Buffalo State, Hamburg High Partnership Hosts Students
A criminal justice partnership brought 60 Hamburg High School students to Buffalo State's campus for a session on the program.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Secondary Education
Buffalo State University's Criminal Justice Department and Hamburg High School run a partnership that hosted 60 Hamburg students and four teachers on campus on October 30. The day included faculty and student panel discussions and a lunch at the Bengal Buffet for students who had been corresponding as pen pals.
Why it matters
The partnership gives high school students direct contact with college faculty, which teachers involved say is rare at the high school level. It also gives them a look at how a college criminal justice program prepares students, a question the partners say they hoped to answer.
The October 30 event drew 60 students and four teachers from Hamburg High School to Buffalo State. The partnership's stated goal is a jointly taught course led by a Buffalo State professor and a Hamburg High School teacher.
The players
Buffalo State University
A public college in Buffalo, New York, whose Criminal Justice Department runs the partnership with Hamburg High School.
Hamburg High School
The public high school in Hamburg, New York, whose students and teachers took part in the campus event and pen pal exchange.
The details
Buffalo State faculty visited Hamburg High School forensics and criminal justice classes in spring 2024 to introduce students to the college. Students in the two schools' criminal justice classes also exchanged handwritten letters on education, career goals and college life, with replies written in college blue books.
Timeline
Spring 2024: Buffalo State faculty visited Hamburg High School classes.
October 30: Hamburg High School students attended the campus event.
Secondary Education Outreach
The partnership extends Buffalo State's Criminal Justice Department outreach beyond its campus into Hamburg High School classrooms. It follows the pattern of college-to-high-school pipeline programs that bring students onto campus before they apply.
Students interested in criminal justice can ask their high school teachers whether similar college visits or pen pal programs are offered. Families looking at college criminal justice programs can ask admissions offices about campus visit days for high school students.
The takeaway
Direct contact with college faculty can give high school students a clearer picture of what a criminal justice program involves before they enroll. Schools considering similar partnerships can start with classroom visits and student correspondence.
Further reading
Explore more Secondary Education coverage in Buffalo.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Albany Democrat-Herald.
