Our Passion

Initiatives with Meaning

...a latticework of support.

Initiatives are for The John Ernest Foundation what for others are called projects. We Asked Google and like what we found.

  • Goals are broad; initiatives are narrow.
  • Goals are general intentions; initiatives are precise.
  • Goals are intangible; initiatives are tangible.
  • Goals are abstract; initiatives are concrete.
  • Goals can't be validated as is; initiatives can be validated.


BikeX (New)

Steward - Marius Klee

Designing an industrial bike at lowest cost for uses primarily in Africa (Zambia and Kenya) and Cuba. The bike is likely to be Chinese-built parts to be assembled on site. We are seeking design partners and funding agencies.

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Charles Fellow

Steward: Jessie Chen

The Charles Fellow honors the memory of Charles Chen and is an honor program enabling a young person from Shanghai and a similar high school junior to spend some time in each other's setting. Two young people from Shanghai (Bo Hao and Dora Liu) spent 6 weeks in California this summer. Dora Liu had previously visited in 2008. Her comments, and those of Fred Stahl, Jr., a junior from Bellarmine Prep. who visited Shanghai in the same year, are here. The comments emphasize the significant cultural differences between the countries.

As a gift from Fred & Karen Stahl, TJEF gave a laptop to Special Olympian Star, Wu Fang Miao, in Shanghai (see picture).

We are looking for an American Fellow to visit Shanghai in 2010, the year of the Exposition.

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Chinese Climate Initiative

Steward: Jessie Chen

More to come - stay tuned!

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College is Real

Steward: Brad Blake

College Is Real endeavors to make higher education a realistic goal for some underprivileged students at a primarily Latino high school in Richmond California. Inspired by the good sportsmanship of Richmond High School soccer players, some Danville-Alamo, California parents wish to provide the guidance and motivation necessary to help these students reach college. Using a rewards-based approach, the program keeps kids actively involved in strengthening their futures. TJEF helped to incubate this program 5 years ago and always wants to point others both to the concept and to this site. For instance, Diversity Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen is reviewing the concept

Participation and exposure are the two primary methods in use on this project. By monitoring and encouraging class attendance, assignment completion, and involvement in SAT and PSAT preparatory courses and college seminars, the mentors and other leaders will ensure that participants are preparing competitive college applications. Trips to local colleges and visits from college representatives will give a face to the goal at hand. Strengthening attitudes will require getting parents informed and excited about the process, so potluck dinners and collaboration with local churches are planned.

The program rewards incremental achievement with modest prizes like bowling parties. The older students who have proven their commitment and desire will be awarded a highly anticipated trip to Washington D.C. for a soccer game against a local team there. Drawing on the existing positive influences of athletic participation, College Is Real will lead a promising group of kids to greater opportunities.

Website: www.collegeisreal.org

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European University at St. Petersburg

Steward: Neils Kroner

TJEF continues to support the development efforts of the European University at St Petersburg (EUSP), a leading Russian independent post-graduate institution with programs in economics, the humanities and social sciences. Since 1998, the EUSP has trained future leaders and academics with its commitment to excellence, open-mindedness, and active cooperation with top-tier foreign and local universities and cultural institutions.

Last year, TJEF Europe consulted in the formation of the school's alumni association, provided high-level networking among potential donors for the EUSP's newly created endowment and offered assistance to the EUSP Development Office's operation and outreach.

The on-site presence of TJEFE board member Niels Kroner as a visiting professor in economics for the 2009-10 academic year has allowed for close cooperation and results. TJEFE plans to continue sponsoring other visiting scholars, as part of the school's effort to offer income-generating instruction in addition to regular courses.

TJEF's other major initiative is to support the EUSP Development Office's building of an endowment to ensure the University's financial independence and long-term growth. The current major capital campaigns are:

* to finance the construction of a multi-use student dormitory to house students, of which currently only half of which are housed.
* to endow priority department chair positions in political economy, energy studies, economics, rule of law, philanthropy, anthropology and history. $150,000 to $350,000 for up to 5 years, $1 million to endow and name.

