The Boston PP55 program has had an exciting spring! On February 29, members of the Boston AlumniCorps community visited the Lawrence Community Day Charter School, where Ben Stone ’11 is currently a fellow, to learn about the school and to sign up for reading groups for children.  On March 27, Megan Trombly, the Director of Process Improvement and Knowledge at Strong Women, Strong Girls, led a seminar for PP55 and Harvard CPIC fellows.  Entitled “The Process of Developing and Sustaining a Nonprofit Organization,” Trombly’s seminar focused on her work in building and implementing strategies, systems, and processes to support the growth and best practices for all branch activities of her
organization.

 Chicago

The Chicago PP55 community continues to have a busy and engaging seminar schedule.  Together with University of Chicago and Northwestern PIP fellows, the Chicago PP55 fellows have learned from leaders in Chicago’s nonprofit and public interest sectors.  Highlights include: Bill Farrow, President & CEO of Urban Partnership Bank; Ed Shurma, Executive Director of Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; and Sharon Fairley ’82, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Candace Jackson ’00, U.S. Public Defender.

As always, members of current partner organizations have contributed their knowledge and expertise to the seminar series.  Mary Visconti, CEO of Better Boys Foundation, where Laura Martindale ’11 is currently a fellow, spoke about the mission and goals of the organization, which seeks to provide care and support for children in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

Connecticut

The Connecticut branch of the Princeton AlumniCorps community continues to receive outstanding support from Harry Berkowitz ’55.  PP55 fellows have joined New York fellows for their monthly seminars and have gathered throughout the year at the homes of Connecticut-area alumni.

As part of her work at Housing Development Fund, Tiffany Lee ’11 recently planned an event in Hartford, CT entitled “Energy Smart Solutions: A Megacommunity Solution.” This two-day conference brought together 80 leaders from government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits to tackle residential energy efficiency in Connecticut.  Tiffany writes that “the event was a huge success…the participants really immersed themselves in the Simulation and they were excited and motivated to take the insights they learned from the two-day event and to do something in the months to come.”

New York

Spring has finally come to New York!  New York PP55 fellows have been excited by the changing season and the great opportunities it has provided to explore the city.  Fellows continue to come together for interesting and informative seminars and for fun fellowship gatherings. In April, an Education Seminar featured a moderated panel discussion with Marc Sternberg ’95, NYC Deputy Chancellor of Schools, Thackston Lundy, Chief of Staff of the Relay Graduate School of Education, and Stephanie Greenberg ’04, 8th grade teacher at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School.

In May, the New York fellows attended a Press and the Politics seminar moderated by Judy Hole Suratt s’55 with panelists Sarah Dutton, the Director of Surveys for CBS News; State Senator Liz Krueger; Andrew Romano ’04, a Senior Writer at Newsweek; Adam Frankel ’03, the Executive Director of Digital Promise; and Bill Plante, the White House Correspondent for CBS News.

 Philadelphia

The Breaking the Cycle of Violence Panel was organized by the PP55 Philadelphia Area Committee in collaboration with the Princeton Club of Philadelphia

 Fellows in Philadelphia participated in Global Net Night, coordinated by Katie Thaeder ’09, for the March seminar.  The theme was “Developing Your Personal Brand,” and the group learned about networking skills from Sandy Mannix p’12. The Philadelphia AlumniCorps community continues to actively partner with the Princeton Club of Philadelphia.  In March, Joseph Sengoba ’10 put together an event at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where he is currently a PP55 fellow.  The seminar was entitled “Breaking the Cycle of Violence” and focused on the criminal justice system in Philadelphia.  The forum featured a   keynote address by Seth Williams, the District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia, as well as a panel composed of leaders in the Philadelphia criminal justice community, including Assistant Chief of Appeals Larry Goode ’84.  

San Francisco Bay Area

According to Julie Rubinger ’09, the newly elected Bay Area Coordinator, the Bay Area fellows have been busy with seminars and keeping up with the responsibilities of their fellowship positions.  On February 27, the Princeton Project 55 fellows came together with fellows from Harvard CPIC and Stanford SPIN for a site visit to the UCSF Breast Care Center.  The current fellows who work at the center (Matthew Salesi ’11, Yici Zheng ’11, and Alyse Wheelock ’11) gave presentations on the projects that they are working on, and then gave a walk-through of the hospital. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to see firsthand what research projects the UCSF fellows were engaged in.

Washington, DC

Emily Silk ’10 reports one of the highlights of the DC AlumniCorps social calendar this spring was a sports outing, organized by the fellows, to see the Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons at the Verizon Center. The fellows, along with their guests and fellows from Dartmouth and Harvard, were treated to an exciting, down-to-the-wire game. Unfortunately, the Pistons eked out a victory on a last-second shot—but the fellows still managed to win free Chick-fil-A sandwiches, see Michael Phelps in the stands, and have a great time. Overall, then, the experience was quite a success despite another loss for the Wizards!

The fellow seminar series has also continued in full force this spring.  In February, Justin Smith ’90 hosted fellows at the US Department of Justice for a discussion of public service in the environmental sector.  Fellows met three panelists with expertise ranging from law to science to policy, who spoke both about their current work and their career trajectories.  In addition, fellows enjoyed a short tour of the USDOJ at the end of the seminar.

March saw the fellows at the National Postal Museum, where Washington & Lee fellowship coordinator and TAN (The Alumni Network) affiliate John Nolan led an engaging seminar on great leadership in the social sector. Having read Jim Collins’ Good to Great and the Social Sectors, fellows came to the table prepared for a lively discussion with John and two local nonprofit leaders about the challenges and   opportunities of working in the nonprofit sector.

Hear PP55 Fellows’ Stories from Around the Nation!

Visit:

pp55fellows.blogspot.com

Keystone Society Charter Members Mike Robbins '55, John Hamilton '55, Chet Safian '55, John Fish '55, George Hackl '55, Jim Gregoire '69, Steve Boyd '55, Harry Berkowitz '55, and Bill Leahy '66.

On February 26, Princeton AlumniCorps held the first annual Keystone Society Breakfast. Members of this forward-thinking group have committed to ensuring the stability and long-term health of Princeton AlumniCorps by making a planned gift to the organization. We were delighted to honor Charter Members of the Keystone Society, and to include many others without whom Princeton AlumniCorps would not be the organization it is today.

Ten of the Society’s 21 members attended the event, where many shared their reasons for making a bequest to Princeton AlumniCorps, and their hopes for the future of the organization. Jim Gregoire ’69 told us: “Jane and I consider Princeton AlumniCorps to be a part of our extended family. There seems to us no better way to help ensure the sustainability of this great organization than making it a part of our planned giving. I am proud to stand with all of you today, as a member of the Keystone Society.”

John Fish ’55, a Keystone Society member and Chair of the Board of Directors, spoke about how much Princeton AlumniCorps has grown from its humble but ambitious beginnings. He shared: “AlumniCorps has made great progress towards sustainability beyond the founding class of ’55. Today, we are supported by members of more than 60 Princeton classes, from ’55 to ’11 and have four thriving programs for alumni of all ages.”

Each member was presented with a Keystone Society lapel pin, a handsome badge of honor. As well as being able to take great pride in assuring the sustainability of Princeton AlumniCorps, Keystone Society members enjoy invitations to exclusive events, free admission to all ticketed AlumniCorps events, recognition in organizational communications, and more.

To learn more about the Keystone Society, please contact Executive Director Kathleen Reilly at kreilly@alumnicorps.orgor 609.921.8808 ext. 2. Please let us know if you have already included Princeton AlumniCorps in your will, we would like to thank and recognize you for your gift. 

Jim Farrin '58, Walter Fortson, and Natasha Japanwala '14

On April 26^th, Princeton AlumniCorps welcomed more than 30 guests to its inaugural Turning Point panel entitled “From Princeton to Prison to Purpose: The Story of Walter Fortson, Jim Farrin ’58, Natasha Japanwala ’14 and the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program.” Turning Point, a Community Volunteers initiative, brings together speakers with inspiring stories about what drives their passion for service. Each panel highlights a specific issue or need in the community.

Walter Fortson discussed his incarceration in a New Jersey state prison, and what sparked his desire to turn   his life around. Rutgers University Professor Donald Roden started a program to help inmates enroll as university students and took an interest in Walter.  “That was the first time in a long time that anybody had looked at me as a human being,” Walter said. “The compassion in his eyes for me really let me know that I had a second chance. That’s something I [will] never forget.”

Since his release, Walter has been admitted to Rutgers University, where he received the 2010 Rutgers Academic Excellence award, and was recently named a Truman Scholar. He has dedicated himself not only to improving his life, but also to helping others in similar situations turn their lives around.

