John Fish '55 and Chet Safian '55

We recently spoke with John Fish ‘55 and Chet Safian ‘55 about the impact and growth of the Project 55 Fellowship Program, and their hopes for the future of Princeton AlumniCorps. Click here to view a short video message from Chet and John!

John Fish is the founder of what is now called the Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program (it began as the Public Interest Program). John still lives in Chicago, where more than 300 interns and fellows have been placed. John has served on the Board many times throughout the years, and he was just elected as Board Chair on October 1.

Chet Safian expanded and led the Project 55 Fellowship Program in New York City, where more than 350 interns and fellows have been placed. Chet also founded The Alumni Network, which helps to create and support alumni-driven organizations modeled on ours. There are currently 28 TAN affiliates, and they have placed more than 700 interns and fellows this year.

This year, 54 Project 55 fellows are serving at 44 public interest organizations in seven U.S. cities. They join a growing cadre of more than 1,300 alumni of the program.  In addition to the Project 55 Fellowship Program, AlumniCorps’ two new programs – Emerging Leaders and Community Volunteers – provide opportunities for alumni of all ages to put their passions to work in the public interest. To learn more about each of these programs, please visit www.alumnicorps.org.

A few PP55 alums share why they give to AlumniCorps

Thanks to those who have donated, we are just 26 gifts away from reaching an alumni participation rate of 15% by June 30! Calling all PP55 alums: if you haven’t already, please donate now! Whether $5, $55, or $555, every gift raises participation and helps AlumniCorps to grow our programs.

View this video (left) to hear the stories of a few of the 160+ alumni who have already shown their support, and make your own gift today!

Princeton AlumniCorps is pleased to announce the release of our 2010 Annual Report.

The report showcases the achievements of a year of growth and continued success in engaging alumni of all ages in the public interest. A few highlights are:

- We commemorated 20 remarkable years at our gala, and unveiled a new name that reflects our expansion and our success in involving alumni of many classes.

- Our flagship Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program continues to thrive, with 51 recent graduates currently serving their communities through work with 40 partner organizations, in seven U.S. cities. They join a growing cadre of more than 1,250 PP55 alumni.

- Our newly launched Community Volunteers Program, piloting this year in Trenton, NJ, and Washington, DC, is connecting alumni from the classes of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s with innovative service opportunities.

- The Alumni Network continues to expand to new affiliates, who, together, placed over 550 students and recent graduates in internships and fellowships in 2010-11.

All of this is possible because of the support and shared effort of our donors, volunteers, board, and staff, who ensure that our programs and impact continue to grow.  We thank you for your continued belief in our work!

Click here to view the full report.

The medal honors those whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of and engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand access to important resources in the humanities. Katz and Oates were among 10 individuals presented with the award at a White House ceremony Wednesday, March 2.

Katz, who has taught at Princeton since 1978, is a lecturer with the rank of professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and director of the school’s Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies.

Since 1986, when he became president of the American Council of Learned Societies, Katz has been at the forefront of the study of higher education and philanthropies. He is known for his frequent commentaries on current issues in the academy.

Katz has excelled in guiding numerous influential American humanities organizations, serving as the head of more than 60 of them over the course of his career, including the Organization of American Historians and the American Society for Legal History. He is the author or editor of 15 books or book series, including the “Oliver Wendell Holmes Devise History of the Supreme Court of the United States” and the six-volume “Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History.” His most recent research focuses on the relationship of civil society and constitutionalism to democracy and the relationship of the United States to the international human rights regime.

The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. More information on the winners can be found on the endowment’s website.

To view video of the awards presentation, click here. Professor Katz’s presentation is at minute 21:00.

Princeton Project 55 (soon to be Princeton AlumniCorps) held a successful 20^th Anniversary Gala on the evening of May 27, 2010, at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village in Princeton, NJ. Among the more than 350 people in attendance were several dignitaries and supporters on hand to honor the founding Princeton Class of 1955 and be inspired by keynote speaker, Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark. The atmosphere was electric. Click here to view photos of the event on our Facebook Page.

The Gala brought Princeton AlumniCorps Board members, Project 55 fellowship alumni, Princeton University President Emeritus Harold Shapiro, representatives from the Rita Allen Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, CityBridge Foundation, Public Health Solutions, and numerous other nonprofit partners, and Princeton University faculty and staff together for an evening dedicated to honoring the vast accomplishments of PP55 in the realm of alumni civic engagement.

This was the first gala ever to be held by Project 55 to raise both awareness and funds for the alumni-driven organization’s efforts to engage alumni of all ages and all backgrounds in the public interest.  Project 55 is grateful to our many sponsors and donors who contributed over $150,000 because they recognized the critical role these news dollars play in the success of and expansion of our work. Those in attendance clearly made evident their commitment to mobilizing Princetonians—and alumni of other universities—for the public good.
Although Project 55 began with the Class of 1955, it has expanded to involve alumni from other Princeton classes and other universities. More than two thirds of Gala guests were not affiliated with the Class of 1955. Anne-Marie Maman ‘84, former board member, chaired the event. Alumni of different ages, including Kenly Webster ’55, Kate McCleery ’75, Jim Gregoire ’69, Scott Welfel ’06,  Gordon Douglas ’55, Kathy Miller ’77, Arthur McKee ’90, Rishi Jaitly ’04, and William Leahy ’66, spoke of their growing commitment to service through their involvement with PP55.  They shared their excitement for the next 20 years of this great organization, under our new name, Princeton AlumniCorps.

President Shirley Tilghman welcomed Gala attendees via a video message and expressed the intense pride that Princeton University feels for all who have been part of Project 55 over the last 20 years. She said  “An entire generation of Princeton graduates has been given the opportunity to pursue public service immediately upon graduation, and for some of those students, their lives have simply been transformed by that experience. It has led them to careers in public service that have continued to this day. For the rest, of course, they take away from their experience as Project 55 fellows a commitment to community service and understanding that voluntary service is going to be part of their lives, whatever their professional pursuits will be in the future.” President Tilghman closed her remarks by saying, “I hope those of you in the Class of ’55 and particularly those who were involved in the creation of this wonderful public service project enjoy that experience as much as all of us who admire what you have done so much enjoy hearing it. So, happy birthday, Project 55. Twenty years of extraordinary service to Princeton University, and to this nation.” Click here to view President Tilghman’s Video Message.

A highlight of the evening was the keynote address by a true model of civic leadership, the Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ. Mayor Booker spoke of the need to action, for positivity, and optimism, and the fight against “sedentary agitation” that plagues so many Americans today.  Stay tuned for video of Mayor Booker’s keynote address.

Princeton Project 55 will officially change our name and broaden our mission as Princeton AlumniCorps in Summer 2010. Be on the lookout for videos of the gala presentations and announcements of new programming in the coming months.

Interested in becoming an AlumniCorps member? Contact Kathleen Reilly, Executive Director, at kreilly@alumnicorps.org.

Click here to view and respond to the 20th Anniversary Gala Invitation.