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!

Princeton AlumniCorps is proud to announce the addition of Princeton University’s Pace Center for Civic Engagement to The Alumni Network (TAN), making it the second new affiliate this year! The following interview highlights their approach and dedication to education, innovation, and excellence in public service among Princeton alumni.

Tell us about the Pace Center. What is the overall mission, vision, and strategy of the organization?

The Pace Center for Civic Engagement is the University’s central resource for civic engagement. It supports efforts by undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni to identify and act on the problems of society. The mission of the Center is to integrate civic engagement with the teaching and learning mission of Princeton University by helping all members of the extended Princeton community to identify and address issues of public concern through engaged scholarship, active citizenship, and effective public leadership for the purpose of building stronger communities and societies throughout the world. Pace connects students  with opportunities to thoughtfully address civic problems and have an impact through activities including direct volunteer service, civic action break trips, social entrepreneurship, political action, public service internships and fellowships, volunteer teaching and tutoring, and engaged academics.

The Pace Center manages and support two postgraduate fellowship programs – High Meadows Fellowships focused on the environment and sustainability and the Charles W. Puttkammer ’58 Prisoner Reentry Fellowship.

The High Meadows Fellowships program places recent Princeton graduates in two-year paid positions with three of the nation’s leading non-profit environmental organizations: Environmental Defense Fund, The Food Project, and Vermont Community Foundation. The organizations aim to protect the environment and build environmental sustainability, or bring an environmental focus to building community capacity and increasing the self-sufficiency of community residents.  Generously funded by the High Meadows Fund, Fellows have an opportunity to learn more about the issues these organizations address, while they gain valuable professional experience and explore a career in the public interest. During the course of the fellowship, High Meadows Fellows make a genuine contribution toward advancing the organizations’ objectives and mission. The cohort of fellows is maintained at 8 fellows.

The Charles W. Puttkammer ’58 Prisoner Reentry Fellowship program is a program that places a recent Princeton graduate in a two-year paid position with one of New Jersey’s leading nonprofit organizations, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ). The Institute aims to raise the profile of prisoner reentry issues for state decision-makers and local communities, and to help protect communities from the negative impacts of reentry. The Institute provides job training and appropriate social services to facilitate the reentry of former prisoners into their home communities. Generously funded by the Charles W. Puttkammer ’58 Prisoner Reentry Fellowship program, the Prisoner Reentry Fellow has an opportunity to learn more about the issues the NJISJ organization addresses, while gaining valuable professional experience and exploring a career in the public interest. During the course of the fellowship, the Puttkammer Fellow will take on substantive and challenging work and make a genuine contribution toward advancing the organizations’ objectives. As of 2011, there are two Puttkammer fellows.

Who is eligible to participate?

Current enrolled Princeton seniors in good standing. Depending on the specific positions, non-U.S. citizens may not be eligible to apply.

What are the requirements of the program (s)?

For both the High Meadows and Puttkammer programs, the requirements are as follows:

• Fulfill the 2-year commitment
• Mandatory orientation program
• Participate in requested Princeton-sponsored meetings, conferences, recruitment events
• Contribute to marketing plan and materials
• Communicate with Pace Center staff
• Complete mid-year and end-of-year evaluations

What kind of positions in the nonprofit sector do you offer? (e.g. environment, public health, government, urban development, education) 

Broadly, the High Meadows positions are focused on the environmental sector, and the Puttkammer fellowship positions are focused on the criminal justice sector. Depending on the position, the focus on the work may be on public policy, corporate partnerships, philanthropic grant-making, legislative research, and more.

How long has your organization been up and running?

The Pace Center was founded in 2001. The High Meadows Fellowships have been associated with the Pace Center since 2002. The Puttkammer Fellowships have been with the Pace Center since 2009.

How did your organization begin? What inspired this organization?

