Grif Johnson ’72 retired from a 33-year career in the practice of law in January 2010. After a

Q: How did you hear about Wilderness Leadership and Learning (WILL)?

In the fall of 2010, I received an e-mail from the newly renamed Princeton AlumniCorps, introducing the Community Volunteers program. By then I was retired – a major milestone for me – and I was looking for ways to get involved with the community. On its face, the Community Volunteers program sounded interesting, so I went to a panel here in Washington, DC. The panel laid out the concept of Community Volunteers, which was very much in line with my personal interest in finding a place to spend my time that would be rewarding to me, and that I thought would be useful. The next session held in DC was a “speed dating” event where alumni interested in Community Volunteers could meet with representatives from nonprofits who were looking for volunteers. I was unable to attend that session, but a staff member followed up with information about a number of nonprofits I might be interested in. That is how I first heard about WILL, and the more I read and learned, the more I thought “this is something that really interests me.”

Q: Can you tell us about WILL?

The organization was founded 7 years ago by a then trial attorney here in DC, Steve Abraham, who had a life-changing experience while he was hiking out west. He had a moment where he realized that a lot of kids in inner cities never have the opportunity to experience nature in this way. He wanted to find a way to marry the enormous potential of underprivileged young people with the opportunity to literally expand their vision, to stand on top of a mountain and look 360 degrees around and say, “Wow, I never knew there was such a thing.” That is how WILL was born.

The program works with 9th, 10th and 11th graders in several of DC’s public schools. Steve works with guidance counselors and other staff in these schools to identify promising young students, who, for want of resources, are not able to enjoy opportunities to be outdoors, learn about the world, and challenge themselves in unfamiliar environments.

We start with a class of between 20 and 30 students each fall. We take the young people out in rural Virginia, where a professional outdoor training organization takes them through an exercise building a rope bridge and other things, which they use to accomplish tasks as a team that they would not be able to accomplish on their own. It teaches the kids to be careful, to be trusting, and to work in a team. Through the fall, we take the young people on trips – out on the Anacostia River and to the Chesapeake Bay, for example – where they interact with and learn about the ecosystem and the stresses it suffers. For the 11th graders, we bring in college counselors from local universities so these students, whose families do not historically have a record of attending college, can learn about the importance of college and the process of applying. We also take kids on local field trips to cultural and national institutions in DC. The whole process culminates in the summer, at the end of the academic year. We break the youth into two smaller groups and take them out for a week on the Appalachian Trail, in conjunction with the Outward Bound program.

It’s really remarkable what these young adults are capable of doing. My wife and I joined a scavenger hunt that WILL organized last May. Students were divided into groups of four, and each group was given a series of obscure questions that could only be answered by visiting specific locations on the National Mall. For example, one of the questions was: “How many columns are in the Lincoln Memorial, and what does each one represent?” Watching these young people tackle the task as a group, watching how they divide responsibilities and marshal their collective skills, was just remarkable. These young people are so inspirational to be with. It’s been a great, great experience for me to be on the board of WILL. I am so happy that I found them through the auspices of the Community Volunteers program.

Q: What is your involvement with the organization? How do you use your legal expertise?

Because WILL is currently a very small organization, as a board member, you have a choice of going to the quarterly meetings and making that the extent of your involvement, or you can also get involved in the programmatic activities. I would say that involvement in the programmatic functions of the organization and in more traditional board member service have both been deeply rewarding aspects that I have enjoyed spending time on.

Of course my legal training is always there, and there are times in the discussion at the board level where my knowledge of the law has been particularly helpful, but what I was really looking for was a different rhythm, a different environment. I wanted to walk at the pace and in the company of people who are involved in the life all around us. I am not in any way trying to suggest that I was running away from my law career, or that I needed a mental antidote, I was just really interested in spending my time in a different kind of setting while using the skills I have. I’ve found that my work with WILL has been especially rewarding because of the people involved, particularly the students.

Q: What do you think is most important for people, especially recent retirees, to think about as they consider Community Volunteers and the nonprofit sector?

You want to do something that you will look forward to doing, which interests you and motivates you. For me it was really the relationships that I have been able to develop at WILL. I did a fair amount of diligence before I offered to become a board member. I would say that’s a very important aspect. A person in my position potentially has a lot to offer from the point of view of experience, wisdom and skills that you accumulate – it’s worth something, and you don’t want to waste it. I think it’s very important that anybody contemplating retirement or volunteering do a great deal of preparation and investigation to learn about the organization and exactly what you would be doing. For me, getting involved with WILL has really been an ongoing commitment rather than something I do once every 2 or 3 months. Once you get involved, it really takes you over and you get so passionate that you spend your days and nights thinking about it, even between board meetings.

 

“Once you get involved, it really takes you over and you get so passionate that you spend your days and nights thinking about it, even between board meetings.” – Grif Johnson ‘72

Education Reform Panelists

On November 8, Princeton AlumniCorps and the Princeton Club of Philadelphia collaborated to organize a panel discussion on education reform in Philadelphia.  Katie Thaeder ’09 introduced the panel. The panel featured Dr. Leroy Nunery, the acting CEO and Superintendent of the Philadelphia school district; Marc Mannella, CEO of KIPP Philadelphia; Edward Mensah, Director of Steppingstone Scholars; Alyson Goodner ’00, founder of The School Collective; and Matt Troha, Principal of Mastery Turnaround School Thomas Campus.  The panel was moderated by Rosalind Echols ’05, a high school teacher at the Science Leadership Academy.

Speaking from their experience as leaders and educators within the Philadelphia school system, the panelists identified key challenges and opportunities for reform within this historically under-achieving school district.  Questions and topics addressed included: how can Philadelphia attract the best teachers and keep them?  How can teachers from charter, public, and private schools collaborate to ensure that they are using the most innovative and effective learning techniques?  How does the School District work most effectively with the Teachers Union?  How do we provide a quality public education with limited funding that continues to be cut?

Katie Thaeder '09

The overall message of the evening was that while the challenges facing the Philadelphia’s educational system are difficult, they are not insurmountable.  As demonstrated by the panel, there are many dedicated educators and reformers who are committed to improving classrooms and making sure Philadelphia’s students are college-ready and are prepared for life in our new global system.

By Joseph Sengoba ‘10, 2011-2012 Project 55 Fellow and Katherine Chatelaine, Project 55 Fellowship Program Assistant

Kamilah briscoe '00

I was a PP55 fellow in NYC many years ago and worked at an organization called the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship.  I was there for four years(!) and it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.  The Watson Fellowship (www.jkwatson.org) is a program for undergraduate students here in the city that was – in large part – modeled after PP55.  One of the big differences was that the colleges that were invited to participate are many of the institutions that educate low-income, first generation college students.  For many students, it helped to clarify a steady, productive, meaningful career path.  It’s made an enormous difference.  Chet Safian played an important role in helping us develop materials, selection processes, internship sites for our students – anything and everything.  That program is now more than ten years old, and has its own really wonderful and diverse alumni.

I left the Watson Fellowship and went to work at a research institute at NYU for six years.  As I was leaving, I came across an open position at the Colin Powell Center which involved directing several scholarship programs for students interested in public service.  During my interview, the director of the Center acknowledged that the Powell fellowships had, themselves, been modeled after the Watson fellowship.  So in roundabout way, I’ve come full circle.  I’m sure you all have a sense of how wide your impact has been on individual fellows like myself, and on colleges involved in TAN – but here’s yet another example of PP55’s wide-reaching influence.  It’s a model that travels well, and that works.  I know I’m now three times grateful for the leadership PP55 has taken in this field – and I know I’m not the only one.

It goes without saying (I hope) that if I can be helpful in ANY way, please feel free to let me know.   I have a lot to be grateful for.

To ensure more PP55 experiences like Kamilah’s, visit www.alumnicorps.org and click the Donate button. Every little bit counts!

Program Leader Hilary Joel '85 with the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders. From L to R: Lopez' 10, Segal, Lewis LaMonica '08, Lyon '09, Host, Carlis, Lindsey *07, Fesler '01, Joel '85, Parker '06, Simmons '03, Fridirici '06

“The Emerging Leaders program has not only provided me with useful tools for understanding  how I can become a better leader in my current position, but has inspired me to continue to improve my network, my self-awareness, and my skills so that I can build a lifelong career in the nonprofit sector.”  

               -  Elizabeth Lindsey *07, DC Emerging Leader, Managing Director of The DC Project

With participants scheduled to attend their fifth session this month, Princeton AlumniCorps’ new Emerging Leaders program is well underway and already providing tangible benefits to aspiring nonprofit leaders in Washington, DC.

