Excelsior University kicks off 2025 Snacks for Students collection drive
ALBANY, N.Y. — Excelsior University has partnered with Albany High School and Troy High School for the fourth annual Snacks for Students collection drive. Led by Excelsior’s employee community engagement group, the initiative fights food insecurity in the classroom by collecting and donating healthy snacks to students each month of the 2025-26 school year. With the support of the Excelsior community, the community engagement group made the first Snacks for Students drop-off of approximately 600 items to the two schools.
During the last school year, Excelsior University’s Snacks for Students program supplied approximately 3,500 snacks over seven monthly deliveries to Albany and Troy High Schools. Driven by donations from Excelsior staff and faculty, Snacks for Students provides teachers with a variety of healthful items like granola bars, bottled water and fruit snacks to distribute as needed to help students focus on education instead of hunger.
Those interested in supporting the program may send donations directly to Excelsior for distribution via an Amazon Wishlist. Items can be set up using the “subscribe and save” feature for easy monthly contributions that are shipped directly to Excelsior’s mailroom. Community donations will also be collected through a fundraiser organized in collaboration with Paesan’s Pizza on Oct. 22. Paesan’s will donate 50% of that day’s proceeds from pick-up orders at their Guilderland location to Snacks for Students when diners mention Excelsior University or the Snacks for Students program. Organizations interested in donating to the program can email communications@excelsior.edu for more information.
“The Snacks for Students program provides more than nutrition—it’s about fostering relationships and supporting education,” said Excelsior University community engagement group co-chair Zachary Patterson. “Something as simple as a granola bar or bottle of water can create a connection between a teacher and student. We look forward to growing this initiative to serve more classrooms this year.”
“Snacks for Students exemplifies Excelsior University’s commitment to becoming a multicultural institution that actively promotes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” said Daniel Pascoe Aguilar, founding director of the Center for Social Justice and chief diversity officer of Excelsior University. “This program is a meaningful way to extend that mission into the broader Capital Region community. We deeply appreciate the collaboration with Albany and Troy High Schools and thank the Excelsior and Capital Region communities for their continued support.”
Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. According to the USDA, children in 3.2 million U.S. households were food insecure in 2023. A survey conducted by nonprofit organization No Kid Hungry demonstrates that students struggling with food insecurity face significant barriers to academic success.
Snacks for Students deliveries will be made through June 2026.
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Media Contact Excelsior University:
Jason Bonafide, jbonafide@excelsior.edu, 518-608-8446
ABOUT EXCELSIOR UNIVERSITY
Excelsior University is an accredited, not-for-profit online institution focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. Excelsior contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity.