A list of priority chairs can be found here

For questions related to the EUSP please contact Alexander Kurylev, Vice Rector for Development via email: kurylev AT eu.spb.ru or via phone: +44 7999 345 705

EUSP Website: http://www.eu.spb.ru/

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Global CDH (New)

Steward: Ken Kaufman

TJEF has built a College of Mentors for this new Initiative, including Patricia Bronstein, a development consultant.

See www.globalcdh.org for more details.

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International Summer Science School, Heidelberg 2010 (New)

Steward: Ken Kaufman

TJEF has been given 3 scholarships for high school juniors at American schools to attend next summer's program. TJEF will incubate the entry into the U.S.

See www.ish-heidelberg.de

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Institute for Social Emotional Education

Steward: Dr. Stanley Fischman

The Institute for Social Emotional Education in Durango, Colorado, will build on a tested curriculum, Discovery I, designed to teach anger management skills.

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Intellect

Steward: Kenneth Kaufman

On occasion, The John Ernest Foundation finds venues where members of the Treillage and their guests benefit from the shared experience and competence of visiting dignitaries by way of casual fireside chats. The widow of the former German Chancellor, Birgitta Seebacher Brandt, made two appearances at Stanford. Manfred Stolpe recently told of the transition from East to West Germany. The informality of the setting provides insights, questions and answers entre nous.

Andrew Hargadon is a long, long time friend of TJEF. We read and love his blog. Andy has invited us to share it with the TJEF Treillage:
http://andrewhargadon.typepad.com/my_weblog/

For more about Professor Hargadon:
http://www.conversations.net/forum/topics/andrew-hargadon-on-innovation
We once brought Andy to an internship at HP in Germany. We would love to repeat a visit of Professor Hargadon at a German university within the framework of our Intellect Initiative.

TJEF welcomes suggestions, either of speakers or of venues. Please send suggestions via the Contact Us page.

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Principles of Development for Effective Results

Steward: Audrey Ryder

Members of the Foundation's Treillage have considerable experience with fundraising for educational institutions. The Foundation has built a curriculum and occasionally facilitates lectures on a global basis. A recent venue has been the European University at St. Petersburg and future events will be held in Shanghai and at the University of Duisburg/Essen.

On March 8th, Ken Kaufman addressed the conference co-sponsored by the Hochschulenrektorenkonference (HRK), Fund-Raising fuer Hochschulen, at the Evangelische Akademie in Bad Boll (Germany), Some Experiences and Lessons from the Stanford Club of Germany.

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The Opportunity School

Steward: Randy Niemeyer

So far this year there is a smaller group of students in the class but the students are participating more effectively utilizing the Michael Hower laptops in their daily studies. The next step will be additional programs and training to allow the students to continue to stay motivated and excited about learning.

First Half of the Spring 2009 newsletter

Second Half of the Spring 2009 newsletter

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Saint Martin de Porres

Steward: Frederica von Stade and Vance George

St. Martin de Porres is a small parochial school in North Oakland named for a 17th century Dominican brother from Peru, famous for establishing orphanages and children's hospitals. The majority of its students receive financial assistance. Until 2007 it had no music program.

Sister Barbara Dawson, Principal of the school, and celebrated opera singer, Frederica von Stade (known to all as "Flicka") had been greatly impressed by a program established in Venezuela called "El Sistema". Established in 1975 this trained thousands of poor children to learn to play music, thereby creating the opportunity for the children to better their own lives. Flicka and Sister Barbara took it upon themselves to establish a choir for inner-city children based upon the El Sistema model.

Through the initial involvement of Vance George, TJEF has recognized the need for the development of civic responsibility and to bring increased social and cultural awareness to the community. TJEF has helped to bring increased awareness of this program as well as providing some funding for the children's blazers, a gift of The Securitas Fund and the salary of Rachel Velen, its conductor and project leader, and, through the generosity of members of the treillage, even provided a piano for the program.

