Bill Burks ’55 is one of the founders and an active supporter of Princeton AlumniCorps. Bill majored in biology at Princeton, and earned his M.D. from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. After a five-year surgical residency in New York City, Bill served two years in the Army Medical Corps, including a year as a trauma surgeon in Vietnam. He practiced general and vascular surgery in Princeton from 1966 until his retirement in 1998. Since 1993, he has been a Trustee of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and served as Chairman for nine years (1997 to 2005). He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Princeton Healthcare System. 

Q: How and why did you get involved with Princeton AlumniCorps? 

BB: I joined Princeton AlumniCorps (then Princeton Project 55) in the beginning in Washington, when Ralph Nader’s speech really hit a responsive chord in many of us. It was such an attractive concept for us to use our contacts to assist new graduates, who were eager and enthusiastic, into worthwhile career pursuits.

Q: What role do you think Princeton AlumniCorps plays in the Princeton community and in communities across the country?

I think the key benefit of the PP55 Fellowship Program is the opportunity to get extraordinary people into community service and volunteerism, and the benefits that then flow into the organization and communities. Students also benefit, as it gives them the opportunity to work with a mentor and a chance to experience a lot more in the early stages of their career than they might have done on their own.

Q: You were a founding member of Princeton AlumniCorps – then Princeton Project 55 – in 1989. How do you think the organization has changed in the past 22 years? 

BB: I think the organization has changed dramatically but without losing sight of its original mission. After the first couple of years I wasn’t so much involved but there were a very hard-core group of classmates who supported the concept and made it work. The organization has become an important part of Princeton University’s mission and it has been strongly supported by Presidents Shapiro and Tilghmen.

The concept has spread to other colleges and the membership and leadership has changed to include other classes. Princeton AlumniCorps has evolved into a self-sustaining organization and is raising endowment funds to sustain it long term. Its effectiveness with young people is unquestioned and many PP55 interns have become very successful in their careers and their involvement in civic causes.

Q: Towards the end of your career, and since retiring, you’ve been very involved with the Princeton Community Foundation, can you share a little bit about that?

 BB: I started working with the Princeton Community Foundation in 1993 when I received a call from a ’55 classmate recommending the organization to me. When I retired from my surgical practice in 1998, I had become Chairman of the Community Foundation Board and since then I have worked there 4-5 days a week. The Foundation works to promote philanthropy in central New Jersey by building permanent endowment as well as flexible funds which support not-for-profit organizations. We continue to grow with over $75 million in assets and are making over $3 million in grants per year.

Q: What are the most important things you look for when supporting an organization or serving on a nonprofit board?

BB: I have always enjoyed working with people and feeling productive. I loved my surgical practice and it was emotionally rewarding. With respect to community service I look for organizations which stimulate my interest and where I think I can make a difference. When my children were in school I served on their school boards for 10 years; during my years of surgical practice I served on the hospital Board and recently have had the opportunity to go back on the board as Princeton is building a new hospital and the changes are fascinating. And my work with the Community Foundation has been a genuine pleasure as I believe totally in the concept and have learned a great deal about the not-for-profit world.

Q: Princeton AlumniCorps just placed our newest class of 54 PP55 fellows. What advice do you have for them?

BB: As I think the new fellows would already be aware, the fellowship program is an incredible opportunity for them to realize some of their goals and to be more productive straight out of college. It’s a unique way for them to use the gifts that they have been given much earlier in their careers, a chance to make new contacts, and for many fellows, an opportunity to secure longer-term employment at the end of their fellowship year.

New fellows should realize the opportunity that has been given to them and make the best use of their talents to stimulate their partnering organizations. It is a two way relationship, and organizations also have the chance to get a lot out of these kids, who are creative, hard-working and wonderful.

Q: What is your hope for the future of Princeton AlumniCorps?

BB: When Princeton Project 55 was first established, I don’t think we realized its full potential. At that stage, we had been out of college for about 30 years, and many of us had children at college or some recent graduates. Our hope was to give our children the best, and we asked: How can we give them the best start? How can we give them the opportunity to best use their talents?

