FAO Schwarz Family Foundation Announces Fellowship Host Organizations for 2023
BOSTON — October 13, 2022. The FAO Schwarz Family Foundation has selected five social impact organizations to host the 2023-2025 cohort of FAO Schwarz Fellows.
The Foundation will sponsor seven, two-year Fellowships in social impact at five nationally recognized nonprofits. The organizations selected this year are the Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), Jumpstart (Boston & New York City), Museum of Science (Boston), Whitney Museum (New York City), and Year Up (Boston & New York City). Jumpstart and Year Up will each host two Fellows, while the other host organizations will each host one.
The Fellowships are two-year paid positions that develop the leadership skills of recent college graduates interested in pursuing careers related to social change. From education in culture to education in science, from early childhood education to workforce development, from smaller and newer organizations to the larger and well-established, the diversity of organizations selected as hosts will provide the next cohort with a comprehensive view of the social impact landscape.
We’re thrilled to provide talented future leaders with paid, professional experience with our country’s leading nonprofits. They’ll have a unique opportunity to affect social change at this crucial time.”
“Young leaders are more important than ever as our greatest social impact organizations look to expand their reach and impact,” said Priscilla Cohen, Executive Director of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation. “Meanwhile, graduating college seniors are looking to make an impact in the world and lend their talents to organizations with missions they believe in. We’re thrilled to provide talented future leaders with paid, professional experience with our country’s leading nonprofits. They’ll have a unique opportunity to affect social change at this crucial time.”
Hosts are enthusiastic about the ways their Fellows can contribute to and enhance their work in the communities they serve: “The Barnes is honored to host and work with an FAO Schwarz Fellow, as this rising leader will contribute to our overarching goals of expanding our regional audiences, which in turn enriches our entire region,” said Valerie Gay, Deputy Director for Audience Engagement & Chief Experience Officer at the Barnes Foundation. “By working in under-resourced communities, especially with youth and their families, the Fellow will establish and deepen relationships that will have immediate and long-reaching benefits for both the audiences we serve and the Barnes.”
Jumpstart, a returning host, is excited to host two additional Fellows and help them develop as a leader. Mark Reilly, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, shared, “Jumpstart believes wholeheartedly in providing our FAO Schwarz Fellows with an amazing experience to learn about nonprofit organizations, community work, and policy advocacy and to develop crucial social impact and leadership skills.”
Organizational capacity is another common theme across hosts, as they can expand their services in valuable ways. Christina Moscat, Manager of Youth and Bilingual Offerings, at the Museum of Science, says, “We have valued the opportunity to host a FAO Schwarz Fellow and pair an emerging professional in the field to use their passion and near-peer perspective to mentor youth at the Museum of Science. The Fellowship has helped us create more opportunities to impact teen excitement and engagement with STEM.”
Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, a first-time Fellowship host, makes a similar point: “The FAO Schwarz Fellowship will help the Whitney to become increasingly inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to all interested in learning about American art and artists.”
Year Up has enjoyed a long legacy of mission-driven FAO Schwarz Fellows, and looks forward to the next: “Connecting to our mission at Year Up is critical to the work we do and we’ve found the FAO Schwarz Fellows to be fully committed and engaged in helping us close the opportunity divide for talented young adults by providing the training and internships they need to start a meaningful career,” said Lindsey Himstead, Director of Marketing.
Applications for all Fellowship positions open on November 1, 2022.
Creating Future Impact Leaders
The FAO Schwarz Fellowship program is looking forward to welcoming its 16th cohort. Since its founding in 2006, there have been over 65 FAO Schwarz Fellows. Nearly 60 percent have gone on to graduate programs, 42 percent have been hired by their host organizations, and 97 percent continue to work in the social impact sector.
About the 2023-2025 Host Organizations
The Barnes Foundation promotes the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture. (Fellowship description.)
Jumpstart advances equitable learning outcomes for young children in underserved communities by recruiting and supporting caring adults to deliver high-quality programming to children and drive systems change through teaching, advocacy, and leadership. (Boston Fellowship description, NYC Fellowship description.)
The Museum of Science aims to inspire a lifelong love of science in everyone through delightful exhibits, programs, curricula, and professional development offerings for educators. (Fellowship description.)
The Whitney Museum of American Art seeks to be the defining museum of 20th- and 21st-century American art, fostering the work of living artists at critical moments in their careers, often before their work has achieved general acceptance, and educating a diverse public through direct interaction with artists. (Fellowship description).
Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by ensuring that young adults gain the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education. (Boston Fellowship description, NYC Fellowship description.)
