A Summer of Growth: 2026 BU LPP Summer Program Recap

This summer, students across the Binghamton University Liberty Partnerships Program (BU LPP) came together for a summer built around one word: compassion. Whether they were touring a construction site, delivering handmade blankets to cancer patients, or watching humpback whales breach off the coast of Boston, our students spent their summer learning, serving, and growing together.

Here's a look back at what they got up to.

Giving Back to the Community

Compassion wasn't just a theme this summer, it was an action. Students ran a Compassion in Action: Learning Through Service impact project series, completing weekly projects to support patients undergoing cancer treatment at Broome Oncology. Over the course of the summer, that meant:

• Assembling "Cup of Tea" care bags with mugs, handwritten cards, tea, honey, hand sanitizer, and word search books
• Creating custom bouquet arrangements and cards of hope and love
• Hand-making over 20 "warrior blankets" — plus cards with messages of support — to bring warmth to patients during treatment

Students also partnered with the local YMCA to better understand homelessness in the community. Using funds raised at a student-led car wash, they purchased dress shirts, t-shirts, sneakers, and other essentials, assembled roughly 50 care bags, and prepared 48 ties complete with visual instructions for tying a Windsor knot, all to help residents preparing for job interviews. They capped it off by sharing a meal together, turning service into genuine connection.

Elsewhere, students gathered resources for local child fire victims, and Johnson City LPP students put together care packages for the NYS University Police at Binghamton, building trust and comfort with local law enforcement along the way.

Exploring Future Careers

Students got hands-on exposure to fields they might not otherwise encounter:

• A tour of the Binghamton University Police Department, including the booking process, dispatching, equipment demos, and even sitting inside a police vehicle
• A visit to Binghamton University's Watson College of Engineering, exploring 3D printing, welding, and go-kart construction (with a cameo from mascot Fab Dog)
• A tour of a live construction site for BU's new lecture hall, hosted by Hueber-Breuer Construction, where students followed the building process from foundation to top floor with the project's superintendents and a construction management intern

Building Skills

Some students spent the summer developing hands-on creative and practical skills:

• Working with a professional cinematographer on original film projects — scriptwriting, acting, and storytelling
• Earning CPR certification, good for two years
• Learning through hands-on STEAM, arts & crafts, and literacy stations at summer camp — slime-making included

Exploring Beyond Binghamton

Liberty students also traveled to Boston for a multi-day trip packed with history and nature:

• A tour of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S.
• A walk of Boston's Freedom Trail, including the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre
• Dinner at the historic Union Oyster House, America's oldest continuously operating restaurant
• A whale-watching excursion to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, where students spotted fin whales, roughly 25 humpback whales (including a playful baby), and a mola mola fish
• A trip to NYC for a Disney’s The Lion King singing, dancing, and acting workshop, exploring the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island, visiting Ellis Island, and experiencing the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Just Having Fun

Alongside the service and enrichment, there was plenty of good old summer fun: bowling after a hard week's work, car wash fundraisers, and storytime with a soon-to-be-published children's book for the younger students.  Whether they were exploring, performing acts of service, or learning, we're so proud of our students and their willingness to show up for their community and each other.