Princeton Class of 1961

Community Project Selection Criteria

The Foundation criteria used to select projects may also be used to measure the project once it is up and running, or after it has been completed. Some of the criteria lend themselves to assigning metric scores; others may be better evaluated on a non-metric basis.

ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT: An important component of a community service project is the number of classmates volunteering their time. How well does the project generate enthusiasm among classmates and families to volunteer their time?

PRINCETON NEXUS: Involvement of other Princeton alumni, faculty members, and current students is also a consideration. Does the beneficiary organization have a Princeton connection?

BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY SERVED: How much does the project benefit the community where the project takes place, and how many individuals are served?

MONEY AND HOURS SPENT PER INDIVIDUAL DIRECTLY SERVED: Weigh how many dollars and volunteer hours are spent per end recipient against the value to the community and individuals served.

TRANSFERABILITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF THE PROJECT: It is very desirable that a community service project be reproducible to others in need, and additionally desirable that the project be transferable to other organizations (classes or regional associations).

VALUE OF THE PROJECT AS A DEMONSTRATION TO OTHER UNIVERSITY GROUPS AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC: How well does the project demonstrate the value of the Princeton experience and the new motto "In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity"?

Kayla Lawrence '15 has been named a Class of 1961 Fellow. Since graduating in June 2015 with a degree in Politics and a Certificate in French, she has been serving as a member of Teach for America's New Jersey Corps. She is currently teaching 1st Grade at BelovED Community Charter School in New Jersey not too far from her home in Short Hills.

Caroline Davidsen '14 has been named a Class of 1961 Fellow. She will be teaching in a New York City school. We welcome Caroline and look forward to helping her to be the best teacher she can be. Jim Cole will be the point person for the class and Frank Wisner has agreed to help Caroline as time permits in his very busy schedule.

The Foundation hosted a campus visit on May 9th by 25 students of Esther Clovis '12, one of our current Teach For America Fellows. Our Mirror Class of '16 was instrumental in making the visit a success. In the photo along with Esther (in the white Princeton sweatshirt) are Joe and Ev Prather, Jon Hlafter, and Bob Pickens.

On May 7, 2013, Foundation trustees Mike Horn, Jim Kellogg, Ev and Joe Prather attended an event hosted by Teach For America at the Newark Museum. Teach For America founder Wendy Kopp ’89 was the featured speaker.

The Foundation has selected the proposal by Teach For America as our first community service project. The project will involve many of our classmates promoting education in a manner that reinforces the value of the Princeton experience. All of the projects that were submitted to the Foundation were carefully reviewed and evaluated by Chair Cookie Krongard and his able project selection committee.

The Foundation has selected two recent Princeton graduates who are in the Teach For America corps class of 2012 to receive Princeton Class of 1961 Fellowships. The two are Andrea Francis ‘11 (right in photo) and Esther Clovis ’12 (center in photo). Their commitment to Teach For America and their fellowships are for two years and will wrap up at the end of the academic year in 2014. The candidates were evaluated by Spence Reynolds who had the very difficult task of recommending only two from the field of superbly qualified candidates for the Fellowships.

We will be providing mentoring and funding to Andrea and Esther. Our classmates will be offered the opportunity to visit classes all over the country where Teach For America teachers are teaching, and to participate in a meaningful way.

Jim Kellogg and Joe Prather went to Princeton to meet the candidates for the fellowships. President Tilghman spoke to the importance of Teach For America’s mission, and congratulated the newly accepted Princeton students &ndash noting that it was more difficult to get accepted by Teach For America than to be accepted by Princeton.

The trustees have become more and more convinced that the Foundation selected the best project possible by teaming up our class with Teach For America. The impact of what we are doing will be big on the students of our two Fellows, and just as big on our classmates.

Suggestions for projects that meet the Foundation criteria from undergraduates are welcome. In addition, the Foundation welcomes suggestions for suitable projects from the Princeton faculty, 1961 classmates, and any other interested parties. To propose a project, please fill out and submit the below form to the Project Selection Committee: