St. Lawrence University Public Interest Corps (SLU PIC)

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The mission of the St. Lawrence University Public Interest Corps (SLU PIC) is to link talented and passionate St. Lawrence University students and recent graduates with North Country public interest and non-profit organizations to improve their ability to provide services to their constituencies and to help develop the next generation of leaders in this sector.

Coordinated by St. Lawrence University Center for Career Excellence and Student Activities & Leadership Offices, this program supports organizations and positively influences relationships between the college and the community.  SLU PIC, which also involves St. Lawrence University nonprofit sector alumni in an advisory capacity, provides a tangible mechanism for Corps Members to put academic theory into practice and gain valuable professional skills, knowledge, and contacts while contributing to the mission of North Country nonprofits.  

All SLU students and class years (including graduating seniors) are eligible to apply.  Internship descriptions and applications will be available on Handshake in January 2026.  Please read the project descriptions carefully when considering which project(s) fit your interest and experience best.  The student application deadline is 11:55 pm, FEBRUARY 26, 2026.

Summer 2026 Prospective Community Partners are invited to apply online by November 6, 2025.  

For more information on the program or to apply as a Community Partner, please contact:
Sarah Coburn,  Senior Associate Director of Experiential Learning and Employer Engagement or Anne Warren, Associate Director of Employer Engagement.  You can also call the Center for Career Excellence at 315-229-5906.

SUMMER 2026 North Country Partner Organizations: 

  • Church & Community Program: We are a 51-year-old not-for-profit organization that consists of a clothing thrift shop and busy food pantry that serves neighbors in need from six Towns in the Canton area. We receive food donations, buy from the Food Bank of Central New York, pursue grants and fundraise. We also do Care of the Go bags of hygiene supplies, dishes, a can opener, etc., for homeless people, so we reach those in need in as many ways as possible. Our overall program does a popular Back to School program each year and a big holiday gift program called Giving Tree.
  • Community Performance Series:  The Community Performance Series (CPS) has been in residence at SUNY Potsdam since 1989 as a nonprofit college-community bridge, presenting distinctive and renowned public and school-based performances across a range of genres to the Northern New York region. The mission of CPS is to be a leader toward a vibrant arts culture at SUNY Potsdam and the surrounding Northern New York region by offering a robust and distinct annual, public performing arts season of exceptional artists and musicians. CPS also enhances educational experiences through high-quality masterclasses, internships, workshops, artistic collaborations, and performing arts programming for students and community members at every learning stage.
  • Friends of Higley Flow State Park:  We are a Friends' Group, formed over 20 years ago to support activities at the Park. Initially, our focus was to support winter recreation by creating and grooming over 10 miles of trails. This is still a large part of what we do, but we have expanded over the years to support activities in the other seasons. Most recently, we have obtained a grant for a $50,000 kayak launch and dock, as well as two beach, floatable wheelchairs. We also supported the creation of a pollinator garden adjacent to the Nature Center. Our work impacts patrons at the Park and our membership is mostly from the North Country though we have several out-of-state members.
  • GardenShare: GardenShare has worked for more than two decades on hunger and food systems issues. GardenShare’s mission is to promote a local food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents. One strategy focuses on access to St. Lawrence County farmers markets that allows Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, credit and debit cards along with other incentive programs to be used at markets. Another way GardenShare supports the food system is through Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA's) to SNAP recipients, making them accessible to lower income households. We host outreach and education programs related to nutritional/food security and food systems issues and raise awareness of local food options through our online Local Food Guide and its annual publication. 
  • North Country Public Radio:  North Country Public Radio's mission is to inform, enrich and connect the people of the North Country to each other and the world, on-air, online, and in person. NCPR reaches one-third of New York State with a network of 34 transmitters, providing critical news and information, entertainment, and community service programming. We serve a global audience of tens of thousands more through our digital platform. Established in 2016, North Country at Work is a community engagement project exploring working life from past to present in the North Country region. 
  • Potsdam Chamber of Commerce:  The Potsdam Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the general welfare and prosperity of its membership and the greater Potsdam community. Serving the North Country region, the Chamber represents more than 170 local businesses and organizations across diverse industries — from small, family-owned shops to major employers and community institutions. Through events, marketing, and advocacy, the Chamber works to strengthen the local economy, foster collaboration, and encourage community engagement.
  • St. Lawrence County Arts Council: SLC Arts creates and supports multi-disciplinary arts initiatives in the North Country to encourage community and economic development, tourism, and entrepreneurship within the arts industry.  Our mission at SLC Arts is to enrich the vibrancy of the North Country by cultivating art appreciation and inspiring creative expression
  • St. Lawrence Land Trust : The Mission of the St. Lawrence Land Trust is to protect privately-owned, open space through voluntary means within the watersheds of the rivers that flow north out of the Adirondack Mountains to the St. Lawrence River. Our focus is the rivers crossing St. Lawrence County, New York, outside of the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park. We work with willing landowners to conserve ecologically, culturally, and recreationally important elements of the landscape, while maintaining the private ownership of the land. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization and a member of a nationwide confederation of land trusts, the Land Trust Alliance. 
  • St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House: Renewal House provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human  trafficking victims/survivors; our mission is to respond immediately to the needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in St. Lawrence County through services which empower victims and increase community awareness.
  • United Helpers: United Helpers has been serving the North Country and helping those in need for more than 125 years. As one of the largest health care providers and one of the largest employers in St. Lawrence County, United Helpers provides a variety of services to our community including rehabilitation treatment such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. We offer a variety of senior services and housing options, including independent senior living, home care, senior/disabled housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing, along with an extensive selection of programs and resources to help people manage chronic health conditions, mental illness, and developmental disabilities.