Creating strong communities through public service. That’s the goal of the new Office of Service and Civic Engagement, unveiled by Governor Kathy Hochul as part of the 2024 state budget. The aim is to develop the next crop of local leaders and public servants.

The man who will be leading the office is Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. News10NBC spoke with him Wednesday.

The state is on a mission to connect New Yorkers — in particular young New Yorkers — with both paid and volunteer positions at places like nursing homes and schools.

The office’s first priority: identifying the opportunities that are available across the state. they exist at places like the Veterans Outreach Center, which Delgado stopped by while in Rochester.

“Veterans are the absolute best example of what it means to serve — I mean, they put it all on the line, they sacrifice everything for our country, for our freedoms,” Delgado said.

And, to attract young people, the office is partnering with SUNY and CUNY schools to roll this out: College students will commit to 300 hours of service work each year, and get paid for it.

The lieutenant governor spoke to students at SUNY Geneseo, promoting the statewide initiative.

“We’re going to be identifying opportunities in partnership with SUNY schools to create what’s called an Empire State Corps of Service … individuals on campuses across the state will be able to commit a set amount of hours towards any number of different endeavors. And those hours can result in a stipend, can result in class credit, work study credit,” Delgado said.

To connect with the Office of Service and Civic Engagement, contact the Lieutenant Governor’s office.