Now the choir is at a performing stage. In October the choir sung at the Arts Reach National Arts Marketing Conference at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. Recently, the choir sang for the late great Senator Ted Kennedy's 77th birthday and also met with President Obama. With Flicka's support the older children have also attended operas and opera rehearsals.

TJEF will further enrich this Initiative by providing additional and larger blazers for the choir, funding an additional teacher (probably a jazz pianist). TJEF has arranged for the fifth graders to watch the Stanford women win another basketball game, compliments of the Stanford Athletic Department. Frederica von Stade brought the students and spent the grant given by Laura and Robert Cory for hot dogs, fries, and other memorable "stuff"!

Website: http://www.sfcv.org/content/cloning-iel-sistemai-oakland

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Shanghai Stock Exchange

Steward: Jessie Chen / Neils Kroner

On occasion TJEF has been asked to recommend researchers for the SSE on topics of broader interest to the Exchange. The next opportunity is in the Spring of 2010.

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Solar Light (formerly Ignite)

Steward: Juergen Doering

  • Play video (coming soon)

This solar lamp Initiative is undergoing structural change under the guidance of Matt Scott, who initially introduced the concept to TJEF. Whether we shall continue our existing work in India is under discussion. Juergen Duering is also looking at opportunities in Zambia. stay tuned!

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Sur Les Pas d'Anne Morgan

Steward: Patricia Colin

The Sur Les Pas d'Anne Morgan (formerly American Friends of Blerancourt) are supporters of the Musee de Blerancourt (www.musee-cooperation-blerancourt.fr) founded by Anne Morgan and now part of the system. The Museum houses a unique collection covering the history of French-American relations and is housed in a lovely setting among the battlefields of the First World War north of Paris. TJEF supports Sur Les Pas d'Anne Morgan in three distinct ways:

First, we are organizing a series of events with a view to expanding Bay Area membership. These events which we are calling "Fetes" will be in a variety of formats designed to provide both an enjoyable time for the participants while fulfilling the goal of introducing us to potential supporters.

Second, we intend to generate financial support for Sur Les Pas d'Anne Morgan and particularly for its current initiative, the funding of the multi media component of the new gallery currently under construction. The multi media component is being developed by Alan Governor (www.docarts.com). The cost of the gallery itself is covered by the Reunion des Musees Nationaux.

Third, we are seeking creative connections to assist Sur Les Pas d'Anne Morgan renew and grow. This part of the initiative is presently the least defined; it will require both careful investigation and thoughtful planning in unexplored terrain.

May 2008 trip of the Blerancourt 5th graders coming to California:

www.istp.org/Blerancourt

October 2008 trip of California 5th graders going to Blerancourt:

gallery.istp.org/gallery/v/Year0809/5thBlerancourt/

A similar visit in 2009 was cancelled as the French Government would not permit a group of French children to travel to the U.S. due to the threat of a swine flu outbreak. The French children were devastated by this tragic decision as they were denied credit for a new flight.

Following this bump in the road, the 5th graders from the International School opf the Peninsula were in France in October; the French students are now scheduled to return here in the Spring.

See our new 2009 trip photos! (Then click on October)

Website: www.museefrancoamericain.fr

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TJEF Mentoring

Steward: Dr. Stanley Fischman

The TJEF Treillage mentors through coaching and guidance. Personal chemistry, ethical considerations and geography are factors, which TJEF's Committee on Objectives Under Consideration heeds before entering into a mentor-mentoring relationship. Learning is always a two-way street. Mentors provide resources, knowledge and advice to individuals and groups. Attaining specific goals and visions are the shared reward in a mentor-mentoring relationship. TJEF's Ken Kaufman honors one of his mentors in the following

Ode to a Fallen Mentor -

Long before the old word "mentor" again became fashionable, I well learned the best of definitions from several women and men who helped shape my life. Erwin was chief among them. What the concept came to mean so vividly to me, was a safe haven, where one could live without fear. Authority, while ever present, was overridden by a mutual respect, which the mentor duly earned.