Charlie Puttkammer ’58 founded the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance   Program which is dedicated to bringing Princeton students and community members to local prisons to tutor inmates. Charlie reached out to his classmate, Jim Farrin ‘58, to help run the program. While Jim was hesitant at first, a fortuitous encounter between his wife and a prison chaplain at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility made Jim realize this was an opportunity to give back in a very significant way. Jim met with Al Kandell, Administrator at A.C. Wagner.  Jim recalls Al saying to him, “We need Princeton volunteers, and I can tell by looking at you, Jim, that you’re going to bring them.”

The next fall, volunteers from Princeton University began tutoring at the prison. Of the volunteers he has worked with, Jim said, “These young Princeton students… have such a wonderful sense of mission.” Now, as Jim looks to expand the Petey Greene Program to other universities and prisons, he and Walter have teamed up to start a program at Rutgers. AlumniCorps is seeking a community volunteer to help with this expansion plan.

Natasha Japanwala ’14 is a current volunteer with the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance program. She discussed her experience as a tutor with the program, as well as leading a Breakout Princeton trip to a women’s correctional facility in Oklahoma. “I feel like every time I go to a prison, I help someone in a small way,” Natasha said. “And to be very honest, I think they help me more than I help them. . . It’s been such a huge part of my education.”

Check out a video of the panel discussion or view a slideshow of the event.

For more information on the Community Volunteers program and to see current opportunities, please visit the program website at www.alumnicorps.org, or contact Rachel Benevento, Community Volunteers Program Manager at rbenevento@alumnicorps.org and keep an eye out for our next Turning Points program in the early Fall.

Julie Rubinger '09

Julie Rubinger ’09 recently accepted the position of Area Coordinator for the San Francisco Bay Area region of the AlumniCorps community. Julie is currently a PP55 fellow at NewSchools Venture Fund in San Francisco, CA and was a fellow at Education Through Music in New York, NY from 2010-2011.

In the following interview, Julie talks about her PP55 Fellowship experience and explains why she decided to take on a more active role in the AlumniCorps community.

Share a bit about your PP55 Fellowship Program experience: What inspired you to become a fellow?  What kind of work have you been doing?

My senior year at Princeton coincided with the Obama presidential campaign, and it was a very exciting time on campus. Politics aside, Obama’s campaign empowered students like me to believe that we can make a difference in society. I knew that as a first step in my career, I wanted to work for a social cause. The Project 55 Fellowship program provided exactly what I was looking for, and I feel very fortunate to have been placed at Education Through Music in New York City, where I helped with their fundraising efforts. At Education Through Music, I gained exposure to the public education landscape in New York City, and worked with impressive individuals at a well-run, highly impactful organization. After two years there, I moved to San Francisco but stayed within the AlumniCorps community to join the development team at NewSchools Venture Fund. Here, I’m working on building a community of investors and raising philanthropic dollars so that we can support innovative entrepreneurs around the country who are improving public education for low-income students. It was a huge change moving from New York City to San Francisco, but I immediately fell in love with the Bay Area. The welcome I received from the Princeton community, as well as my supportive colleagues at NewSchools, helped me acclimate quickly to the new city, new job, and new life in San Francisco.

What motivated you to become the San Francisco Bay Area Coordinator?

I was involved in the New York Area Committee during my second year in New York City, and I really enjoyed working with others on the committee to support the fellows and give them a great experience. I had great mentors in New York, such as Chet Safian ’55, whose service to the fellowship program I found very inspiring. The AlumniCorps community in San Francisco is smaller, but I quickly learned that there are many phenomenal Princeton alumni here in the Bay Area that are doing really interesting work, and are eager to mentor and support the fellows. Next year, I am excited to involve more alums in the activities and programs of the fellowship program, and help give the fellows a great all-around experience.

With the well timed suggestion of a friend, I applied to PP55 AlumniCorps fellowship days before the deadline where I was eventually placed at North Lawndale Employment Network on Chicago’s West Side. But if it hadn’t been for a heavy dose of luck my future may well have been radically different. That’s why, when Bryan Locasio 11’ and Niklas Peters 11’ suggested I join their nascent project to develop a one-stop-shop web resource for Princeton students seeking jobs in the public interest, I leapt at the opportunity. What developed out of a long string of e-mails from recent grads all over the planet is nationsservice.org.

The website features a searchable and sortable list of internships, fellowships and job opportunities; self-written biographies by users describing their successes and challenges in public interest fields; along with tips and hints to find a job that fits. Constructed using a wiki format, users contribute resources and information that they value. Still new, we hope to build lasting relationships with a host of institutions as diverse as college career services across the country to social enterprises specializing in headhunting non-profit professionals.

