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This summer, through the ���߲��о���’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.

Everyone knows the system of a one-room schoolhouse: One teacher catering to the needs of all students, making sure they are fed, taught, and nurtured. Saranac Lake Community School incorporates the individual attention of one-room schoolhouses to meet the needs of a 21st century education.

I worked with the Oneida Community Mansion House, and spent this summer creating the Oneida Adventure Quest, which is a scavenger hunt based in the town of Oneida, to increase tourism in the area. My project aimed to promote these sites and draw people to the area by including local businesses, parks, and natural landmarks in Oneida.

During the summer of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to work as an Upstate Institute Summer Field School Fellow with the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, known as The Center.

As part of the 2024 cohort of Summer Field School Fellows, Mary Thomas Powell ’26 and Charlie Tourbaf ’25 are conducting hands-on environmental research.

Michael Fitzgerald, recently retired commissioner at the Madison County Department of Social Services (DSS), has been appointed to serve as Gretchen Hoadley Burke ’81 Endowed Chair in regional studies for the 2024–25 academic year. Fitzgerald brings a wealth of practitioner experience, a deep commitment to community, and a strong relationship with the Upstate Institute and ���߲��о���. 

The Upstate Institute is among the ���߲��о��� sponsors supporting the upcoming “Dark Skies in Appalachian Identity, Culture, and Sense of Place” symposium in April. The symposium will bring writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, scholars, and scientists to ���߲��о��� April 4–6 to explore the human connection to the dark night sky.