The Pace Center was named for John Pace, Jr., a member of Princeton’s Class of 1939. The High Meadows Fellowships were founded by Carl Ferenbach, Princeton Class of 1964, and the Puttkammer Fellowships were founded by Charles W. Puttkammer, Princeton Class of 1958. Both fellowship programs reflect the interest and commitments of the respective Princeton alumni.

How many fellows and interns have you placed in total?

In any one year, there are 8 High Meadows Fellows. The first year of the Puttkammer fellowship program had 1 fellow and in subsequent years, there have been 2 Fellows in a year.

Where geographically do you place fellows/interns?

All High Meadows fellowships are located throughout the U.S.  The Puttkammer fellowship is located in Newark, NJ.

Can you provide an example of a success story within your program?

Sure – visit the Pace Center website to read more – http://pace.princeton.edu

Who is the primary TAN contact for your program/organization?

Elsie Sheidler, sheidler@princeton.edu; 609-258-7260.

About The Princeton Social Enterprise Network (PSEN)

PSEN is a platform and a resource for Princeton University alumni who are interested or engaged in social enterprise – the use of sustainable, market-based solutions to social and environmental challenges. PSEN connects and activates a broad network of Tigers – currently spread across the Princeton community – by aggregating, coordinating, and distributing social enterprise programming, resources, and networking opportunities.

PSEN achieves this through a two-part model: a simple yet effective online communications platform and a network of regional chapters, which activates the online community with regional events.

By connecting fellow Tigers to the resources, information, and support they need to establish and scale innovative social ventures, PSEN aligns the full energy, capability, and business acumen of the Princeton University community behind a shared goal of service through enterprise.

Who is eligible to participate?

PSEN is an open community for all PU alumni interested or participating in social enterprise. In the coming year, PSEN plans to launch a social enterprise mentorship program that will specifically target recent graduates and budding social entrepreneurs, and match them with accomplished mentors who can offer advice, support, and guidance. Though PSEN exists first and foremost to serve PU alumni, PSEN also intends for its Chapters to be regional resources.

What are the requirements of the program?

There are no requirements to participate in PSEN. However, as a member-driven organization, PSEN aims to cultivate and active member base that is engaged in regional chapter programming; contributing news, opportunities, and resources to our newsletter; and otherwise contributing to building a supportive community around social enterprise at Princeton.

What kind of opportunities in the nonprofit sector do you offer?

PSEN creates and publicizes opportunities for engagement in the social enterprise sector. Social enterprise describes the use of market-based models and strategies to advance a social or environmental mission. Social enterprises may be nonprofit, for–profit, or a hybrid structure (such as a Low-Profit limited liability company, or L3C).  PSEN convenes regional events that focus on special topics or informal networking and info-sharing. PSEN’s seasonal newsletter aggregates all career opportunities, events, announcements, and other resources submitted by members at http://princetonsocialenterprise.org and distributes the content to our national subscribers.  PSEN will also convene an annual Social Innovation Business Plan Competition, in which Tigers can compete for funding and exposure for their social enterprise business plans.

How long has your organization been up and running?

Roughly a year.

How did your organization begin? What inspired this organization?

PSEN originated in 2010 as a “social enterprise track” within the Princeton Entrepreneur’s Network (PEN) annual business plan competition. Princeton University, a world-class institution committed to excellence across disciplines, has yet to emerge as a leader in social enterprise. The founders of PSEN observed a distinct lack of coordinated social enterprise programming, resources, and initiatives within the PU community. Furthermore, PSEN believes that social enterprise is a compelling meeting ground for the Princeton University community and a powerful new channel through which to activate the school motto, “In the Nation’s service and the service of all nations.”

How are alumni involved in your organization?    

PSEN offers programming and resources for:

• Older Alumni seeking late-stage career change, or opportunities to use private sector skills for social impact
• Experienced social entrepreneurs who can offer thought leadership, mentorship, and guidance to young Tigers
• Budding entrepreneurs seeking to launch a social enterprise
• Recent graduates seeking professional or engagement opportunities that couple private sector models with mission-driven work

 Where geographically do you run programming? 