Feedback from participants to date has been overwhelmingly positive. Susan Lyon ’09, Special Assistant for Energy and Environmental Policy at the Center for American Progress, shares:

“Let me put it this way—when I told my DC colleagues about Emerging Leaders, they all wanted to join. The program has really added value to my Princeton education after Princeton. Alumni programming is one of the reasons why I chose to attend Princeton, and this makes me glad I did. Specifically, the expert combination of management theory, speaker series, and hands-on brainstorming makes Emerging Leaders an incredibly useful series of workshops and trainings.”

The program curriculum interweaves the development of leadership, management, and hard nonprofit skills with mentoring, peer support, and networking within the sector. Simultaneously, Emerging Leaders are putting their learning into action as they design and execute projects that generate real results for their organizations. The pilot Emerging Leaders program runs for 10 months, culminating in a celebration and presentation by the participants in March 2011.

Program sessions to date have featured presentations from well-known leaders in the nonprofit sector, including: Judith Sandalow, Executive Director of The Children’s Law Center; Eric Schweikert, CFO of Share Our Strength; and Khari Brown, Executive Director of Capital Partners for Education.

Over the course of the next six months, participants will continue to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to advance their professional contributions and accelerate their careers in the nonprofit sector.

To learn more about Emerging Leaders, please visit www.alumnicorps.org

Rachel Benevento and Kef Kasdin '85

Rachel Benevento is the newest member of the Princeton AlumniCorps team.  Most recently, she worked at VolunteerConnect in Princeton, creating a skills-based volunteer pilot program. Rachel also served as a VolunteerConnect board member, helping to create a new service model for the organization. Previously, she engaged corporate employees in cancer education and fundraising initiatives for the American Cancer Society.

Rachel has also worked at Columbia University where she founded the Alumni Partnership Program, connecting current and former students on a personal level through various forums. As a board member for Community Impact at Columbia, she advised staff and student coordinators on programmatic challenges and evaluated new program proposals. She earned an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has worked as a freelance writer and editor. Rachel holds a B.A. in history from Columbia.

Regarding Community Volunteers, Rachel writes: “I am excited to help Community Volunteers reach its potential in engaging mid-career alumni in meaningful public service opportunities. Matching the professional expertise of program participants to the needs of  local nonprofit organizations will provide critical outlets for alumni to channel their passions and make a difference in their community.”

Contact Rachel to learn about Community Volunteers and Emerging Leaders at RBenevento@alumnicorps.org.

Are you connected to any organizations doing innovative public interest work in Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, or Washington, DC?

If you think they may be a good fit for a fellow for the 2012-13 fellowship year, please contact Sara McCord Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program Manager at project55@alumnicorps.org to learn more and be connected with a local program. Remember the partner organization deadline is Friday, December 2, 2011.

For over 20 years, PP55 fellowships have given recent Princeton graduates opportunities to work in the public interest and be connected with a supportive like-minded community. The program continues to grow under the direction of Program Leader Maria Orozco ‘03.

Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program

• 54 PP55 fellows are serving at 44 public interest organizations this year.
• In total, alumni of the program now number more than 1,300.
• Fellows are currently serving in seven geographic areas: Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Philadelphia, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, DC.
• About 10% of the senior class applies for a PP55 fellowship each year.

Emerging Leaders

• Princeton AlumniCorps’ newest initiative, launched in June 2011 in Washington, DC.
• A 10-month professional development program designed to transform young nonprofit professionals into the sector’s future leaders.
• First class of 11 participants are alumni of the PP55 program, Princeton, and other institutions.
• The program curriculum interweaves the development of leadership, management, and hard nonprofit skills with mentoring, peer support, and networking within the sector.
• Emerging Leaders put their learning into action by designing and executing projects that generate real results for their organizations.

Community Volunteers

• The Community Volunteers program connects alumni from the classes of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s to innovative civic engagement opportunities.
• Volunteers offer nonprofits cost-free access to professional expertise while nonprofit partners offer alumni opportunities to serve their communities in a truly meaningful way.
• Community Volunteers matches alumni with such opportunities as service on nonprofit boards, pro bono work addressing specific organizational needs, individual volunteer matching, and more.

The Alumni Network

• The Alumni Network (TAN) helps other groups of college alumni to organize programs modeled on our example.
• Affiliates include more than 30 public interest programs at colleges and universities across the country (e.g. at Harvard, Dartmouth and Stanford), including some working abroad.
• Taken together, TAN affiliates have placed more than 7,000 interns and fellows since the Network was formed.
• In many of our cities, we work with TAN affiliates and host joint seminars and social gatherings, to connect fellows with an extensive community of nonprofit professionals.

Click here to get involved!