NYPIRG on Campus
| New! Become a Policy Advocate! Spend the spring semester and receive full-time credit in Albany working as a part of NYPIRG's team of lawyers, lobbyists, researchers, and organizers. Click here to fill out the online application! |
NYPIRG’s unique mission is to give students an array of extracurricular activities and opportunities to participate in important public policy discussions, through which they can learn a wide variety of valuable skills, contributing to well-rounded educational experience. Students working with professional NYPIRG staff help lead a variety of projects and campaigns. This hands-on approach teaches students skills that make them more active members of their community, enhances their academic experience, and prepares them for successful entry into the workforce. Students across the state at NYPIRG’s 20 campus chapters have made tangible contributions on the issues of higher education funding, consumer rights, environmental protection, mass transit, and homelessness. Since 1973, NYPIRG has provided a unique service of supplementary learning and provided countless students with an enriching and rewarding experience.
Campus Services (click the plus sign to expand)
Voter Mobilization: NYPIRG's non-partisan voter mobilization campaign empowers students by registering thousands of new student voters, encouraging these new voters to turn out at the polls, and protecting the rights of citizens at the polls.
Financial Literacy: From credit cards to student loans, students often become targets for predatory lenders. NYPIRG actively works to help students make informed financial decisions. We host regular informational sessions on the issues that affect students most, like financial aid options, credit cards, and tenant’ rights. Recently we’ve also worked to educate students on the risks of circulating personal information on the web, helping students to protect themselves against identity theft while using popular social websites.
Homeless Outreach & Hunger Prevention: NYPIRG’s Hunger and Homelessness Outreach project focuses on direct service to the local community. Interns and other students work with the full-time, campus-based, professional NYPIRG project coordinator to organize food and clothing drives, hold forums to educate the campus body about hunger and homelessness, and organize trips to local shelters and soup kitchens. To get involved or learn more, contact your NYPIRG office.
Internships: NYPIRG offers accredited internships where students learn event planning, problem-solving, debate skills, media outreach, research and writing while organizing and engaging in meaningful grassroots campaigns. Students learn skills through a hands-on approach that makes them more active community members, enhances their academic experience, and prepares them for successful entry into the workforce.
Book Exchange: NYPIRG's online book exchange offers students the opportunity to exchange their textbooks each semester in order to save money on overpriced books. The NYPIRG Book Exchange cooperative enables students to buy and sell classroom textbooks among themselves without the mark-ups inherent in third-party transactions, saving scores of students money on their textbooks. New version coming soon!
Small Claims Court Action Center: NYPIRG’s Small Claims Court Action Center, directed by a staff attorney, is a free service where students are trained to offer procedural advice to individuals needing help with small claims court cases. The service is available to both students and members of the community. An excellent opportunity for students interested in law, the student counselors have the opportunity to interact with clients, advertise the center on both the campus and the community, visit the small claims court and learn the ins and outs of the system. Clients can receive help with everything from pre-filing assistance to the actual day in court to collecting a judgment after they win.
Issue-based campaigns: Through the combined efforts of students on 20 campuses and NYPIRG staff, NYPIRG pursues policy reforms on important issues such as higher education funding, environmental protection, consumer rights, mass transit advocacy, and more. Students all across the state learn the nuts and bolts of grassroots advocacy from professional organizers and first-hand experience as advocates. Over the years our work has empowered countless students to take an active role in public policy and institutionalized a student voice in Albany and local governments across the state.