Adopt-A-Street Program

Purpose:

To provide Syracuse University student organizations with a long-term service project that will enhance the quality of life for students, faculty, and staff living off-campus and aid in the beautification of the off-campus community.

Goal:

To assist in creating a cleaner, safer and well-informed off-campus community.

Who is Involved? Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services (OCCS) is responsible for maintaining and supporting the Adopt-A-Street Program. OCCS works closely with the Office of Student Life (OSL) and student organizations that wish to be involved with the program. OCCS will recruit student organizations, provide training and supplies, and track the performance of the program. OCCS will provide needed materials for clean-up and information distribution. OCCS will be a point of contact for the Adopt-A-Street Coordinators of each student organization.

Any registered student organization is eligible to adopt a street. The program is service project and thus should be of interest to any organization that is service-oriented. Each student organization will need to appoint an Adopt-A-Street Coordinator who will be responsible for leading their organization in their service, completing required paperwork and staying in contact with the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services.

What is Involved?

1. Community Clean Up: One Sunday per month (as weather permits), student organization representatives will collect the litter that has accumulated along their adopted street.  Litter does not need to be collected from private properties (yards), as this is the responsibility of the residents. Sidewalks, tree lines and curbs are places in which litter should be collected.
2. Distribute Information: Three times per academic year. Participating organizations are asked to deliver door hangers with helpful information to off-campus residents, twice fall semester and once spring semester. The Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services will prepare the door hangers and make them available to participating student organizations.
3. Community Relations: Student organizations will be asked to occasionally work with community leaders and groups to assist with community projects related to the Adopt-A-Street Mission. Such as the distribution of Campus Safety Alerts and volunteer work at the Westcott Street Cultural Fair.

 Why is "Adopt a Street" Ideal for Student Organizations and the Community?

 Flexibility: 

• Student groups can choose their own schedules on the given date for clean-ups and information distribution. Each clean-up and information distribution takes approximately 1 hour depending on the number of representatives your organization has participate.
• The same students from the organization are not required to do the service each time.

 Long-term:

• The project lasts the entire academic year, so your organization does not have to continually seek out opportunities and will be able to develop ties with the community in which you are working.

 Positive Influence:

• Improves the quality of life in the off-campus community. 
• Allows the off-campus community to build a relationship with your student organization and allows you to teach the community about your organization

Resources

Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services will provide garbage bags and gloves to Adopt-A-Street participants. All supplies will be available for pick-up at the OCCS Office at 754 Ostrom Avenue. Adopt-A-Street Report Forms will be emailed to Adopt-A-Street Coordinators following each clean-up.

 Other

• Sunday clean-up times can be established by each student organization.
• Information distribution is time sensitive and thus must be distributed within 48 hours of the established date.
• Adopt-A-Street Report Forms should be completed at the conclusion of each clean-up and information distribution.  Completed forms should be submitted to the OCCS as soon as possible.  Any problems and/or concerns should also be reported to the OCCS.

 Questions?
Contact:
Kerry Heckman, Program Coordinator
Off-Campus and Commuter Services
754 Ostrom Avenue
315-443-5489
kmheckma@syr.edu

Please Note:
Adopt-A-Street is an initiative of the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services. All programs/initiatives beyond those stated above in the program description (Monthly clean-ups and information distributions) must be approved by the Director of the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services or her designee. Information distributed by the Adopt-A-Street Organizations is information deemed necessary and important to students living off-campus by the Director of the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services or her designee.

Program was adapted from Ohio State University’s Adopt-A-Street Program