Donald K. Ross Future Leaders Program Internship

For the past five decades, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) has offered unique internship programs that provide college students with experiential learning and civic engagement opportunities. NYPIRG provides students with exceptional experiences that augment their classroom education by offering a full-time internship based in Albany, NY – the “Donald K. Ross Future Leaders Program.”
This internship program is named after NYPIRG’s first Executive Director, Donald K. Ross. Donald teamed up with consumer advocate Ralph Nader to develop the idea that ultimately led to the establishment of Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) across the nation. Their ideas, contained in the book Action for a Change, offered a blueprint for PIRGs, which have now spread to roughly half of the states. Donald moved on to become NYPIRG’s first director in 1973. He then left a decade later and was involved in the creation of other civic organizations across the country. His work of establishing organizations that offer young people the opportunity to influence public policy lives on through this program.

Events & Activities

When: Rolling start times between 12 and 3 PM
Where: Multiple locations in Brooklyn along the Flatbush Avenue bus route
Join students, transportation advocates, and local elected officials for a fall relay hike through Brooklyn for improved bus service along the Flatbush Avenue corridor!

Bus riders deserve faster, reliable, and accessible bus service. Flatbush Avenue is a critical cross-borough transportation route that students, shoppers, and workers use every day. Data from 2019 shows that Flatbush Avenue also serves 118,000 average daily bus riders on 12 routes. The B41 bus alone services 22,500 average daily riders.

Bringing awareness to improving bus service on Flatbush Avenue could not be more important for students geting to class, families getting to work and recreation, and shoppers getting to their errands and home again.

RSVP Today!

We hope to see you there!

Make sure to mark your calendars for important election deadlines! The last day to register to vote for the upcoming election is October 26th!  

You can register to vote with NYPIRG in person on campus or at your local Board of Elections office. 

Other upcoming dates:

Early voting is October 26th through November 3rd

Absentee, or mail-in ballot applications must be submitted by October 26th

ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

When: November 9th, 9am-5pm
Where: SUNY Purchase

Join us for the THE BIGGEST NYPIRG EVENT OF THE FALL SEMESTER!

We are excited to invite you to NYPIRG's Fall Student Leadership Conference on November 9th! Our conference will consist of guest speakers and breakout series for students to dive a little deeper in conversations with their peers.

Sign up today to secure your spot!

Stay tuned for more details.

NYPIRG Student Empowerment Conferences

Our annual Spring Student Empowerment Conference was on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at SUNY Purchase. Student activists came together and harnessed their collective power, participating in a day full of skill workshops, talks from different policy and campaign professionals, games, and MORE!
Check out this video from NYPIRG's Fall 2023 Virtual Student Empowerment Conference:

Reports & Features