SUNY New Paltz Wins National Civic Engagement Award

SUNY New Paltz earned a 2026 Highly Established Action Plan seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, recognizing the university's efforts to increase voter participation and democratic engagement among students.

The Center for Student Engagement led campus initiatives including voter registration drives, election inspector recruitment, primary awareness campaigns and civic dialogue events. Students distributed pocket constitutions on campus during voter education week.

"Earning the Highly Established designation affirms what we set out to do this academic year, which is to make civic participation part of everyday life at SUNY New Paltz," said Jasmine Alvarez-Webster, Community & Civic Engagement Coordinator.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge works with more than 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide to normalize young voter participation in local, state and federal elections. Young voters traditionally show lower turnout rates than older demographics.