PSEN is focusing on dense metropolitan regions in the continental United States, Canada, and the UK. Currently there are 4 established chapters in the United States, with launches planned in LA, the San Francisco Bay Area, Montreal, and Boston.

How are you funded?

PSEN is currently funded by corporate sponsorship and expects to gain more sponsors as the program grows. PSEN offers a compelling value to corporate sponsors because of the reach of our newsletter and regional events. Sponsors receive publicity in all of PSEN’s communication channels as well as access to PSEN events.

PSEN has partnered with Princeton Entrepreneur’s Network (PEN) to accelerate the corporate sponsorship effort. PSEN is also exploring a commission-based incentive model to attract and retain volunteer resources in this administrative area.

What is the relationship between your organization and the University/College with which you are affiliated?

PSEN is a member of TAN, but is not yet formally funded or recognized by Princeton University. Rather than take a top-down approach, PSEN has decided to grow organically through our Regional Chapter model. This year, as we strengthen our existing chapters and launch new ones, PSEN will approach the University for official recognition and administrative and/or financial support.

Can you provide an example of a success story within your program?

In little more than 12 months, PSEN has grown from a “social enterprise track” within the Princeton Entrepreneur’s Network (PEN) to an independent organization with founding sponsors, a committed administrative team, revolving volunteers, four regional chapters, and a broad network of participants and newsletter subscribers. The consistent attendance and energy at Chapter launches and regional events has demonstrated a significant demand for social enterprise programming and resources in the PU community. Between 20-30 Tigers attended Chapter launches in each city to network, learn about PSEN, and listen to panel speakers. This summer the PSEN New York held a successful clean tech event with four experienced panelists active in the clean-tech sector.

What has been your biggest challenge or area of concern this year?

PSEN is an entirely volunteer-run, member-driven organization. Coordinating and growing PSEN is a second job for the administrative team. It has been a challenge to recruit and retain committed volunteers while also overseeing all aspects of PSEN’s growth, programming, communications, and funding. The team believes that compensated full or part-time positions are ultimately needed to scale the organization effectively. PSEN is actively seeking funding resources that will enable us to increase our administrative capacity and generate greater value for our members and the PU community.

Sophie Huber ‘12

During my three-day Princeternship, I had the chance to visit Chicago, a major hub of Project 55’s AlumniCorps fellowship program, where I shadowed recent fellows Kristen Molloy ’08 and Whitney Spalding ’07 at the Chicago Public Schools Office of New Schools. ONS authorizes and oversees all charter, contract, and performance schools in Chicago. Kristen and Whitney were hired by ONS after completing Project 55 fellowships there, and they had a lot of knowledge to share about charter schools and their role in Chicago education.

When my co-Princetern (Destiny Ortega ’12) and I arrived for our first day at the office, Kristen gave us a presentation on new schools and the nature of ONS’s work. We learned about Renaissance 2010, an initiative by Mayor Daley to open 100 new schools between 2005 and 2010, and heard about some of the challenges ONS has been facing since its recent budget cuts. We then spent some time helping Kristen with her research projects. In Kristen’s work as Compliance Manager, she is responsible for evaluating schools and keeping them accountable for performance and adherence to protocol. We got started on a compliance data project, where our task was to create spreadsheets of compliance rates by school type and grade level. We also got a chance to meet with some of Kristen’s co-workers to discuss their roles in ONS’s work.

We spent most of our second day away from the office, beginning with our visit to two charter schools in the North Lawndale community. The first was the Catalyst Howland Elementary School, one of two schools in Chicago’s Catalyst network. The Catalyst schools emphasize respect, values, and character-building in combination with a rigorous curriculum. We began our visit with an informational meeting, where we met the principal and other school leaders. After the meeting we took a tour of the school. Since college matriculation is a huge focus at Catalyst (as is the case at many charters), Destiny and I said some words to the older students about our Princeton experiences and encouraged them to apply.

