Winter 2013
Volume 16, Number 1
Aspen Institute Honors Rainah Berlowitz ’97 for Arts Education Work Rainah Berlowitz ’97 has been working with Education Through Music (ETM) since his Project 55 fellowship placement in 1997. He now serves as the Director of Operations and last year he was awarded a prestigious Fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders from the Aspen Institute. We recently talked to him about his work, AlumniCorps, and the Aspen Institute fellowship. You have been working with ETM for more than 15 years, beginning as a PP55 fellow. What has motivated you to continue you work for social change through ETM? I believe that education - which to me includes music and arts education - is critical to helping all people reach their full potential. I was fortunate to have
music class in elementary school, but it was always presented as “extracurricular.” It didn’t bother me so much at the time, but in high school my questions about how the world worked were less about what and how and more about why. Then music and art became much more important. I began studying them more or less independently, because in high school they were deemed even less “curricular” than in elementary school. After a while, I stopped seeing music and art as being divided from other subjects. Seeing connections helped me learn things more quickly and made everything I learned more useful and meaningful. At the heart of ETM’s mission is the idea that learning in music supports learning in general, and that it provides the most transferable benefits when taught as a
core discipline. It was the right fit. I continue my nonprofit work in part because I believe our vision is achievable, that all children in the US can have access to a high-quality music education, and I want to see it through to the best of my ability. It’s challenging work that I enjoy. And to be honest, I also continue here because of the leadership of our Executive Director Katherine Damkohler, who has been here since I started; the support of our (continued on page 2)
Emerging Leaders is Now Accepting Applications!
In This Issue: 1-2
Spotlight: Rainah Berlowitz ’97
1&3
Emerging Leaders Celebrate
4
A Fellow’s Experience
5
Listening to Our Partner Organizations
6-7
Regional Updates
Emerging Leaders Expansion Year Ends with DC and NYC Celebrations In January, members of the nonprofit community gathered in Washington, DC and New York City to congratulate the newly graduated Emerging Leaders Class of 2013. AlumniCorps Board and staff members, participants, employers, mentors, family members, and other supporters helped to celebrate the success of the program. The receptions on January 11th and 17th culminated the second year of the program in Washington, DC and the first year in New York. Beginning in June 2012, participants gathered for monthly sessions featuring skill development activities, peer and facilitator coaching, and discussions with nonprofit executives who shared their expertise and insights. Emerging Leaders participants implemented their learned skills and leadership competencies through stretch projects designed in collaboration with their employers. The program’s goal is to build the
capacity of the nonprofit sector to address complex public issues by equipping talented young managers with training, experiences, and relationships that will launch them into leadership roles. Addressing the attendees of both the New York and DC celebrations, Princeton AlumniCorps President Kathy Miller ’77 detailed the goals of the program. “We help very talented young nonprofit managers grow into confident, skillful, and resilient leaders with more support, tools and practical knowledge than is available on the job, and with access to insights and connections they couldn’t easily reach.” She noted that the program’s emphasis on collaboration and networking within each cohort generates connections and partnerships that continue to serve participants and prevent isolation after they leave the program. In discussing what she gained from (continued on page 3)