Twenty-four Yale undergraduate and graduate students will devote their energies this summer to a variety of community projects as recipients of this year's President's Public Service Fellowships. These projects range from helping Elm City high school students plan their futures and providing legal advice to a neighborhood development organization to participating in a city- wide ecological beautification effort.
The students were selected from some 70 fellowship applicants based on their personal ability, interest and past community service experience. "This year's applicants possess an outstanding commitment and interest in serving the community, and we always have many more talented and civic-minded students than we can place," says Nina Glickson, assistant to the president. "The students who were selected have tremendous energy and a superb desire to be engaged in community or city projects designed to enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods."
President Richard C. Levin established the fellowship program two years ago to provide opportunities for Yale students to become involved in summer community service projects while also helping to meet the need of New Haven nonprofit and municipal agencies for dedicated individuals to assist in youth programs, government research projects, public outreach and other initiatives. They will be paid a stipend for their eight weeks of work. As President's Public Service Fellows, they will also gather regularly as a group during the summer months for meetings with civic and neighborhood leaders to discuss and learn about community issues and concerns. After completing their service, the students submit a report on their work as fellows to President Levin.
This year's President's Public Service Fellows are: Undergraduates
Eric Braverman '97 of Ezra Stiles College and Francisco del Valle '97 of Calhoun College are developing a representative network of residents to rate and analyze city services in the Office of the Chief Administrator for the City of New Haven.
Reynelle Brown '98 of Morse College and Sarah Rankin '97 of Calhoun College, working at the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Development, are studying blighted areas of the city and assisting in research and other housing projects.
Ruben Gomez '97 of Branford College is working with the New Haven Free Public Library's summer reading program for children.
Rosa Gonzalez '97 of Silliman College and Matthew Jacobs '97 of Morse College are both in the City Planning Department, working on a parks planning project and a city mapping project.
Marissa Hughes '97 of Trumbull College is assisting with the New Haven Police Services Bias Crimes Division public outreach and information campaign to educate New Haven residents about Connecticut's hate crime laws.
David Lewicki '97 of Trumbull College is serving as an assistant director for the National Youth Sports Program at Yale, which is bringing inner-city children ages 10-16 to the University for athletic and education programs.
Marysol Masse '97 of Timothy Dwight College, working in the Human Resources Administration Youth Services Department, is analyzing the youth services available to youngsters in New Haven.
Frederico Sanders '98 of Pierson College is assisting in the development and implementation of programs related specifically to the intergenerational activities and men's groups at Casa Otonal.
Jordan Siegel '97 of Timothy Dwight College is working with the Community Youth Coordinator of the New Haven Police Services Youth Bureau advising high school students on planning, preparing and following through on educational and vocational opportunities.
Kathryn Sumberg '97 of Silliman College is devoting her energies to teaching, curriculum development and academic advising at the New Haven Summerbridge program.
Stephanie Tolley '97 of Saybrook College is recording and documenting the new Footebridge program which has brought 20 six- to eight-year-old Timothy Dwight Elementary School students and their teachers to a special educational and social summer program at the Foote School.
Chi-Young Tschang '98 of Calhoun College is documenting and evaluating several arts festivals in cooperation with the Arts Council.
Graduate and professional school students
Dylan Calsyn of the Graduate School is working with Yale professors to aid the Dwight Development Corporation in developing strategies to deal with declining populations and reduced densities in their neighborhood.
Brian Gerard of the Divinity School, working at Christian Community Action CCA , will supervise the program which provides children of families living in a CCA Emergency Shelter an opportunity to engage in a variety of developmental activities.
Brett Hartman of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, working with New Haven Urban Resources Initiative, is providing technical and material support for a city-wide beautification program.
Damon Hemmerdinger of the Law School, along with colleagues in the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization's Housing and Community Development Clinic, is serving as the counsel for the Greater Dwight Development Corporation which has acquired an abandoned building from the City of New Haven.
Namrita Kapur of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies helps to run the West Rock Nature Center's summer farm program for inner-city middle school students sponsored by The New Haven Ecology Project, Inc. The students learn about both food and the environment.
Lisa Diane McGill of the Graduate School works with the Teen Council at Latino Youth Development, Inc. In addition to the work with the Teen Council, she has organized a book club featuring "Stories from El Barrio" by Piri Thomas and is conducting a series of modeling classes.
Caroline Medford of the School of Music is teaching the violin to students during or after school hours, and will teach a general music class as part of the New Haven Public School's Summer Learning Program.
Ricardo Morris of the School of Drama, the only student thus far to serve as a Fellow for the second year in a row, will continue to direct the Dwight Edgewood Program, working with students ages 10-14 on playwrighting and play production.
Louisa Thompson of the School of Drama is teaching clothing and costume construction to groups of New Haven teens, ages 12-16. She will be working with students at L.E.A.P. and with youth at the newly created arts program at the Whalley Avenue Juvenile Detention Center.