ReachOut 56 Fellowship awards Stover '03, Munitz '03 with grants

Jessica Munitz '03 and Daniel Stover '03 learned Friday that ReachOut 56 Fellowships — an effort by the Class of 1956 to promote volunteerism for nonprofit organizations — granted their proposals to pursue public service projects next year.

Now in its second year, the fellowship program will award each winner $25,000 to allow him or her to focus exclusively on service work.

Munitz, a religion major, will work at the University's International Institute for Sustained Dia-logue, focusing on extending the University's Sustained Dialogue program to other colleges.

Sustained Dialogue, designed by Harold Saunders '52 H '02 is "a process to deal with deeply rooted human conflict," Munitz said.

In the Sustained Dialogue system, group participants engage in discussion — often of sensitive issues — led by an impartial moderator. Sustained Dialogue has been used on campus to deal with issues of race.

Stover plans to develop a volunteering program for Isles Inc., a nonprofit organization in Trenton begun by University trustee Martin Johnson '81.

Isles uses a "holistic approach to produce a self-sufficient community" through education, construction, and environmental cleanup projects, Stover said.

'Volunteering'

He will focus on "taking a broad vision of volunteering," which will involve developing a database that will allow Isles to make use of skilled volunteers, as well as recruiting new volunteers and developing training modules.

He will also work on educating the community about pediatric asthma.

Stover first became aware of Isles through his involvement in Community Action and his position as chair of the Student Volunteers Council. He began planning his project last summer.

"It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. I'm really excited," Stover said.

Munitz began working with Sustained Dialogue during her freshman year.

"I found it so fascinating that after my first year I became a moderator," Munitz said.

Munitz is currently a head moderator in the Sustained Dialogue program. Her main project next year will let her take her experience to other campuses, where she will assist in moderator training and implementing Sustained Dialogue programs. She will also develop educational materials.

Munitz and Stover plan to continue their commitment to public service in the future.

"I'm really interested in conflict resolution," Munitz said.

Stover, a molecular biology major, plans to go to medical school after completing his work with Isles, but he said that volunteerism "is definitely going to be a big part of my life as I go on."

"I'm certain that I will continue to be involved in the community," Stover said.

The ReachOut 56 Fellowships program began last year, when it awarded two students the $25,000 stipend to cover their expenses while they worked on projects related to helping Americans understand and heal from the events of Sept. 11, 2001.