This all volunteer effort, spearheaded by Princeton alums, is spreading to other campuses. Our greatest challenge now is managing sustainable growth as we increase the resources we offer and create a stronger support network for individuals seeking a career in public interest. If you’re interested in finding out more, writing a bio or even joining our team, feel free to contact me at michael.julius.collins@alumni.princeton.edu.

By Michael Collins ’11

Emerging Leaders Class of 2012

Members of the nonprofit community gathered in Washington, D.C. on March 13th to celebrate the success of the Emerging Leaders program’s first year. AlumniCorps board and staff members, participants’ employers, mentors and family members joined other supporters to congratulate the 2012 class of Emerging Leaders. Within three intimate groups, participants shared the ways that the program has changed their professional lives. Attendees were inspired to hear firsthand the exponential impact this program has achieved in just one year. As one participant said, “This program didn’t just transform eleven individuals. It transformed the workings of at least eleven nonprofit organizations in DC, and it will continue to improve how effectively those different organizations serve their employees and their community moving forward.”

The celebration culminated a series of monthly sessions facilitated by an executive coach and featuring executive-level guest speakers within the nonprofit sector along with skill development activities. The Emerging Leaders implemented these learned skills in their work, and acted as role models for their peers. The program is expanding to New York in its second year, set to begin in June. The nonprofit professionals who recently completed the program are helping to fill a significant leadership gap within the sector as AlumniCorps Board President Kathy Miller ’77 noted: “A recent extensive study by the Meyer Foundation and Compass, Daring to Lead 2011, found that two thirds of nonprofit executives plan to leave their jobs within five years.”

An Emerging Leader summed up her gratitude for the program. “This is a phenomenal experience that is easily worth 10 times what our organizations contributed to support this work. I hope your work is able to expand to support even beyond NY, as I found this immensely helpful to my personal and professional growth. Thank you!”

Emerging Leaders participant and Alumni Liaison Kyndall Parker ’06 announced an alumni fundraising effort with a goal of securing $10,000 by June 30, 2012. If you would like to support Emerging Leaders continued growth please donate now:

Congratulations to the Class of 2012 Emerging Leaders!

 “From Princeton to Prison to Purpose: The Story of Walter Fortson, Jim Farrin ’58, Natasha Japanwala ’14 and the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program.”

Click here to RSVP by Monday, April 23.

Thursday, April 26, 7 pm – 8:30 pm

Princeton AlumniCorps, 12 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ

 While serving time for drug offenses at Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility in Annandale, NJ, Walter Fortson focused on personal reflection and self-improvement. After his release from detention, Fortson was admitted to Rutgers University, where he is currently an honors student and recipient of the Rutgers 2010 Academic Excellence Award.  Walter was also recently named a Truman Scholarship recipient. Fortson’s goal is to research and understand nutrition and obesity in the prison population, the risk factors involved and steps needed to adapting healthier lifestyles behind bars.

Meanwhile, in the fall of 2007, Jim Farrin ‘58 received a call from a Princeton classmate, Charlie Puttkammer; Charlie had some money that he wanted to give through the Rockefeller foundation to start a program at Princeton which would take Princeton students to a prison. Jim, skeptical at first, explained that he would try to help, but that he was “too busy”. A few hours later, Jim’s wife attended a reunion where she met a man from the Wagner Correctional Facility who was desperately looking for volunteers. Jim became convinced that this coincidence was “much bigger than him, it was divine providence at work.” This was an amazing opportunity for him to apply his life motto: give back. Thus began the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program, which recruits and trains Princeton students and towns people to be effective tutors and teachers in nearby prisons to improve inmate abilities in reading, writing and math. The program also seeks to raise awareness on the need for criminal justice and prison reform.

Walter Fortson and Jim Farrin are working together to expand Petey Greene to other universities like Rutgers and are actively recruiting volunteers. In the first of its Turning Point series, Princeton AlumniCorps welcomes both Walter and Jim to speak to our guests about their experiences.

Natasha Japanwala ‘14 is a Petey Greene volunteer and led a Princeton Breakout trip focused on female incarceration in Oklahoma. She will share how these experiences have deepened her perspective and contributed to her own career trajectory. Natasha is a writer, currently studying English at Princeton University.

