The Patrons Program hires recent college graduates to serve as Development/Marketing Fellows and right hand people to their Principals.  Fellows are paired with one or two schools and get involved in all aspects of school life.  The position offers a wide range of experiences. In a typical week, a School Fellow may lead a tour of the school for a new Advisory Board member, create a grant for a 7th and 8th grade calculator program in which he/she would lead the training efforts, speak with an architect regarding the new library, and work with the Principal on a Middle States accreditation proposal and design marketing plans and materials.

Typically our schools have only a Principal and an administrative assistant at the helm.  Fellows provide great help to their Principals because they lead important projects and initiatives that the former are too busy to attempt.  Characteristically self-starters, Fellows tend to work independently and get involved in almost every part of the school.

Their responsibilities include:

While Fellows work full-time in their respective schools, they spend time in the Patrons Program office receiving support from its staff on various fundraising initiatives such as grants, newsletters, and events.

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Fellows attend a three-day training session held the week after Labor Day.  This program provides an intensive introduction to working in inner-city schools, school financial management, fundraising, managing an Advisory Board, and marketing.  It also gives Fellows the chance to build relationships with the Patrons Program staff and the Fellows who will be serving similar roles at other schools.

The Patrons Program arranges get-togethers every two months so that Fellows can share ideas and best practices.  The Fellows are well supported by the Patrons Program team.

The Patrons Program asks Fellows to consider making two-year commitments.  We have found that they achieve greater results in their second year because they have established strong relationships and can complete projects and plans that take more than one year.

• A Fellow at a school in the Bronx applied for a grant to purchase Music Ace Maestro, a software package created by Harmonic Vision, the leading developer and publisher of music education software.  Because of his musical background, he knew that this interactive music theory program would compliment his school’s already strong music curriculum.  The Fellow uses Music Ace Maestro’s lesson plans and games with about 100 5th-8th graders once a week during the school day.

• During a recent donor visit, a Fellow at a school in the Bronx asked the donor if he had ever seen the boys’ playground.  He said no, so the group diverted their walk to this outdoor space.  The donor noticed immediately that the ground was asphalt and asked if children scrapped their knees often.  The Development Director and Principal said yes.  The Patron asked them to determine the cost of the surfacing because he would pay the bill.
  
  

  The Fellow brought in contractors to get bids for the renovation of the play space. The Fellow oversaw the project from start to finish including all logistical details.  The Fellow then took pictures and had the children write thank you notes and sign a basketball for the donor to express their gratitude.
  
  

  The Fellow hadn’t planned to “make” this ask.  Because she had been with this donor on his previous school visits, the she recalled that this Patron hadn’t seen this space and wanted him to show him every part of the school.  Her instincts lead her to a great end result. 

• Several Fellows have completely revamped the way their schools conduct admissions. Fellows often find that their schools lack efficient systems for tracking new and potential students.  Using their organizational skills, Fellows have taken over the jobs of tracking all inquiries, following up with potential families, arranging school visits and interviews, and assisting with applications and scholarships.  Fellows have successfully increased enrollment at their schools by ensuring that anyone who is interested in the school is given adequate attention and service.
  
  

  For many years, a school in the northern Bronx dreamed of converting a classroom into a science lab and improving its science curriculum.  The school’s Fellow is now leading this effort.  The Fellow arranged for a professional from The New York Hall of Science to meet with the school’s entire faculty about their science teaching goals, assess the school’s current lab materials, create a proposed layout for the lab, and suggest a list of materials to buy.  The Fellow will work with the contractor to construct the lab, will purchase the materials for the lab and arrange for teacher training. 
  
  

  After the science lab is completed, the Fellow will organize a ribbon-cutting/opening ceremony and write a report and thank-you letters to the donors that funded the project.

• When the donor who funds an after-school program was scheduled to visit the school, the Fellow worked diligently to ensure that the visit would be both smooth and enjoyable.  Recognizing that donor visits are essential in cultivating school-donor relationships, the Fellow carefully prepared the students for the day.  When the donor arrived, the students were ready with a thank you banner, cards, poetry and even a special welcome song! 
  
  

  The Fellow’s work paid off.  The donor was awed at the student’s gratitude and will certainly be back for another visit and will continue supporting and expanding the after-school program.