  • A good mentor listens honestly.
  • A good mentor uses judgment with the utmost care.
  • A good mentor is a master of the chemistry of friendship.
  • A good mentor does not require hearing hints, as she or he wants them told, rather in naked language.
  • A good mentor is a patient teacher, and learns when to employ instruction.
  • A good mentor is clever, and understands how temporary disappointment can be.
  • A good mentor is seldom bored by the pupil.
  • And most important, a good mentor is also in a constant state of learning and often from the pupil.

Erwin was a model mentor to me. To the very end, he listened as I learned…agreeing at times with my thoughts and behavior, or critiquing my assumptions. I always felt important to him. I always felt I could translate what was to me a very complicated world, and that he truly
understood and enjoyed hearing its parameters. Never did I feel my world baffled him. We were always equals. Even when I was sixteen. What so commanded my respect for Erwin was his proper sense of good and evil.

  • He understood duplicity.
  • He understood false pride and vanity.
  • And, he also taught me that the means to than end, if suspect, were unacceptable.
  • Credibility is a scarce commodity, hard earned.
  • It was, to Erwin, the best of traits.

Finally, Erwin taught me a lot about competence, which is born in the pursuit of truth.
For the competent, ignorance is the ever lurking enemy.
While one doesn't have to know, to be modern, and to experience.
At his house on New Year's Day, Erwin proudly handed us his present, the book, How We Die.
Even near his lucid end, he was modern. He was learning. He was experiencing.

I am but one small life Erwin touched.
He lives in the many who carry his flame!
He wrote, very creatively, on the slate of eternity.
And it is we, who must pass one these salient truths, which will honor his memory.

He understands what we are going through and has solid recommendations. He is the ultimate sounding board of reason and empathy.

Here are a few current pupil updates:

Moured Abuamona, an architectural student from Gaza in Mainz continues to receive intermittent grants-in-aid on occasion.

Dora Liu and Tommy Zhang were facilitated by TJEF directly to American private schools - Dora at The Webb School in Southern California, Tommy at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. Jessie Chen has 2 more in the pipeline starting in 2010.

Viktor Kewenig is currently at Menlo Atherton High School, living with Chris Treble, a member of TJEF's Board of Governors. Vance George has mentored Viktor at the San Francisco Symphony.

Garrett Menghini (Harved Mudd) will do a TJEF internship at the Institut fuer Kommunikationstechnik at the University of Duisberg-Essen in the summer of 2010.

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United Planet

Steward: Chris White

United Planet (UP) is a leading international, educational, humanitarian, and peace-building, non-profit organization with members and volunteers in over 150 countries devoted to fostering cross-cultural understanding and friendship and supporting communities in need in order to bring the world together in a community beyond borders. United Planet utilizes a diverse and creative range of local, online, and international programs to achieve this essential mission.

The underlying principle of UP's programs is based on the concept of Relational Diplomacy, in which we recognize that the relationship between two people of diverse backgrounds is the vital thread — the basic building blocks for bringing the world together in a community beyond borders.

United Planet’s innovative programs are designed to expose our common human bonds and foster respect and appreciation for our cultural, racial, and religious diversity, while improving and enriching lives worldwide. All people of the world are invited to join United Planet's membership in a community beyond borders.

TJEF supports United Planet by assisting in the development of the United Planet Board of Directors and Board of Advisors through suggesting new board policies, setting board member definitions, and introducing potential board members. Once the board leadership is fully engaged according to these objectives, we intend to generate financial support for United Planet in order to further build core capacity and expand its key programs.

Website: www.unitedplanet.org

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Westfield Concert Scholar

Steward: Kenneth Kaufman

  • Play video (coming soon)

Goals of the Scholar Program: To give young musicians specializing in historically oriented keyboard performance an opportunity to play a series of concerts arranged at various venues throughout the United States, including colleges, universities, churches, and recital halls. The program has a clear set process for selecting the concert scholar. Westfield members nominate either an undergraduate or graduate student to a current board member of Westfield. Board members will then nominate candidates at the spring board meeting and the board will select the Westfield Concert Scholar for the next year. The scholar will be chosen from among the following keyboard specialties: organ, harpsichord, forte piano, and clavichord. The John Ernest Foundation assists the Westfield Concert Scholar by sponsoring the travel. Last year's selected scholar is Emanuele Battisti, who currently holds the Marcella K. Brownson Fellowship for Organ Study at the University of Illinois. His interests are concentrated in Early Baroque, Contemporary music, performance, composition and music research.

