Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES

A successful collaboration between the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center & Auburn NY Visitor Center and the Community Experience Program (CEP) is offering students hands-on learning while supporting the work of staff and enriching visitor engagement.

Nina DeVaul, a CEP student, has taken on a range of responsibilities including taking inventory, filing documents and setting up displays. “I'm being able to see people come in and learn about history. Being able to work here I can see things I've never seen before,” said DeVaul.

The opportunity has sparked her interest in local and national history. “I learned about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad,” she shared. The experience, she says, has helped her “gain independence” and prepare for future goals: “My goal is to get a job and to give people more information about history.”

Gillian Sears, Assistant Visitor Experience Manager, says the partnership has made a significant impact. “It's enabled me to delegate and provide her with a skill set. It has also lightened my load and it's been so very rewarding to inspire a student with learning these sorts of things.”

Sears emphasized the value of programs like CEP for employers. “I find it personally enriching and rewarding. I can see the progress from start to end in her confidence, and being able to build a relationship with her.” When asked what she'd say to other businesses considering a CEP partnership, she was clear: “They should do it in a heartbeat!”

The NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center features exhibits on New York’s civil rights legacy, community history, and a retail space with Made in NY products, local artwork and food goods. With student partnerships, it continues to serve as both an educational and welcoming space for all.