I think the original premise of Princeton Project 55 is so solid, and I trust that the organization will continue to grow and evolve with this in mind. My hope for Princeton AlumniCorps is that they will play a significant role in maximizing the incredible talent pool of university students who avail themselves of this opportunity.

John was a stalwart supporter of our organization, generously participating without fail in every single annual fundraising campaign since our inception. We are grateful for his enthusiastic support and send our warm wishes for peace and comfort to John’s family.

A former PP55 fellow in Boston slices fruit at a farmer's market.

In September 2010, Gordon Douglas MD ’55 and Sheila Mahoney began a conversation about food.

The Focus on Food initiative was conceived with the goal of cultivating Project 55 fellowship opportunities for recent Princeton graduates at organizations committed to food-related issues in this country. The issues range from obesity to farm factory pollution to food safety regulation to farm worker rights—all of which may be linked to our industrial food system, which is itself a product of government policies and business practices that support the production of vast quantities of low-priced, low-grade food, whatever the costs to the common good. As diverse and numerous as the issues may be, Focus on Food recognizes four broad areas of advocacy in today’s food movement: public health, environmental sustainability, social justice and animal welfare. Alumni have the opportunity to advance the issues in any one of these areas, whether by examining policy, promoting awareness or effecting change on the ground.

Take Action.

-   Are you an experienced professional? Put your principles into practice. Become an AlumniCorps Community Volunteer and donate your expertise to a food-related nonprofit.

-   Look at your own personal and professional networks. What organizations in your community are working on the food problem? Who might take a Project 55 Fellow or a skills-based AlumniCorps Community Volunteer?

-   Are you passionate about sustainable, healthy food? Help us to organize an educational panel or event for alumni in one of our AlumniCorps cities.

-   Are you a professional working in food and public health, social justice, the environment, or animal welfare? Contact us about speaking at an AlumniCorps seminar or panel for Project 55 fellows.

-   Join the conversation. Which of the four food system issues most concern you?  How can we start a dialogue? Click here to apply for membership in the AlumniCorps Focus on Food online discussion.

This year Alejandro plans to work for the same clinic in Spanish Harlem as a Health Education Outreach Worker, where he will implement new initiatives to better track the patients.  Apart from this, Alejandro’s central focus is writing, from poetry to short fiction.  While he does hope to attend graduate school in clinical psychology, he knows that writing will always be an important part of his life. 

Q: How/Why did you get involved with Princeton AlumniCorps? Did it surprise you to learn that Princeton AlumniCorps is a multigenerational organization?

I knew my senior year in college that I wanted to do some form of public service, whether abroad or here in the US.  I wanted an experience that would combine my interest in public service and clinical psychology.  When I got a position at New York Center for Child Development, I knew it would be a formative experience, one that would make a meaningful impact on the people of East Harlem.

Yes, it surprised me to discover that Princeton AlumniCorps. engages different generations either through programs or initiatives for different classes or just through the network of people involved with the program.

Q: What is your background regarding nonprofits/volunteering? How have you demonstrated “Princeton in the Nation’s Service?”

I have been volunteering since I was a sophomore in high school.  I started volunteering in an ER at a local hospital, then taught an ESL class for YWCA, and then proceeded to apply to public service programs.

Working in East Harlem as an assistant to a mental health team has taught me that change can be on an individual or institutional level.  By normalizing mental health services in a community where it still holds a stigma and by treating patients from that same community, I have been a part of movement that combines both the individual and institutional change.  Ultimately though  I think our motto speaks to our awareness and engagement with the community around us in whatever capacity that may be.  I think I have accomplished this.

Q: What’s the most important thing you look for when supporting an organization or serving on a nonprofit board?

I look first at the mission and then at the projects in which an organization is involved.  These two things indicate who the organization engages and how they do so.

Q: Please discuss the importance of what Princeton AlumniCorps does for the Princeton community and communities across the country.

It creates a counter culture in some sense, one of engaged graduates of all ages.  As Princeton AlumniCorps expands and encompasses other classes, I think more and more people will see public service as a lifelong commitment, just as the founders of Princeton AlumniCorps envisioned it.

