PIAYAI AND PETERU SELECTED FOR

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS

                                            

July 17, 2008                                                                                   

 

    UTICA, NY – Marie Howarth-Piayai of Sauquoit and Swetha Peteru of New York City were selected as the 2008 Summer Fellows for Evaluation and Research at The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc.

Piayai will be reviewing and analyzing approximately 50 grants awarded by The Foundation over the past three years to not-for-profit charitable organizations operating within Oneida and Herkimer counties. The purpose of the fellowship, now in its eighth year, is to assist The Foundation in evaluating its grant-making effectiveness and to introduce young people to philanthropy.

    Piayai is a 2005 graduate of Sauquoit Valley Central School and a member of Hamilton College’s class of 2009 where she majors in world politics with an emphasis on poverty. She is a resident advisor, orientation leader, site coordinator for the Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) program and serves on the Student Interest Committee. She is a recipient of the Class and Charter Day Award: Women of Color Scholarship. Piayai plans to make her career with a not-for-profit or advocacy group and has completed internships with The Society for International Development in Washington, DC and Zogby International.

    Swetha Peteru is a Colgate Upstate Institute Field School Fellow who is researching the best practices for strengthening organizational effectiveness in the not-for-profit sector. Peteru’s study is being conducted in partnership with the United Way of the Valley and the Greater Utica Area.

    Peteru is a 2008 graduate of Colgate University, where she earned dual B.A. degrees in Geography and Biology. While at Colgate, she was president of the Hindu Students Association and participated in the Interfaith Council, Colgate International Community and Colgate University Television. She also earned a grant writing skills certificate and Dean’s Award as well as research assistantships in geography and biology. This fall she will begin graduate coursework in Geography at Miami University in Ohio with an emphasis on sustainability in Dominica.

    The Upstate Institute Field School matches Colgate University students with regional community, government or not-for-profit organizations to develop and implement projects that bolster organizational capacity. Field School fellows work with a community partner to create and complete projects that will have a positive social, economic, cultural or environmental impact on the Upstate region. As a fellow of the Upstate Institute, students are responsible for building relationships in the local and regional community. Through this experience, students will complete independent work on innovative projects that provide a community benefit and in so doing develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing the Upstate region and a strong appreciation for what the region has to offer.

    The Community Foundation has been a force for improving lives and promoting philanthropy throughout Herkimer and Oneida counties since 1952. The Foundation has made more than 3,800 grants totaling over $26.8 million in support of causes ranging from education to health care, the arts to the environment. Grants are generated by the more than 240 funds that comprise The Foundation’s endowment, established and advanced by area individuals and families.

 

From left, Swetha Peteru and Marie Howarth-Piayai