The second school we visited was North Lawndale College Prep, which shares a building with Catalyst. NLCP had the day off school when we came, so we didn’t see many students there, but we got a chance to talk to President John Horan about the school’s philosophy and approach. NLCP is also highly college-focused, sending almost 90% of their students to postsecondary institutions (they rank #1 for college graduation among Chicago’s non-selective public high schools). The school emphasizes non-violence, replacing security guards and metal detectors with a special “peace” curriculum. After speaking with President Horan, we toured the school; it was mostly empty, but we did get to see some great murals by the students.

We spent the afternoon learning about charter-related nonprofits in meetings with Stacy McAuliffe ’98, of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS), and Rachel Ksenyak, of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Stacy is herself a former P55 fellow; when we met her, she had just started a new job as the Chief Operating Officer of INCS. INCS is committed to supporting and advocating for charter schools, whether by facilitating the establishment of new schools, offering education and assistance to managers of existing schools, or lobbying for charter-friendly public policy. Stacy told us all about INCS’s roles and described her own journey to her current work in the charter movement. She gave us lots of useful information about charter-related organizations and opportunities in Chicago and beyond. It was great to learn about INCS from such a well-connected fellow Princetonian.

I started Day Three working more on Kristen’s compliance data project; this time I was able to look at how several other factors correlated with compliance, including school type and the years schools were founded. Then I had coffee with former P55 fellow Colleen Poynton ’09, who had a lot of great advice and knowledge about post-college work in nonprofit and social enterprise. After graduating from Princeton, she did a Project 55 fellowship at Bethel New Life, a community development corporation in Chicago’s West Side. Now she is undertaking a second P55 fellowship at a local social enterprise called Investing in Communities. Colleen explained how IIC endeavors to drive market-based philanthropy by connecting socially-minded merchants with customers.

In the afternoon I had the opportunity to talk more with our second Princeton host, Whitney Spalding ’07. Whitney is singlehandedly in charge of determining which new charter proposals will be recommended for authorization. When she described the process to me, it became clear that Whitney actually has to balance lots of outside opinions in making her decisions, from consultants’ advice to community preferences. Her job is very demanding, but essential to ONS’s work.

I had a wonderful time at my Princeternship, and I’m so grateful to have had this chance. I was able to explore the Windy City, experience work at a nonprofit, and learn firsthand about a great Princeton fellowship opportunity. I’ll definitely be keeping Project 55 in mind as I consider options for after graduation!

Meicen Sun ‘12

My first day as a Princetern started off with the weekly Princeton Project 55 seminar in downtown Chicago, which was attended by other PP55 fellows and staff. The seminars were intended to be educational, informative, and at the same time a means to keep everyone in PP55 connected as a group. This week’s seminar featured guest speaker, activist Bill Ayers, who gave us a talk on public service in today’s U.S., especially with regard to the role of the individual in a democratic society. After the talk, I followed my coworker Andrew Kinaci, a PP55 fellow at NLEN, to take the blue subway line which would take us to the neighborhood of North Lawndale—one of the most poverty-stricken and crime-infested areas of Chicago. The office of NLEN was a small and compact house that stood alone in a fairly deserted and worn down district. It also served as the factory and workshop of Sweet Beginnings, LLC—a social enterprise under NLEN that employed the formerly incarcerated to manufacture its unique beeline® skincare products with locally produced organic materials. My direct supervisor, a Princeton alumnus Michael Malecek, proceeded to show me around the office and acquainted me with staff members and clients. He also gave me a tour of the office’s backyard where beehives were kept. Michael then introduced me to Ms. Brenda Palms Barber—Executive Director of NLEN and CEO of Sweet Beginnings. Before long, I began working on my main project as a Princetern—drafting a policy paper addressed to Chicago government, to appeal for a revision of a recent ordinance that would restrict urban agriculture in Chicago, and to explain the advantages of urban agriculture which provided the basis for many small-scale social enterprises like Sweet Beginnings. The day culminated into my making a closing announcement through the general paging system at the end of the day, as Michael suggested. Andrew jokingly said that I was now officially an NLEN employee.

Today, my first task was to help our clients with their resumes. I stayed in the computer lab where they worked on their resumes and took any questions they might have. It was a delight to see that my limited knowledge nonetheless proved helpful to them. Since the clients’ employment with Sweet Beginnings was only transitional, another big part of NLEN’s work was to impart essential job search and interview skills to the clients to facilitate them in their long-term career plan and reentry into society. In the afternoon, I continued working on the policy paper in Michael’s office, where he would patiently take any questions I had regarding the history and background of NLEN. Later in the afternoon, I had a very pleasant and inspiring talk with NLEN Executive Director and Sweet Beginnings CEO Brenda, who shared with me her mission and vision of Sweet Beginnings, and basically anything and everything on social service in today’s world. Both Brenda and Michael pointed to me the immediate dangers that surrounded our office—drug-dealing and violence that happened literally right next-door. Yet in the middle of this there was Sweet Beginnings which served as a shelter and more: Even some patrons would not have imagined that the beeline® products they used were manufactured in this tiny office building, by people who, if not for this employment opportunity, might be (re-)exposed to the dangers of drugs and violence any moment. I was thrilled to know that Michael and Brenda would forward the edited version of my policy paper to be presented at an upcoming Chicago Zoning Committee meeting. It was an incredibly fulfilling two days that I spent at NLEN as a PP55 Princetern but more importantly, it touches my heart to know that however little I have done, it is having an impact. I am very glad and grateful for this invaluable opportunity to have worked with such amazing people for such an admirable cause.

The merely two-day experience with PP55 was well-planned and well-tailored for students like us who long to gain an idea of how public service works on a daily basis. Despite the relatively short duration, we were each allowed to have deep exploration of the particular sector, and to have meaningful contact with the professional personnel. The unsparing willingness of the PP55 fellows to share with us their professional experience and insight, as well as their exemplary work ethic both made our Princeternships an eye-opening and rewarding journey.

To learn more about the Princetern program, please visit http://www.princeton.edu/career/undergrads/special/princeternship/ . Please contact Helen Yu ‘08 at fan.yu@alumni.princeton.edu for questions regarding the PP55 Princeternships initiative in Chicago.

On June 9, 2010, alumni volunteers and fellows from the Project 55 Fellowship Program, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University public interest programs attended the first annual Chicago PIP conference. All three programs work together to provide fellowships in the nonprofit and public interest sector to recent graduates in Chicago.

The conference in June was a promising and helpful opportunity for all three fellowship programs to reflect on past goals and to plan for the future; it was a collaborative effort that pinpointed funding, alumni involvement, mentoring, program management, and program evaluation as common concerns. According to Vince Anderson ’65 – a mentor who now coordinates partner organization recruitment as well as working on seminars –  it was the first meeting of its kind. By bringing the three schools together in a collaborative setting, each gained a better understanding of how to reach out in Chicago and in other major cities across the nation.

While the three schools each see civic engagement, social change, and community outreach as their programmatic focus, each school models different leadership and faces different kinds of challenges. The University of Chicago Public Interest Program (UCPIP) started in 1999 as a volunteer program led by John Fish ’55, a founder of Princeton Project 55 and also an alumnus of the University of Chicago. Inspired by Project 55 fellows, and with the help of Fish, UCPIP modeled its fellowship program after Princeton AlumniCorps.

