Request for brainstorming
Cynthia J. Cupples (ccupples@phoenix.princeton.edu)
Mon, 3 Jun 1996 09:26:43 -0400
I belong to a small non-profit educational trust that is seeking to
develop initiatives related to women's and/or girls' education. The
Telluride Association has nearly 40 years' experience in running intensive
college-level summer seminars for gifted and talented high school juniors
(male and female) from around the country. Also long-running and
successful have been scholarship houses for male and female college
students interested in developing intellectual and leadership skills
through participation in self-government and extra-curricular programs.
(The oldest such house, at Cornell University, was founded in 1911;
similar entities have existed at Berkeley and the University of Chicago).
A recent initiative has focused on bringing African American 10th-graders
recommended by teachers and guidance counselors to Indiana University for
an intensive summer seminar. Typically the management and supervision of
Telluride programs are accomplished by volunteer members of the 100-person
association itself, with experts (like the college faculty who teach the
summer seminars) being hired as needed.
This lengthy preamble is a preface to a plea for help. As chair of a
recently-created women's education development committee, I am charged
with brainstorming a list of suggestions for where Telluride might most
usefully target our admittedly limited funds and energies. To high
school girls? Women in college? Younger girls at the 11-12 threshold
where self-esteem seems to plummet? Summer programs? A leadership
institute? An educational year away from college?
I would really appreciate your input as equity professionals. What
really needs to be done? What works -- or doesn't? What would *you*
like to do? What might be done by a small non-profit that can't -- or
won't -- be done by local schools, governments, etc.? Freewheeling
speculation is welcome; the ideas can be winnowed at a later stage.
It might be interesting to do this kind of brainstorming on the list as a
whole; otherwise, feel free to email me privately.
Thanks for your help!
Cynthia J. Cupples
ccupples@phoenix.princeton.edu