2009 Dwight Hall Summer Fellows  

 Check out the schedule for our Summer Fellowship Seminar Series.

 
Jennifer Angarita, SM '10, Summer Fellowship Coordinator
Jennifer worked last year with Junta for Progressive Action, Inc. on immigrant rights in the workplace by helping with the development of JUNTAs Worker's Center. Ultimately, the WorkerCenter at JUNTA allows workers affected by abuses such as nonpayment of wages, discrimination, and unsafe working conditions to emerge as core leaders and stakeholders in the much needed responses to those problems. This year Jennifer is working as the summer fellowship coordinator at Dwight Hall and her major responsibilities will include organizing our weekly meetings with community leaders and supporting the fellows work throughout the summer.

Isabel Chen, SY '10, Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services  (IRIS)
As the Health and Wellness Intern at IRIS, Isabel will be working to  further develop IRIS integrated approach of advocating for patient  care, strengthening relationships with clients as she accompanies  them to their appointments, ensuring that local hospitals and  clinics are capable of conducting pro bono clinical evaluations of  patients, identifying existing programs for refugees, and coordinating her work with local translators. Isabel also aims to establish women's groups within IRIS' programs.

Joanna Linzer, PC '11, Summer Buds
Joanna is coordinating the Summer Buds program, keeping it in  operation for a fourth successive year.  Joanna will be pairing approximately 35 rising 4th - 6th graders from one of three New Haven public elementary schools with a reading tutor and mentor for  an hour and a half, two nights each week.  The program runs every Tuesday and Thursday night, 5:30-7:00PM, from June 3 - July 24^th and meets in the SlifkaCenter, located at 80 Wall Street. Summer  Buds also hosts field trips, field days, movie nights, and many  other activities.

Jeannette Penniman, BR '11, Urban Resources Initiative
Jeannette will work to expand Urban Resource Initiative's "GreenSkills" Program (which teaches job skills through city street- tree planting to at-risk high school students) to work with adult  populations. Such a work program would provide an important environmental service to New Haven, and provide underserved  populations with job-training to break the cycle of unemployment,  addiction, and incarceration.  In particular, she will look at possible collaboration with Crossroads, Inc. and other local substance- abuse treatment centers, correctional facilities, and alternative-to- incarceration program, and investigate sustainable sources of funding and various logistical designs based on existing programs around the country.

Efan Wu, SM '10, Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project -  Benefits Assistance Program

Efan aims to establish a new YHHAP project that will provide assistance to homeless and at-risk families and individuals seeking  help in attaining government benefits. Such benefits could include State-Assisted General Assistance (SAGA), Food Stamps, Emergency  Benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI/SSDI), and Social  Security.Efan developed her proposal prior to the sudden closure of  National Student Partnership's New Haven office.  Some portion of  her work this summer will likely include working with NSP's local  advisory board to reopen the organization and develop new long-term institutional relationships to provide job and housing referrals to  a walk in clientele.

Guests:

Patrick McCarthy, MC '09, Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services
Patrick is Morse College's Cahoon Summer Fellow, a position that  honors former Dwight Hall staffer Herb Cahoon through an endowed fund.  He will be working with IRIS to address health disparities in New Haven's refugee population. Patrick has compiled a women's health guide in Arabic, is working on similar versions in Spanish, Russian, and French. In addition to formalizing partnerships with local agencies that provide health services to IRIS and studying the experiences of refugees accessing healthcare in New Haven, Patrick  aims to create a formal network of experienced refugee mentors in health-related topics.

Drew Teer, MC '10, CT Job Corps
Drew is the Association of Yale Alumni's Community Service Summer  Fellow at the CT Job Corps Center in New Haven through sponsorship  from the Yale Club of New Haven.  The CT Job Corps program houses 150 residential students and another 50 non-residential students commute to and from the Center daily.  The center trains students to become skilled workers in facilities maintenance, carpentry, health occupations, stationary engineering, culinary arts, and advanced baking and pastry making. Drew will officially be working from June 8 - July 31.

Learn more about the Dwight Hall Summer Fellowship.

 Dwight Hall would like to thank the Yale Club of New Haven, Yale College Class of 1957, and Yale College Class of 1949 for their sponsorship and support of the 2009 Summer Fellowship.