By Liz Granger Contributing Writer
We can all thank Ralph Nader this time.
The 1955 Princeton University alumnus and his former classmates were chatting before their 35th reunion about how they could give back to their alma mater when he gave them an idea.
"Nader said, in effect, what Princeton needs isn't another building, but a challenge to do something useful in the real world," classmate John Fish said. "He said we can use our Rolodexes for healthcare reform and environmental work, not just for going corporate."
Nader's suggestion inspired Fish to create Princeton Project 55, the model for the NU Public Interest Program, now in its first year.
NUPIP gives recent graduates a stipend to work in non-profit organizations for a year after graduation. Participants are called fellows. NU has 14 in its first class.
Northwestern's fellows work toward systemic social change at Chicago organizations such as the Grand Victoria Foundation, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the North Lawndale Community News.
They meet with counterparts from the University of Chicago and Princeton for weekly seminars where they learn about local politics, relevant social issues and the organizations where their peers work. They are paid $2,000 a month.
Each participant is assigned an NU alum as a mentor for the transitional year after graduation, and Chicago non-profit organizations receive an employee without too much expense.
"The organizations think this is a good deal because they don't know how to attract talented young people, and seniors don't know how to be in touch with organizations," said Fish. "We're that link."
After he spoke with Nader, Fish set up Princeton's first class of Project 55 fellows in 1990 with three individuals in Chicago and three in New York. But eventually, the program increased in popularity and now, 10 percent of Princeton's senior class applies every year.
Even with strong Project 55 application numbers, eventually Fish had contacted so many organizations for possible fellowships, he wasn't able to fill them all with former students. In Chicago, for example, Fish had 30 committed groups but only 15 students to place.
Luckily, Fish met Communications professor Paul Arntson. Arntson directs NUPIP along with three students.
Last November, SESP senior Lauren Parnell, a student director, and Jon Marino, now a fellow, attended a conference at Princeton to learn about Project 55 so Northwestern could start its own version.
"There were just three of us that first year," Parnell said. "We were feeling our way through meetings, and there were bumps all along the way."
Jane Doyle, the executive director of the Center for Independent Futures, said she was very pleased with the work of her fellow, NU sociology graduate student Mary Bowmann.
"Listening to Mary talk, I've learned a lot," Doyle said. "She has an eagerness, a willingness to participate on all levels. You become more aware of the facets of your own organization through someone else exploring them so thoroughly."
Like many fellows, Bowmann said she plans to stay involved with the Center in some capacity even after her fellowship ends.
"The best part for me is when fellows write me letters who are now executive directors at non-profit organizations," Fish said. "It's easy to take a job early and end up with a dog, and car, and a wife and mortgage, but for some peo ple, taking a year off is a life-changing experience."
Reach Liz Granger at e-granger@northwestern.edu.
Northwestern University Public Interest Program
-Applications due February 15, 2006
-$20,000 to $24,000 stipend
-Spend 10-12 months in Chicago non-profits (education, environment, health care, community development, and economic development)
-Fellows are given an alumni mentor in their field of professional interest
-Weekly seminars with "policy makers, experts, and leaders from around the Chicago area"
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