Q: For 2011-12, AlumniCorps placed 51 Project 55 fellows. What would your advice be for our newest class of PP55 fellows, and to those Princetonians who are still looking for a job next year?

For those PP55 fellows, take advantage of the opportunities that this program gives to you.  It is an opportunity to meet people across all industries that care and are passionate about making a meaningful change.

To those young Princetonians still looking for a job, this time of transition can be an opportunity to try new hats that you never thought would interest you.  Be flexible with your goals and where they may lead you.

Q: What is your hope for the future of Princeton AlumniCorps?

My hope for Princeton AlumniCorps is that it grows to incorporate not just all classes but also people of different industries.  Public service is not just a career or an internship, it is a actively engaging with the world around you. 

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

Position Overview and Responsibilities

The Office Administrator ensures the smooth operation of this fast-paced and innovative community. The office administrator position requires an organized self-starter and team player to oversee day-to-day functions of the administrative and program staff at Princeton AlumniCorps; and is in many cases the first person to the organization encounter. The office administrator must have the ability to move capably and confidently between a wide range of responsibilities including reception, administrative office operations, human resources and finance.

OFFICE OPERATIONS

• Answer the main AlumniCorps phone line, welcome guests and vendors, sort mail.

• Maintain a requisition and ordering procedure for office supplies including postage, paper, etc. assuring inventory control and cost effectiveness.

• Manage office printings and mailings

• Maintain conference room schedules; arrange for meeting space and room reservations as requested by staff.

• Assist in organizing/arranging Board meetings and trainings.

• Maintain central office files including board meeting minutes and attendance sheets

• Supervise building maintenance, cleaning staff and AlumniCorps interns

• Provide administrative and planning support for staff

• Schedule regular maintenance of the office facilities

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Work with PP55 program manager to coordinate and participate in fellowship interviews with alumni and nonprofit partner organizations during the month of January.

• Work with PP55 program manager and PP55 interviewers to decide on fellowship placement referrals.

• Manage the job board for fellowship alumni and partner organizations

• Manage the volunteer board for Princeton AlumniCorps

• Lead recruitment of Princeton AlumniCorps interns from Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and surrounding colleges and universities

• Interview, hire and assign tasks and corresponding staff managers for Princeton AlumniCorps interns

• Orient and coordinate enrollment, collection of hours and associated academic credit for AlumniCorps interns

• Assist in all hiring processes to include scheduling interviews, conducting reference checks, preparing hiring packets, verification of documentation and document completion.

• Assist the Executive Director with the payroll process including: collection of employee’s time sheets/cards, verifying accuracy and preparation.

FINANCE

• Maintain donor and vendor files

• Enter bills, deposits, and petty cash expenditures in QuickBooks; prepare and process payments and deposits

• Prepare acknowledgement letters to annual giving donors via Raiser’s Edge for signature

• Update Raiser’s Edge when new address/contact information is received

• Interact with vendors on related matters to ensure good and proper business relations.

• Work closely with executive director and accountant to ensure payment of taxes, filing of appropriate forms, and effective accounting practices

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

• Lead special projects as needed

• Help to design and maintain the AlumniCorps website

• Help to design and maintain AlumniCorps’ Shared Effort newsletter

• Collaborate with other staff as needed and appropriate

• Collaborate and communicate with alumni volunteers as needed

• Aid in organization-wide initiatives and events

• Work by the Princeton AlumniCorps Staff Values

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of Bachelors Degree, plus one to five years experience in administrative support

• Good knowledge of office support functions including word processing, filing, telephone etiquette, data entry

• Must have basic math skills with minimal bookkeeping knowledge

• Ability to prioritize tasks effectively and to manage multiple projects

• Must have very strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.

• Ability to understand and uphold the highest level of confidentiality

• Computer knowledge and proficiency required including Microsoft Office applications including, Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher and Outlook. Experience with RaisersEdge and Quickbooks preferred

• Experience supervising or participating in an internship program a plus

• Flexibility and openness to new ideas and feedback

• Sense of humor

Salary
Starting salary will range from $30,000-$40,000 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 AlumniCorps office at 12 Stockton Street in Princeton, NJ.

