Princeton Project 55 Fellowship Program 2017-18

“Just about everything our Project 55 Fellow, Andrew (above), worked on had an impact on our organization…” ~Mitchell Gill, VP External Relations, Carole Robertson Center For Learning, Chicago.

“Lexi (right) has been integrally involved in all the work our team has done in the past year...we would not have made anywhere near as much progress without her dedication and organization.” ~Stephen Wicken, Manager, Transforming Peacebuilding, Humanity United, Washington, D.C.

Through the Project 55 Fellowship Program, Princeton seniors and recent graduates are encouraged to develop greater awareness of critical social issues, explore their interest in the public sector, and discover their own capacity to bring about change. Fellows spend a year immersed in communities and public interest organizations across the United States.

The 2017-18 Project 55 Fellow at orientation in May 2017

Alumni volunteers act as mentors, organize seminars and social events, and provide a like-minded community for Fellows. Upon completion of their Fellowship year, Fellows join a community of nearly 1,900 alumni who have contributed to more than 500 partner organizations since 1990.

For the 2017-18 program year, 47 Fellows served in 40 partner organizations in six regions: Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, New York City/ Connecticut, San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, DC.

Staff implemented the second series of Seminars from Stockton, a set of webinars that build on the local curriculum by virtually connecting all Fellows across the country four times a year. Seminar topics included building a life outside the Princeton bubble, community organizing, career planning, and philanthropy.

One Project 55 Fellow, reflecting on her work with a charter school, said, “I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to engage with my students, to have worked with such thoughtful people, and to have received such strong mentorship across informal and formal lines. If I've given even a fraction of the compassion and support I've received, I would be happy, and I hope to continue giving compassion and support in the spirit of those individuals who I both taught and who taught me." Another said, “The Project 55 Program makes such a huge difference not just in the Princeton alumni community, but also in so many communities across the country… I am thankful for the advice staff provided… Having this support made a world of difference...”