NEW YORK, July 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SeriousFun Children's Network will be able to extend its Fellowship program, thanks to the generosity of the David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation and Newman's Own Foundation, offering four year-long positions to begin in October 2013. The fellowships provide talented young professionals interested in pursuing a career with SeriousFun Children's Network the opportunity to develop leadership skills and receive hands-on experience in a variety of roles.
Participants take part in a series of activities and placements at the SeriousFun Support Center and in selected camps and programs throughout the year. The fellowship also provides the opportunity for successful graduates to obtain full-time employment in the second year.
"The mission of the Horvitz Fellowship and of the Newman's Own Fellowship is to mentor and develop the professional skills of young staff members in order for them to become knowledgeable and inspired future leaders within SeriousFun," said John C. Read, president and CEO, SeriousFun Children's Network. "Developing the next generation of camp professionals is a critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability for our camps."
The Fellowship program offers three tracks. Two tracks, generously supported through a grant from the David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation, focus specifically on executive camp leadership and delivering SeriousFun's innovative Global Partnership Program, respectively. The program innovation and evaluation track, made possible through the support of the Newman's Own Foundation, focuses on measuring the impact of member camps and the Global Partnership Program, as well as exploring new ways to serve children and families.
This program extension is the second consecutive iteration of the program. Leadership-focused fellowships have been offered periodically by SeriousFun since 2005. Of the six individuals who have graduated, three have gone onto become full-time Camp Directors at SeriousFun Camps.
Those interested in applying for fellowship candidacy should visit www.seriousfunnetwork.org/jobs. Once selected, the new team of fellows will begin the program in October 2013.
About SeriousFun Children's Network
SeriousFun Children's Network is a growing global community of 30 camps and programs serving children with serious illnesses and their families, always free of charge. Founded by Paul Newman in 1988, SeriousFun has served more than 440,000 children and families from more than 50 countries. Each member camp is an independent, not-for-profit organization dependent upon private funding to serve all children at no cost to their families. A Support Center raises funds and provides central standards and services for all SeriousFun camps and programs. To learn more about SeriousFun, visit www.seriousfunnetwork.org.