Application Process
Interested individuals should email a resume and a letter of interest and qualifications by Friday, January 20th, 2012 to info@alumnicorps.org.
A start date in early March will be determined by mutual agreement.

Princeton AlumniCorps is eager to highlight the efforts of other organizations and programs predicated on alumni civic engagement. One such program is The Princeton University Program in Teacher Preparation. Recently, Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program Assistant Lisa Baumert had a chance to sit down with Chris Campisano, Director of Teacher Preparation and learn more about the TeacherPrep program.

The Princeton University Program in Teacher Preparation (TeacherPrep) is committed to equipping Princeton students and alumni with the skills and experience they need to effectively serve the public interest in the area of education. For the past 44 years TeacherPrep has provided students and alumni  the opportunity to earn state licensure to teach at the middle and secondary school levels in the core academic areas of English, mathematics, science, social studies, and world languages. This education program is unique in its integration of educational theory and practice, its mentorship and professional network opportunities, and its openness to Princeton alumni of all ages. TeacherPrep develops effective teachers who possess thorough knowledge of subject matter and a comprehensive understanding of learning and teaching.

Prospective students in the TeacherPrep program must complete a two-stage application process and meet minimum GPA and General Education Course requirements. Once admitted, the program includes an Introductory Practicum and four primary courses: TPP 301, Seminar on Learning and Teaching; PSY 307, Educational Psychology; TPP 401, Seminary on Education; and TPP 402, Practice Teaching. Each of these core required courses include a “field component” with experience in classroom settings. Each student enrolled in the TeacherPrep program has access to relationships and professional networks.

The TeacherPrep program offers support for Princeton alumni seeking to advance their educational and professional experience. In addition to receiving reduced tuition costs through the Princeton University Office of Continuing Education, Princeton alumni in the TeacherPrep program are eligible for financial aid.   Residency in Princeton, NJ and a year-long commitment are required for alumni in the TeacherPrep program.

Beyond preparing Princeton students and alumni to become certified teachers, The Program in Teacher Preparation at Princeton University supports education through three other initiatives: The Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP), which offers educational programs for economically disadvantaged high school students; QUEST, a professional development program for elementary and middle school teachers in the Princeton area; and Teachers as Scholars, which provides seminars for Princeton area teachers. TeacherPrep also helps students transition from undergrad into a professional environment by assisting them in finding full-time education placements after graduation, and offering support in students’ first years of service.

TeacherPrep offers Princeton students and alumni important knowledge and training, and experience to serve the public interest in the field of education.

Those wishing to obtain more information about the TeacherPrep program should contact Christopher J. Campisano, Director of Teacher Preparation at ccampisa@princeton.edu, or Todd W. Kent, Associate Director of Teacher Preparation/Director of Teacher Certificate Program at twkent@princeton.edu. The Program in Teacher Preparation is located at 41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540, Phone: (609) 258-3336 FAX: (609) 258-4527. More information can also be found at http://teacherprep.reuniontechnologies.com.

Janice Nittoli ’85 is the incoming president of The Century Foundation, a progressive public policy think tank endowed by Edward Filene in 1919 as The Twentieth Century Fund. Until recently, she served as Associate Vice President & Managing Director at the Rockefeller Foundation, which she joined in 2006. There, she provided leadership and strategic direction for select Foundation initiatives with grantmaking and related activities in the areas of domestic policy, economic security, urban innovation and the philanthropic sector. Prior to joining the Rockefeller Foundation, Janice was a senior executive at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation dedicated to improving the lives of poor children, their families, and communities. Prior to foundation work, she served as President of the National Center for Health Education, a national nonprofit that designs and disseminates school and community based health education programs. Ms.Nittoli has served in several capacities in New York City government. She was the assistant commissioner in the Department of Health, managing the city’s correctional health system, and she also was a senior official in the City’s Human Resources Administration and at the Board of Education, where she ran foster care services and dropout prevention programs, respectively.  Before these appointments, she worked on child welfare, employment and income support issues for New York City Council President Carol Bellamy.