Website: www.westfield.org

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Wiki Symposium

Steward: Dirk Riehle

The John Ernest Foundation provides fiscal sponsorship to the Wiki Symposium as well as guidance on growth, fiduciary and strategic matters.

WikiSym concluded successfully on Sept 10, 2008, after three intense days of discussions and presentations, formed around several major tracks, including invited talks, research papers, panels and demonstrations, workshops, practitioner reports, tutorials, and maybe most importantly, open space, where all participants as peers created their own wiki-related session as the demand arose. The three days were framed by further social events, most notably the WikiHouse and the WikiWalk before and after the conference, helping us keep forging a strong wiki community.

Participation was up to 145 registered participants. Research papers were up 25% to 49 paper submissions, of which we accepted 20. Conference chair Ademar Aguiar of University of Porto and program chair Mark Bernstein of Eastgate kept everything running smoothly and properly. The breadth of participation at WikiSym remained diverse and evenly split between academia, industry, and private enthusiasts. Events like the Doctoral Space are leading on the next generation of wiki researchers, and the overall breadth of events and the ensuing participation demonstrated the broad base that wikis and WikiSym have found.

Inspired by the highly successful BlogWalk meetings, WikiSym reached out to the local community by introducing the WikiWalk, a guided tour of Porto to places of interest to wiki enthusiasts. This led to casual and spontaneous discussion with Porto's vibrant intellectual and Web communities, exploring the city and its network of arts and media. Due to the popularity of wikis, WikiSym 2008 and its sponsors and supporters were mentioned in the press in more than 20 articles, including news on the TV (RTP1 channel), radio news and several articles in the most important national newspapers (Público, Jornal de Notícias, Correio da Manhã).

We are still pulling together different materials and intend to post them on the WikiSym blog at http://www.wikisym.org or on the WikiSym 2008 wiki at http://www.wikisym.org/ws2008.

We would like to thank you again for your support and we are hoping to see you again in Orlando Florida in 2009!

Website:  http://www.wikisym.org

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YES: Youth Environmental Scholarship

Steward: Judy & Dave DePuy

The YES Review committee is pleased to announce this year's Youth Environmental Scholarship award winners: Fred Stahl (Bellarmine College Preparatory, CA), Brent 'Ross' Bilger (Los Altos High School, CA), Rebecca Dorst (Menlo-Atherton High School, CA), Garrett Menghini
(Damonte Ranch High School, NV), Lisa Aguilar (Gunn High School, CA), and Yasmine Laraki (Casablanca American School).

The Youth Environmental Scholarship showcases high school juniors and seniors who have done something good to positively affect our environment. The diversity of the essays by the YES winners reflects unique approaches to solve some of the environmental issues that we face
today. This year's essay topics included: relevance and use of compost barrels, an on-line carbon footprint estimation tool, creation of Facebook eco-friends resource pages, and the eco-benefits of herd management.

In addition to the recognition and YES award certificate, the John Ernest Foundation will provide laptop computers to our bright and enthusiastic awardees. Click here to learn more about the award winners and their essays.

Our community is very proud of these students and their active involvement to do something to improve our environment.

The YES 2009 program:

In combination with the John Ernest Foundation of Palo Alto and the Ted Hannig Charitable Trust of Redwood City, we are pleased to announce the Youth Environmental Scholarship program for 2009.

The Youth Environmental Scholarship showcases what high school juniors or seniors have done to positively affect our environment. To participate, complete a summer project, write an essay about the environmental achievement that you accomplished in all things "green", and submit to YES@TJEF.org by September 15, 2009.

Besides the examples of projects that were completed this year, additional essay ideas might include how you helped to do something good for the environment in your community, how you changed 'bad' environmental habits in your home or community, or an environmental achievement that you have accomplished over the summer.