In 2005, two alumni and a faculty advisor launched the Northwestern University Public Interest Program; a mostly student led organization and, in some ways, one also modeled after Princeton AlumniCorps fellowship program. After its inception, Northwestern joined the University of Chicago and AlumniCorps programs. This collaborative effort, the sharing of seminars and broadening of support networks, would come to be known as the PP55 Chicago Program. As a result, this collaboration has allowed the University of Chicago and Northwestern to uniquely benefit from what AlumniCorps has learned over its 20 years of sustained impact.

Yet AlumniCorps’ independence from Princeton University and strong network of loyal alumni volunteers is a challenging model to recreate. Kelly Kleiman, a board member of UCPIP,  talked about the difficulties confronting the two Chicago schools: “We’re all fighting university bureaucracy, handling it in different ways.” Kleiman, also an organization recruiter, is concerned with UCPIP’s inability to reach out to smaller non-profits because of inadequate funds. Fund-raising, according to her, “is critical to UCPIP’s handling of university bureaucracy.”

For Northwestern, the challenge is increasing alumni involvement. Northwestern, in particular, sees “social capital” as a key to its fellowship program. “Social capital,” said Stephanie Arias, a rising senior and student coordinator of the Northwestern program, is about “making connections” and bridging the gap between the University and the community, getting more involved. “We need to pitch to them [alumni] that it is not about money but about connections…social capital as opposed to financial capital.” Arias suggests that Northwestern must reframe the way they understand the city and their role in it as alumni.

By attempting to follow Princeton’s alumni-driven model without losing a foothold on their student-led approach, Northwestern has not lost sight of their school’s perspective. UC is also moving in a similar direction. Tom Berg, UC alum and chairman of UCPIP said, “The challenge is to adapt [Princeton AlumniCorps] model within the culture of the university.” While Berg understands the looming challenge of following AlumniCorps’ model, he also sees the opportunities. The opportunity to connect with the city of Chicago – and potentially others cities – to build up their universities as civic leaders in the community is one that both schools do not want to pass up. As with AlumniCorps, they are determined to ground themselves in a common mission for civic engagement, social change, and community outreach.

Princeton AlumniCorps is seeking a dynamic individual to guide, support, and facilitate the raising of funds for our organization. Title and salary will be determined based on previous experience.

Princeton AlumniCorps Development Position Announcement

Position Overview and Responsibilities
Princeton AlumniCorps is seeking a dynamic individual to guide, support, and facilitate the raising of funds for our organization. Title and salary will be determined based on previous experience.

Development
• Plan, organize, and implement an integrated and comprehensive annual development plan in collaboration with Executive Director and board of directors
• Develop cultivation/solicitation goals, strategies, and timelines; evaluating results and adjusting strategies on an on-going basis
• Write letters/proposals and develop supporting materials
• Work collaboratively with Executive Director, board, staff, and volunteers to support, foster, and leverage their involvement in fundraising efforts
• In conjunction with Board and Executive Director, establish long-range (3-5 year) development planning with interim objectives to aid in tracking progress
• Coordinate and grow foundation support, including identification and research, cultivation, grant writing, reporting, and tracking
• Oversee endowment fundraising efforts including individual gifts and encouraging planned giving.
• Oversee Raiser’s Edge and NetCommunity
• Staff the Development Steering Group (DSG), the Princeton AlumniCorps fundraising advisory group.
• Prepare progress reports for committee and board meetings

Outreach and Communications
• Serve on the Communications Committee to help develop a comprehensive communications plan that will support resource development and further Princeton AlumniCorps’ mission
• Work with program staff, Executive Director and local volunteers to organize local outreach and fundraising events
• Manage the creation of branded fundraising collateral pieces, including, but not limited to, appeals and supporting materials, annual report, newsletters, website, and other as needed
• Ensure that Princeton AlumniCorps’ brand and messaging are consistent across communications efforts
• Coordinate the production and distribution of Shared Effort, Princeton AlumniCorps’ quarterly newsletter
• Be a positive representative of Princeton AlumniCorps in the community and help create institutional visibility

