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SUNY, Special Olympics New York Announce Internship Program

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. and Special Olympics New York today announced a new partnership to help SUNY students secure paid internships to assist with projects hosted by Special Olympics New York throughout the state.

“SUNY’s commitment to student success and upward mobility has led us to establish the goal of an internship or other experiential learning opportunity for every undergraduate student,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Through this partnership with Special Olympics New York, our students will have the opportunity to explore careers that interest them and gain valuable hands-on skills that prepare them for the workforce. We are proud to work with Special Olympics New York to provide our students with internship opportunities that will lead to successful futures.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Through collaborations with organizations like Special Olympics New York, our students can gain important career skills while enriching their education. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued support and investment in SUNY’s internship programs, and the success of our students.”

Special Olympics New York President and CEO Stacey Hengsterman said, “Special Olympics New York is proud to partner with Chancellor King and campuses across SUNY to provide students with meaningful, paid experiences that will build professional skills while making a lasting impact in their communities. Whether students will be organizing events, supporting athletes, advancing health initiatives, or promoting inclusive schools, these internships give students the opportunity to lead with purpose, gain hands-on experience, and help create a more inclusive New York. We’re excited to welcome SUNY students to our team.”

Through the partnership with Special Olympics New York, SUNY students will be able to contribute to projects and initiatives being implemented by the organization throughout the state. Paid internships will begin as soon as the coming fall semester in areas including:

• Polar Plunge Event Management – Interns will act as the lead student coordinator for a Mobile Polar Plunge event hosted on campus. This role offers hands-on experience in event planning, peer-to-peer fundraising, marketing, and community engagement. The intern will take ownership of organizing and executing the event, working closely with campus partners and Special Olympics NY to raise funds and awareness for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

• Unified Champion Schools – Interns will assist in the planning and implementation of Unified Champion Schools program-related activities local to their campus. Typical duties will be related to non-profit program management and could include program marketing, program administration, event leadership, data management, volunteer management, and outreach.

• Assistant Coach – Interns will work with athletes with intellectual disabilities in a sports training environment. Interns will be placed with an existing training club near campus. They will assist head coaches, athletes, and families throughout a single sports season that coincides with a college semester.

• Sports Management – Interns will be responsible for assisting in the planning and implementation of program-related activities in their region. Specific duties vary, depending on the active sports season and existence of special, high-priority, projects or partnerships during the time of placement. Typical work entails a variety of tasks related to non-profit program management and could include program marketing, program administration, event leadership, data management, volunteer management, and outreach.

• Health – Interns will be responsible for assisting in the planning and implementation of Special Olympics New York Health initiatives locally. Duties may include assisting with event coordination, volunteer and stakeholder communication, organization and packing of health program supplies, resource development, and electronic data entry of medical screening forms.

• Partnership Development Intern (SUNY Cortland) – Offered exclusively at SUNY Cortland, this internship is a unique opportunity to evaluate the full landscape of Special Olympics New York’s engagement at SUNY Cortland and develop a model for coordinating these efforts into a more cohesive, sustainable partnership between the nonprofit and the university.
Students interested in participating in one of the paid internships can learn more here and apply within Handshake: https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/who-we-are/staff-board/career-opportunities