Hartwick College and The Daily Star Renew Innovative Program to Boost Student Civic Engagement

ONEONTA, NY — August 2025 — For the second year in a row, the Hartwick College Institute of Public Service, a nonpartisan organization focused on engaging young people in democracy and preparing a new generation of public leaders, is partnering with The Daily Star to offer all Hartwick students free digital subscriptions to the local newspaper. 

The initiative is designed to help students become more informed citizens as well as more knowledgeable about and connected to the Oneonta community, where they live and study. By providing access to trusted local journalism, the program encourages students to stay informed about the people, issues and decisions shaping the region.

This fall’s effort comes at a pivotal moment. For the first time in Hartwick College’s history, there will be an official polling place located on campus, providing students with an unprecedented opportunity to have a meaningful say in this November’s local elections.

“We know from research that reading the news—especially local news—is strongly associated with civic engagement,” said Laurel Elder, professor of political science and co-director of the Hartwick Institute of Public Service. “But most young people don’t subscribe to newspapers. They rely almost entirely on social media, which can be incomplete, algorithm-driven, and sometimes misleading. This initiative removes the cost barrier and puts reliable, community-focused journalism directly in their hands.”

The subscription program was first launched in 2024 and featured in The Hechinger Report in an opinion piece authored by Elder titled “Here’s an old-fashioned win-win idea to get students engaged before this fall’s election.”

In the piece, Elder emphasized the long-term as well as the immediate value of the initiative:

“Research shows that, like many other democratic behaviors, including voting, reading a newspaper and following the news is a habit: once you start doing it, you are likely to continue.

At Hartwick, we hope that providing free, easy access to our local newspaper will result in more students consuming verified, objective news and lead to more informed and thoughtful discussions on campus and in our classrooms.”

Hartwick student Adilyam Imyarova ’27 has experienced the benefits firsthand. “When I arrived at Hartwick College last fall, I knew very little about Oneonta or Otsego County,” said Imyarova. “When my professor encouraged us to get a free The Daily Star subscription, I did. Most college students wouldn’t pay for a news subscription, but having free access to The Daily Star makes it easy to learn about issues that directly affect our community.”

Imyarova’s experience reflects the broader impact of Hartwick’s partnership with The Daily Star, which gives students free access to local news and encourages them to engage more deeply with the region they now call home.

“This partnership is about building the habits of informed citizenship,” Elder added. “It’s an easy, practical step toward helping young people become active, thoughtful participants in our democracy—starting right here in Oneonta.”

For more information about the Hartwick Institute of Public Service or to learn how to get involved, please contact Laurel Elder at [email protected].