Ms. Nittoli has published book chapters and articles on a variety of issues in human services and public policy and has taught graduate-level classes in research methods and public policy. She is active on several nonprofit boards dedicated to youth and community services and a charter high school dedicated to runaway and homeless youth and young people in foster care.  She is a member of the New York State Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and the New York City Advisory Committee on Youth and Family Justice. Ms. Nittoli received a bachelor’s degree from Marymount Manhattan College and a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

Q: How/Why did you get involved with Princeton AlumniCorps? Did it surprise you to learn that Princeton AlumniCorps is a multi-generational organization?

When I was working at Rockefeller, AlumniCorps approached us and asked if we would be interested in working with the Princeton Project55 program. I had the profound pleasure of working with five Fellows through that program and it was a fabulous experience – the Fellows did real work we needed to accomplish and they fit right in with the Rockefeller community. It was not until several years of working with PP55 did I learn  there was such a rich network of people and programming behind it. I had no idea!

Q: What is your background regarding nonprofits/volunteering? How have you demonstrated “Princeton in the Nation’s Service?”

I first volunteered when I was in elementary school.  My parents were always active civically and it never occurred to to me do anything else. I have found that volunteering has always added a rich dimension to my life; it keeps me connected to issues in the world and has helped me refine my own career goals and my sense of how I can contribute to a greater good. When I finished school and as my career progressed, I supplemented my volunteer nonprofit service with working directly for nonprofits.

Q: What’s the most important thing you look for when supporting an organization or serving on a nonprofit board?

I look for three things: an engaged board for whom the organization is a top priority for each director; a clear mission and plan for executing on it; and a capable management team at the helm.

Q: Please discuss the importance of what Princeton AlumniCorps does for the Princeton community and communities across the country.

AlumniCorps brings prepared and proven talent to hundreds of tasks in neighborhoods all over the US. They strengthen communities and tie them together through the AlumniCorps network and make each place bigger, more effective together than each is alone.  To me, AlumniCorps makes realizing community aspirations not only possible, but probable.

Q: For 2011-12, AlumniCorps placed 51 Project 55 fellows. What would your advice be for our newest class of PP55 fellows, and to those Princetonians who are still looking for a job next year?

In my own career I have found that my volunteer service helped both prepare me for my jobs and also helped me get jobs!  It increases knowledge, know-how and networks in a way that you just can’t get without direct experience.  It is also a great way to try on ideas you have about roles or fields of work you’re curious about but are not sure is for you. And for employers, it’s the best way to get to know how someone might perform as potential staffer.

Q: What is your hope for the future of Princeton AlumniCorps?

That we continue to get the word out and bring the benefits of AlumniCorps service to more professionals at all stages of their career – beginning middle and end.  If today’s economy proves one thing, it’s that we all need to stay engaged with a fast-changing marketplace for talent, current with changing practice and motivated through new connections with other civically oriented professionals.

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

How It Works

Princeton AlumniCorps:

·         Recruits motivated, talented alumni who want to make a substantial difference in their community by volunteering.

·         Identifies nonprofit organizations with critical, capacity building needs that can be met t

hrough short-term projects with well-defined goals.

·         Matches individual alumni volunteers with nonprofits to complete projects with measurable outcomes.

Why Alumni Participate

·         Many Princeton alumni who have extensive professional experience or who are retired have the desire and time to volunteer their skills but have not found meaningful opportunities to channel their talents.

·      They are among over 76 million baby boomers in the United States, who, on average, can anticipate 30+ years of retirement.

·      Only 22% of those 55+ see retirement as a ‘winding down’ or extended vacation.

·      AlumniCorps enables alumni to gain experience in the nonprofit sector and provide valuable, impactful services.

·       Alumni enhance their professional skills through civic engagement.

Why Organizations Participate

·         Many nonprofits lack adequate resources and are struggling to fulfill their missions.

·      Skills-based volunteers give valuable, vital support that organizations may not otherwise be able to afford.

·         Nonprofits are able to more effectively serve the community by leveraging the expertise of skills-based volunteers.

·         AlumniCorps expands the number of volunteers available to nonprofits and increases their access to the skills and expertise of Princeton alumni.

·         The program generates greater awareness of nonprofit organizations through the Princeton alumni network and through publicity within the larger community.

Click here to learn more and be connected to an alumni leader in your city!