescents. This summer, my focus at BRiDGES has been on gathering and analyzing data from various sources, like the Madison County TAP survey, community surveys on alcohol and marijuana, and the New York State Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

For 10 weeks this summer I had the amazing opportunity to work with the Young Scholars Liberty Partnership Program researching the impact of internship experiences on high school students and recent high school graduates. The Young Scholars Liberty Partnership Program was founded in 1993 through a collaborative effort between Utica University and the Utica City School District. The program was created to address the low graduation rates and encourage students to pursue higher education.

My fellowship took place at The Bell Tree, Inc. in Earlville, NY. The Bell Tree’s mission is to provide a safe and inspiring community space to play, learn, and socialize.

This summer, through the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø’s Upstate Institute, I was honored to work at Camp Fiver in Poolville, N.Y.

This summer, I had the opportunity to work closely with hospice coalition GOE IPA, Inc., witnessing firsthand the profound impact of their mission.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) is a community-oriented organization committed to promoting economic vitality, ecological sustainability, and social well-being. CCE, which has extension offices in every county of New York state, enhances community resilience and prosperity statewide by bridging the research of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Human Ecology with the public. This summer, I worked with the CCE Madison County office in Morrisville, which offers programs tailored to local needs, such as agricultural education, 4-H youth development, rural health, and economic development.

With the guidance of CCHS Executive Director Jessica Moquin, I was able to understand how CCHS operates and the museum’s role in Chenango County.