Princeton in Latin America

Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) is a non-profit organization that provides year-long service work and non-profit sector fellowships in Latin America to current undergraduates and recent alumni. Non-Princeton students are also welcome to apply. We are separate from Princeton University and are an independent 501(c)3 which does not rely upon University funding.
PiLA opens the doors to career paths, personal enrichment, and understanding service as an effective way to address social needs. A year devoted to service work offers students an extraordinary opportunity to become familiar with a region experiencing significant development. PiLA fellowships enable students to extend the benefits of a Princeton education beyond the classroom and join a group of motivated citizens with a lifelong commitment to Latin America.
In the spirit of Princeton's informal motto "In the Nation's service and the service of all Nations," the work of these graduates supports efforts to overcome the region’s educational, economic, and environmental barriers to development.
PiLA fellows work at a variety of non-profit organizations, across the entire Latin American region. Past fellowships have focused on: microfinance in Chile, Mexico, and Colombia, malnutrition alleviation among Quiche Mayas, natural resource conservation in the Peruvian Amazon, research on human rights issues in Chile, women and children’s healthcare in Bolivia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, to name just a few of the opportunities. Our fellows return from their year with a commitment to public service, both in Latin America and at home. A PiLA fellowship is a first-job out of college and affords our fellows hands-on experience in development work. PiLA fellows have gone on to Law School, PhD programs in the social sciences, many with a focus on Latin America, teaching in bilingual inner-city schools, Public Health and Public Affairs programs, and to work in the non-profit world.
Since its inception, PiLA has grown in size and in popularity on campus. Each year, we receive far more applications from extremely qualified students than we can place, and each year, we wish we could offer fellowships to at least double the number that we are currently capable of placing. This year, we received 110 applications for only 15-20 placements! PiLA depends on the support of individual donors, people with ties to Princeton or to Latin America, or simply those who are passionate about public service. We can only meet the demand for PiLA fellowships with the help of our friends. We hope that this year we can count you among the number of our supporters.
If you have questions about PiLA or would like to support fellows for 2009-10, please contact the Executive Director, Claire Brown.