This program is open to high school juniors and seniors in the San Francisco Bay Area and will take place during the 2009-2010 school year. The award consists recognition on the TJEF website, the TJEF YES award (useable for college and job applications), and a laptop computer or $1000 scholarship. If you have any questions, please contact Judy or Dave DePuy at YES@TJEF.org.

Now is the time to help us go "green" and better our environment.

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Undergraduates at the Organ

Steward: Carole Terry

Over the past 15 years the New York Times and other prominent publications have acknowledged a shortage of organists for churches throughout urban centers as well as the rural areas of the United States. A number of colleges and universities have cancelled their organ departments thus creating a critical need to train organists. Thankfully, there is a resurgence of interest in the pipe organ today in response to some of the fine new organs built by renowned builders in the United States and worldwide.

TJEF believes that one of the ways to address this shortage is to help create and support organ programs at small colleges and universities to attract and produce regional organists. These institutions often have superb instruments whose potential for instructional use has not been fully realized. There is a need to create organ programs at just such colleges which will enhance both their reputation and enrollment. For this purpose, Vance George and Carole Terry-major names in the field of choral music and organ-have agreed to assist in these pilot organ programs. We are looking for colleges with fine instruments, community support, and a knowledgeable and forward-looking academic vision. We, as well as the college communities, are poised and ready to address these issues and help find, train and graduate superb musicians. 

Recently, Carole Terry performed organ works by Bach, Mendelsohn, Widor, Marchand and Messiaen for an appreciative audience at the First Congregational Church in Palo Alto.

Our thanks are owed to Cathy Ferguson, our Living Angel, who, once again, provided an elegant setting of cheeses to accompany the wines from Young's Market.

On the day prior to the recital, Carole Terry and Vance George held a Master Class at the same venue in Palo Alto to a receptive audience. The participants were Ethan Hamman who played the Purcell Trumpet tune in C and Bach's Little Prelude and Fugue in F; Shannon McEntee playing Bach's Chorale Prelude - Ich ruf zu dir; and Duane Soubirous who played Mendelssohn's Prelude and Fugue No.3 in D Minor.

This Initiative has been returned to embryo stage. The new concept is to enhance the American Guild of Organists' programs that are designed to entice young musicians to 'the king of instruments'

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WikiSym

Steward: Dirk Riehle

WikiSym is the International Symposium on Wikis and Open Collaboration, an annual event that brings together researchers and practitioners of wikis and related collaborative technologies and media. WikiSym is the leading event in its space and since its inception in 2005 it has been growing steadily and has had prestigious keynote speakers like Douglas Engelbart, inventor of Hypertext and the mouse, Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, as well as many well-known researchers. WikiSym is dedicated to global diversity and has taken place in many different cities and countries around the world: San Diego, USA (2005), Odense, Denmark (2006), Montreal, Canada (2007), Porto, Portugal (2008), Orlando, USA (2009).

The 2010 Symposium is to be held in Gdansk, Poland in July. See www.wikisym.org for details on the WikiSym website. TJEF's goal is to help WikiSym grow either until it becomes its own non-profit or merges with a like-minded event or organization. TJEF is once more sponsoring this important event. Thereafter, we will discuss incubating a new charitable Foundation.

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Yes

Steward: In Postponement

Rebecca Dorst, now a graduating senior at Menlo-Atherton High School, just received her

Apple laptop, which completes the program. TJEF is looking for a Steward to reinvent the

Initiative. Rebecca will attend UCLA on a waterpolo scholarship. Fred Stahl, jr. is at

the University of California San Diego on a volleyball scholarship. Garrett Menghini is at

at Harvey Mudd. Lisa Aguilar is at the University of Colorado. And Ross Bilger is at

Dartmouth. All freshmen!

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Connect

Social Networking. TJEF is now on facebook (causes and groups) where ideas and solutions can be discussed live. Please visit today!

Donate. Give today to help us push the TJEF mission onward. Sign up for a special vacation trip and proceeds benefit charity!