Binghamton University Community Schools has received $1.25 million from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to support New York state counties most adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BU Community Schools is part of a larger national program known as the Coalition for Community Schools, run by the Institute for Educational Leadership. BU Community Schools supports the disadvantaged youth, families and neighborhoods of community schools outside the classroom by providing community resources and services.

The funding will be used to provide support to counties in New York state. The counties that will receive assistance from BU Community Schools were selected based on county COVID-19 infection rates and the percentage of students experiencing economic disadvantage, according to BingUNews. The organization received $2.5 million this past April for the same purpose.

Tara Edmunds, the community school coordinator of BU Community Schools, wrote in an email that BU received the funding because of its strong relationships with communities and schools across the state.

“[BU] will facilitate partnerships in the following counties in [New York state]: Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Schenectady, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester,” Edmunds wrote.

According to Edmunds, the NYSED gave BU and Fordham University funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) through their Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers to launch the New York State Cares for Communities (NYSCFC) initiative.

Edmunds said that through NYSCFC, BU Community Schools will partner with school districts and community-based and faith-based organizations with 501(c)(3) status that serves youth and families to provide services to the communities listed. The resources and services from the funding will target four program areas — social-emotional learning and mental health services, academic enrichment, digital literacy for students and families and family services.

According to the BUCS website, current and past projects that the partners and faculty of BUCS have done include telemental health services, youth financial literacy focus groups and a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. The NYSED Central/Western Region Community Schools Technical Assistance Center offers a variety of similar services as BU Community Schools coordinated on a larger scale.

Edmunds wrote that BU Community Schools has been actively assisting communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Across the colleges of [BU] and despite being in the midst of a pandemic, BU Community Schools interns and volunteers were able to serve 229 students and 9,255 hours, impacting 3,108 youth throughout the 2020-2021 academic school year,” Edmunds wrote. “This was done by providing academic and social emotional support, tutoring, homework help, pen pal initiatives and many more!”

Olivia Saccamano, a junior majoring in biology, has volunteered with kids from Binghamton’s local school districts through the MentorNOW program.

“[The BU Community Schools] program [BU] has is a good thing,” Saccamano said. “I feel that many have focused on how [COVID-19] affected adults and the workforce over children’s needs. Many children have been expected to step up with the pandemic. Older siblings have been expected to take on traditional parenting roles and look after their younger siblings so their parents can work. These expectations can work against these older siblings as they are already struggling with the switch to online school. Having funding to help relieve stress will not only help adults but our youths as well.”

According to Edmunds, there are intern and volunteer opportunities available with both the NYSCFC and BU Community Schools initiatives. These include data collection, marketing and grant management. Students interested in getting involved can contact the Center for Civic Engagement.