From New York City to Haiti: a PSSP Alumna Changing the Lives of Children K

Volume 31 • Summer 2010 From New York City to Haiti: A PSSP Alumna changing the lives of children PSSP Alumna Kimber Bogard imber Bogard considers it her poorest and least developed countries. can support the operation of their K civic duty to make a difference They identified the critical needs as partnership. Fluent in French, Kimber K and effect change. Right now, health care, nutrition and education has been able to speak with children she has her sights on the poorest and decided upon an integrated model and parents to learn first-hand about children in Haiti. Kimber, an expert of high quality schooling and health their needs. With the strong input of in early childhood development, is service delivery that is sustainable Mila, they are adapting their model of a imbued with a determination to use her and replicable. Through their nonprofit school/health clinic to the culture and experience to make a large long-lasting organization, called Partners for a practices of Haiti’s people. impact. Bright and Healthy Haiti, they seek to work across borders and sectors to The January earthquake increased the Working through a partnership she enable currently underserved Haitian urgency of the work. Fifty percent of created with a Haitian-born physician, children to become bright and healthy Haiti’s schools were rendered useless which works with a team of extraordinary citizens of the world. and health care needs have risen professionals, she is seeking a better significantly. While Kimber and Mila at life for Haiti’s children. This undertaking, The organization works on a simple first were hurrying to develop schools which involves frequent trips to Haiti, is concept — children cannot learn if and open operation in a tent if need be, of course, in addition to her regular job they are hungry or unhealthy. Kimber they realized time was needed to create and life with her own family. envisions a new generation of Haitians who think globally and act locally, Continued on page three In an interview, Kimber said that a something that the current educational defining moment was meeting Dr. Mila system cannot foster. Gauvin, medical Director of Preferred Health Partners in Brooklyn. They met Kimber has made many visits to Haiti in through their daughters, who attended the last year, visiting schools, health the same school in New York. When clinics and hospitals and meeting they found they shared similar beliefs with people and organizations that and had complementary expertise, in 2009 they formed a partnership to help children in Haiti, one of the world’s During her March visit to Haiti, Kimber Bogard photographed children and families from an orphanage in Jacmel, a city highly impacted by the January earthquake. Partners for a Bright and Healthy Haiti intend to replicate their school/health clinic model in Jacmel. (more photos on page three) A view from the diRectoR’s chaiR by Elaine M. Walsh, Ph.D. n every issue of News & Views, found their niche in the public beginning to flourish. Five scholars I we highlight the career and sector and are making a difference have been hired by their placement I public service achievements of professionally and through service agencies and will begin contributing as alumni. In this issue, we chose to efforts. Kimber, Susan, Sophia and employees this summer. Six scholars capture more detail from alumni to Amarilys are examples of why our will pursue graduate degrees in law, better illustrate their successes and program continues to be important social work, education, urban planning give justice to their public service and relevant to the future of our and anthropology in the fall. This past work. We applaud their efforts and communities. Our society is better off year’s cohort is leaving the program commitment to the field. because of these women. with a stronger work ethic, self- confidence and assurance of their Our alumna Kimber Bogard, featured On page sevenw, I am happy to share career path and goals. on the cover, defines public service. with you key findings from our recent She has had an unwavering focus on alumni survey. This tool is yet another I remain very thankful to all of our making an impact in the early childhood way to see the success of the program donors, many of whom are alumnae. On development field to help all children model as alumni report the influence page six, I am honored to acknowledge thrive. Her motivation to give back and we had on their career achievements in every individual, organization and use her years of education and training the public sector. It is my hope that foundation that made a donation to to improve the lives of Haitian children more alumni will reinvest their time in support our scholars since June 2009. makes me proud to call her an alumnae. the program and volunteer as mentors, Your contribution is an investment in a I am thrilled to feature her on our cover guest speakers or join our advisory generation determined to find a new as an exemplary public servant, doing board. Their shared experiences way serving the community. Our her civic duty, as you will read in are invaluable to our current class program prospers due to our supporters, the article. of scholars. mentors, agency partners and dedicated faculty. Thank you. We also highlight alumnae Susan Chin, As this newsletter goes to print and the Sophia Clark and Amarilys Estrella on program year ends, the public service pages four and five. These women have careers of our 2010 scholars are dedicated to oUR missioN The Public Service Scholar Program, a leadership program, seeks to improve our cities and the lives of people by preparing talented undergraduates for careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. Housed in the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning at Hunter College, the 18-credit, full academic year program gives these students, especially women and minority- group members, an opportunity to explore public service through internships in government agencies, legislative offices and nonprofit organizations. Scholars participate in academic seminars on city government and public policy. The PSSP receives external funds to support the program, including funding for stipends for our scholars. Without this help, our students could not participate. Major funding for the PSSP is provided through the generosity of the Ann S. Kheel Charitable Fund, Helena Rubinstein Foundation, the Estate of Dorothy Epstein, and the United Way of New York City, along with generous support from New York Assembly Members Herman D. Farrell, Jr., Micah Z. Kellner, Deborah Glick, Richard N. Gottfried, and Brian P. Kavanagh, New York State Senator Liz Krueger, and New York State Senator Eric Schneiderman. 2 From NYC to Haiti Continued from front cover a full-service school providing health, knew her career path would be in early education and race and ethnicity. She nutrition, and education services. They childhood development. It was not until is also a consultant to organizations, plan to create the first of their projected her time in the Public Service Scholar such as Yale University Schools of the three schools in Port-au-Prince in the Program and through her internship 21st Century and the W.K. Kellogg summer of 2011. They will work to at Child Care, Inc. (this later became Foundation, that seek assistance with improve the model in terms of quality Center for Children’s Initiatives) that program development or research and cost effectiveness and then she realized her ability to influence strategies to improve education for replicate it twice. A research project policy and affect the lives of many children. She somehow finds time to will be part of the model and the children would depend on working lend her support and expertise as an results should encourage replication at the intersection of research, policy advisory board member for the throughout Haiti and in other countries. and practice. nonprofit organization Homes for the Homeless, in addition to serving as It is a vast project and Kimber is Kimber pursued this track with vigor, a board member at the Center for thankful to the more than 50 acquiring the education and experience Children’s Initiatives. professionals from various disciplines — to get closer to her goal of changing they live in the United States and risk trajectories for underserved Kimber is a mother of two young elsewhere — who are contributing to the children. She obtained multiple degrees children. Her family is her priority, thus organization and making suggestions in psychology, most recently a Ph.D. in she is challenged with balancing work, about the model. Everyone involved is a applied developmental psychology from service efforts and family. She explains volunteer, including Kimber and Mila. Fordham University. She has won such that the key to her juggling act is They will soon strategically approach esteemed awards such as a fellowship staying organized on a daily basis foundations identified as prospective from the Clark Foundation to work full- and carving out uninterrupted time partners in the development and growth time in a nonprofit organization while adequate for the different tasks outside of the organization. completing a master of arts degree. the home. Her family takes precedence. She was a graduate fellow and Putting Through her other activities, she says, When asked why she is undertaking Children First Fellow, awards given by she hopes to instill values of philanthropy such a monumental project, Kimber the Foundation for Child Development in her children so that they grow up to says it is her civic duty. “I have trained while she was at the Teachers College be global citizens. much of my life to do just this,” she at Columbia University.

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