Learn

-       More about Jim Farrin ’58 and the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program

-       More about Walter Fortsen

-       Become a Petey Greene Community Volunteer

Act

Turning Point is sponsored by the AlumniCorps Community Volunteers program, and features speakers with inspiring stories that drove their passion for service. Community Volunteers connects similarly inspired Princeton alumni with organizations that are in need of volunteers with professional experience. To learn more about the Community Volunteers program and to see a list of our current opportunities, please visit our Community Volunteers page or e-mail Rachel Benevento, Community Volunteers Program Manager at RBenevento@alumnicorps.org.

Dustin Sproat '06, Founder and Executive Director of HP4K

Dustin Sproat, a professional hockey player and ’06 graduate of Princeton University, has many passions.  Throughout his youth, Sproat spent years developing his hockey skills, which he brought to Princeton as a four-year member of the varsity hockey team.  Graduating in 2006 with a Chemical Engineering degree, Sproat took a brief break from hockey to work as a chemical engineer for Keyera Energy in Calgary.  However, he could not give up his passion for hockey so, beginning in 2008, Sproat relaunched his hockey career as a member of the Fresno Falcons, where PU alums Daryl Marcoux ’07, Grant Goeckner-Zoeller ’07, and Kyle Hagel ’08 were all playing

Playing professional hockey means being on the road a great deal of the time, so Sproat made a commitment to become involved in the communities in which he was living.  Together with many of his previous teammates, including NHL veterans and PU alums Jeff Halpern ’99, George Parros ’03, and Darroll Powe ’07, Sproat began to seek out public service opportunities in his local community.  When the Falcons folded halfway through the 2008-09 season, Sproat and his teammates were spread across the country, but their commitment to involvement in their local communities remained.  In March 2009, Sproat along with 6 other PU alums came together to cofound Hockey Players for Kids (HP4K), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping professional hockey players positively impact the communities they play in by connecting players with kids in their communities.

HP4K Members with Campers at Camp Oochigeas in Muskoka, ON.

Beginning with just 10 co-founders in five cities, HP4K now features 70 members in more than 25 cities worldwide.  HP4K has had a wide-reaching impact, starting with “Stick to Reading,” an incentive-based reading competition for elementary and middle school students in which the winners can play floor hockey with professional hockey players.  Other initiatives include “Give Moore for the Holidays” and involvement with local afterschool programs, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  Many of the programs are initiated by the players themselves, which gives them the opportunity to take ownership for the meaningful work they are doing.

Sproat has served as HP4K’s Executive Director while playing hockey for the Cincinnati Cyclones.  He spends much of his time following, promoting, and encouraging HP4K activities, as well as initiating community service opportunities in Cincinnati.  As a hockey player, PU graduate, and person committed to community involvement, Sproat serves as an example of a person who combined his passions into a public service initiative that is meaningful and far-reaching.

HP4K is currently looking for a new Executive Director.  Click here for a link to the job description.

Joseph Sengoba '10 with panelists Laurie Malone, Sherry Hunter, Larry Goode '84, and Everett Gillison

On Wednesday, March 21, the Princeton Club of Philadelphia gathered for a special forum on crime reduction in Philadelphia.  Entitled “Breaking the Cycle of Violence,” the forum was put together by current PP55 Fellow, Joseph Sengoba ’10.  The forum featured a keynote address by Seth Williams, the District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia.  Williams spoke about the changes he has made during his two-year tenure as District Attorney as well as his vision for an effective DA’s office.  One of his goals has been to implement community-wide partnerships to address the challenges facing Philadelphia.  In addition, at the core of his strategy on crime prevention is the belief that it is the certainty, and not the severity, of punishment that deters crime and reduces recidivism.   With this in mind, Williams has recently implemented several community-based diversion programs for low-risk and non-violent offenders that are intended to provide these individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in their communities while providing an overall reduction in the crime rate.

The forum also featured a panel, composed of leaders in the Philadelphia criminal justice community, that provided a variety of perspectives on the issue of breaking the cycle of violence in Philadelphia.  Panelists included Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Chief of Staff for Mayor Nutter Everett Gillison, Executive Director of Center City Crime Victim Services Sherry Hunter, Assistant Chief of Appeals Larry Goode ’84, and Deputy District Attorney Laurie Malone.  Touching on issues such as poverty, failing schools, and broken communities, each panelist spoke from his/her experience to outline the efforts of the criminal justice community to change the trajectory of Philadelphia’s most disadvantaged citizens.

The overall takeaway from the evening was that in many places, Philadelphia’s communities are broken and in order to tackle the many public safety challenges they face, its citizens need to become more accountable to each other.

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