President's Office, BCSL Announce 2016 President Public Service Fellows

OBERLIN—This summer, five Oberlin College students will work with local nonprofit and public sector agencies offering programs focused on youth empowerment, leadership, and ecological and economic justice as part of the third annual President’s Public Service Fellowship (PPSF) program. Over the course of the 11-week program, the fellows will work full time at their sites and meet weekly with the program director for workshops and additional training.

PPSF was established in 2014 in response to a community-expressed need for more free summer opportunities that meaningfully and purposefully engage local underserved youth and in response to an Oberlin College student-expressed desire for funded opportunities to stay in town over the summer and support local nonprofit organizations and community programs. The program is directed by Tania Boster, student leadership programs director at the Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning
, and made possible with funding from the Office of the President.

“We are so proud of the students who make such an impact on the Oberlin community through this program,” President Marvin Krislov says. “The 2016 PPSF cohort promises to be another outstanding group.”

Cassandra Brown ’17, an Africana studies major and dance minor from Nyack, New York, has been selected as the fellow for the New Agrarian Center (NAC) at George Jones Farm. Brown will supervise youth employed through the NAC Young Farmer Program. These young farmers, coordinated through the city of Oberlin and paid through the Lorain County Summer Youth Employment Program, will receive basic skills training in sustainable, organic farming, and the fellow will assist with curriculum and classroom management.

Brianna Mahoney ’17, a chemistry and art history double-major from Centennial, Colorado, has been selected as the fellow for the city of Oberlin. She will coordinate community training resources and provide mentoring services for young people ages 16-24 participating in the Lorain County Summer Youth Employment Program, focusing on employment and soft skills while providing participants with gainful employment in city offices or with other local businesses for a majority of the summer. The summer employment program will prepare participants to enter the workforce and make them aware of the resources available for job training in Lorain County. Program participants will also be exposed to various types of workplace environments, including those in different city departments and at local commercial and manufacturing establishments.

Kopo Oromeng ’18, an economics and geology double-major from Kanye, Botswana, was selected as the fellow for Oberlin Public Library to support the many summer opportunities offered free of charge to Oberlin’s youth. Kopo will support the library’s summer reading program, which offers incentives for youth to read and discuss literature of their choice throughout the summer and an opportunity to participate in a variety of free events, programs, and workshops. In 2015, more than 400 youths participated in these programs. Oromeng will also research and create a list of books for the library that are of particular interest to teens and will support the library’s efforts to improve resources for teens who are reading below their grade level.

Daniel Spearman ’17, an Africana studies and jazz studies double-major from Camden, New Jersey, was selected as the fellow for The Backspace at the Bridge. At The Backspace, Spearman will assist the youth coordinator in hosting summer camps and drop-in hours throughout the summer, building relationships with area youth through activities that will change based upon the campers’ interests and engagement levels.

Natalia Viveros ’17, an Africana studies major from Norwalk, Connecticut, was selected as the fellow for Oberlin Community Services. She will engage local teens in a summer food justice internship program, coordinate food access-related youth service opportunities in partnership with local community gardens, and organize local teens to run a summer learning enrichment program for elementary- and middle-school students. Viveros will mentor and support youth in self-directed and process-based learning based on the participants' experiences and interests.

For more information, see the below media contact. A summary of the 2015 PPSF program presentations can be found on this webpage.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tania Boster, tboster@oberlin.edu, 440-775-8055 (phone), 440-775-8754 (fax).