Finance
• Maintain guidelines and policies for the acceptance, valuation, recording, acknowledgment, and stewardship of gifts
• Track gifts against pledges and challenge grants
• Manage and process stock gifts
• Run monthly reports for Executive Director, treasurer, and accountant
• Work with treasurer and accountant on reconciliation with bank accounts as needed

General
• Take on additional projects and responsibilities as requested
• Participate in general staff tasks
• Manage development intern

Skills and Qualifications
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Adept with building and maintaining relationships
• Strong attention to detail
• Flexibility
• Interest in marketing and communicating to diverse audiences
• Comfortable interacting with wide variety of constituents
• Sense of humor
• Steadiness under pressure
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and willingness to learn new technology
• Experience with Blackbaud software a plus
• Comfortable working in a small office environment
• Excitement for Princeton AlumniCorps mission and vision
• 1- 5 years of professional experience in the field of development and outreach
• Event planning experience a plus
• B.A./B.S.

Applicants should be willing to make a two-year commitment.

Salary
Starting salary will range from $40,000-$50,000 depending on previous experience, with potential for increase in subsequent years. Compensation includes medical and dental insurance, retirement benefits, 20 days of paid time off, and generous holidays.

Location
The position is located in the Princeton Project 55 office at 12 Stockton Street in Princeton, NJ.

Application Process
Interested individuals should email a resume and a letter of interest and qualifications, using subject line “AlumniCorps Development Position” by Tuesday, July 13, 2010 to Natasha Robinson, Development Officer at nrobinson@alumnicorps.org.
This will be an expedited interview and placement process. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so please submit your materials as soon as possible. The projected start date is August 3, 2010.

The Yale Class of 1957 Music Endowment Program is a member of Princeton Project 55’s [The] Alumni Network. This past year, the Yale Class of 1957 has established a vital and impressive music program that will inspire music education all around the nation.

The program has three facets:  (I) A biannual symposium for talented public school music educators  (II) A professorship devoted to music education in the public schools  (III) Development of model programs in the New Haven public schools.

The 2009 Symposium on Music in Schools took place this past June at the Yale School of Music. There were 448 nominations, including 50 teachers from 37 different states, including Alaska, who came to accept the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award. Program managers have also developed a number of different ways that music could be connected to other parts of the curriculum, such as English, Art, and Science. Many of the teachers expressed their gratitude to the Yale ‘57 classmates for recognition in an under-appreciated field and for what one teacher described as a “gracious and impressive” ceremony.

The plan for the 2009-2010 academic year also involves a Visiting Professor Program. This includes inviting six leaders in the field of community arts education to spend a week at the Yale School of Music (YSM) working with YSM students.  The common theme will be “community engagement in the life of the professional musician”.  Each visiting educator will begin with a 90 minute seminar.  Students who attend at least two of these seminars will be eligible for $500-$1000 grants to create their own innovative public school music programs.  The invitees include Robert Capanna, Alan Fletcher, Mitchell Korn, Tina Lee Hadari, Greg Sandow, and Daniel Windham. The core model program remains in 3 schools, Lincoln Bassett, John C. Daniels and Mauro Sheridan School, with outreach to 36 schools in all, primarily in New Haven but with some in other areas of Connecticut.

A sampling of programs includes: a band program where parents and teachers can play along with their students; book writing programs that achieve linkage by increasing writing skills and  allowing students to write stories and have a composer put them to music and vice versa; collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art features a comprehensive music and literacy program for middle school students; a book writing / movie making program that is in progress with Co-op High School  in Bridgeport.

The Class of ‘57 Music program is spreading fast!  There are now contracts with schools outside of New Haven, and the 2009 Symposium assures some national attention. The enthusiasm and creativity of Deans Blocker, Yaffe, and our program managers John Miller and Olivia Malin is truly infectious and augurs well for the future.  The Class of ’57 can take pride in the work of their 50th reunion gift.