Since
2004,
414
CC
students
and
alumni
have
been
selected
for
the
Colorado
College
Public
Interest
Fellowship
Program.
PIFP
connects
these
students
and
alumni
with
nonprofit
organizations
in
Colorado
Springs
and
Denver
through
paid
summer
and
yearlong
fellowships
that
provide
students
with
real-world
working
experience
for
organizations
that
address
social
issues,
focus
on
systemic
change,
and
are
innovative.
Nina
Roumell
'13
is
a
former
fellow
who
now
serves
on
the
PIFP
Advisory
Council.
After
graduating
from
CC
in
2013,
Roumell
worked
as
a
yearlong
strategic
engagement
fellow
at
the
Colorado
Consumer
Health
Initiative.
At
the
time,
the
Patient
Protection
and
Affordable
Care
Act
was
rolling
out,
and
one
of
Roumell's
duties
was
to
encourage
the
Millennial
generation
to
enroll.
"We did a campaign called 'Got Insurance?' based on the iconic 1990s marketing campaign, 'Got Milk?' It made national news," says Roumell.
The successful campaign was expanded to appeal to other audiences. The fellowship helped her develop her work interests and figure out where her skills and passion fit in the nonprofit world.
Since then, she has turned to the community of PIFP alumni for career advice and support.
"Toward the end of my fellowship, when I was certain of my commitment to social justice but unclear on my role, I met with PIFP mentors who listened, offered advice, and connected me to others. That led to a two-year role as research analyst at the Colorado Health Institute. The PIFP community will always be there ready to support and guide me."
As
part
of
the
PIFP
Advisory
Council,
she
contributes
to
the
program's
strategic
direction,
interviews
potential
fellows,
and
mentors
current
fellows.
After
having
the
opportunity
to
explore
the
nonprofit
sector
through
the
PIFP
program,
Roumell
has
found
her
niche
as
the
development
and
communications
officer
at
The
GrowHaus,
a
nonprofit
in
north
Denver
working
on
healthy
food
access.
Parks Operations Administrator Brian Kates '93 works with Meadows Park Community Center, which is part of the greater Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Service Department within the City of Colorado Springs. Altogether, he has hired six PIFP fellows since 2014. Each fellow works 400 hours during the summer high season. They each have taken on very different projects, including GIS mapping, reviewing city policies, and introducing STEM programming at summer day camps for children. Last year, a PIFP fellow was instrumental in gathering data on the feasibility of implementing a bus shuttle along Pikes Peak Highway to reduce traffic flow and a pilot program called Motorless Mondays in Garden of the Gods, which offers exclusive hours to pedestrians during select hours of park operation.
"What we try to do is take students' abilities, talents, and interests - most of which are tied to their concentration and major at CC - and find that area of focus within our department, because there's no shortage of work to be done. Based on exit interviews with each of the fellows on their last day when their fellowship has been completed, they left feeling fulfilled, like they understand what the community is like, what government is like, and the importance of things like policy, communication, strategy planning - which you don't necessarily get in a classroom," says Kates.
When he was a CC student, most students who wanted to intern were left to create their own internship experiences. He's pleased that today the college helps students make these career connections so that it's easier for graduating students to find work in Colorado Springs through the networks they've already built.
"This is a very valuable partnership that filled a major need we had. We lost about 25 percent of our workforce in the economic downturn in 2010. When we started working with PIFP in 2014, we were just barely starting to recover. A lot of those positions still haven't returned, yet the population has grown and the number of services needed has grown. So, it's been imperative that we find these kinds of opportunities for projects that would have been placed on the shelf indefinitely and have a summer fellow undertake them and contribute at a very high level," says Kates.
PIFP fellowships depend on funding generated from private gifts. To learn more about PIFP and funding opportunities, contact Shannon Balmer '96 at (719) 389-7665 or sbalmer@coloradocollege.edu.
Learn how Colorado College is pursuing its mission and achieving an even greater future through Building on the Block: The Colorado College Plan and how generous donors are bringing it to life through Building on Originality: The Campaign for Colorado College.