Pathfinder Village to host Student Fellow this Summer through Colgate University’s Upstate Institute Field School Program

Edmeston, New York, June 9, 2010 ... Pathfinder Village, a remarkable residential community specializing in Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, is hosting Phuong Nam Kieu, a fellow through the Upstate Institute Field School Program at Colgate University, Hamilton.  Mr. Kieu’s fellowship began last week and will run for ten weeks.

Upstate Institute Student Fellows work with community groups to complete projects that will have positive social, economic, cultural or environmental impacts on the upstate region.  Student fellows are matched with community partners based on their skills and interests, and work to complete projects proposed by host organizations.  Pathfinder Village is one of 22 sites chosen in the Central New York region in this highly competitive program.

Mr. Kieu, a junior who is pursuing studies in mathematics and economics, has been active in social and non-profit organizations within the U.S. and abroad, and has also worked on marketing, media, and grass roots organizing projects for a variety of social and educational groups.

Julie Dudrick, the project director for the Upstate Institute, said that, "Nam is the kind of student that benefits greatly from the opportunity to engage in a community-based research project such as the fellowship at Pathfinder Village this summer. He is smart, thoughtful and perceptive, and recognizes the value of putting his liberal arts education into practice by working with such an important organization."

Paul Landers, the Village’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Mr. Kieu is a talented individual, who has demonstrated an interest in community groups and non-profits.  Pathfinder Village is honored to be selected by the Upstate Institute as a partner, and is truly fortunate to have Mr. Kieu with us for the summer.”

Mr. Kieu is a native of Hanoi, Vietnam.  He was graduated from Hà Nội Amsterdam High School in 2006, and completed study abroad programs through Colgate University at the University of Manchester, England in 2009.  He is interested in visual arts, web site development, and a variety of sports.

During his fellowship, Mr. Kieu will create marketing materials, teach a photography class for adult residents, and produce videos and photographs that will help promote the Village School program at Pathfinder Village.  This program, which serves both residential and day students, ages 8 to 21, offers students who have multiple learning disabilities an alternative program, one that emphasizes the development of self-esteem, individualized instruction, independent learning skills, academic success and pre-vocational skills.  Presently, the Village School serves 13 residential students, as well as 13 students from neighboring school districts.  The education program is licensed and overseen by the State of New York Department of Education and staffed by state certified teachers.

Mr. Kieu has most recently helped organized “The Kite Runner,” an online newspaper that will begin publication this summer and aims to bridge the gap between Vietnamese students at home and abroad.  During his studies at the University of Manchester, England, he participated in “Students in Free Enterprise,” an organization that focus on entrepreneurial social work.

In 2009, Mr. Kieu assisted with a SAT-test tutoring program for disadvantaged high school students in Utica, through Colgate’s Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE).  In 2007, he was an intern for the Institute of International Education, a private organization promoting American Education in Hanoi, recruiting volunteers and organizing information sessions for students who wished to study in the U.S.  He has also been active with Vietnam Friendship Village, a community of children and adults affected by Agent Orange, and in Vietabroader Conference, a national online conference page for Vietnamese students aspiring to study abroad.

Founded in 1980, Pathfinder Village is a non-profit, residential community for children and adults that specializes in Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.  Additionally, it offers a day school program for students who have disabilities, serving area school districts.  Pathfinder Village is licensed by the State of New York and its programs are regulated by the State Department of Education, Department of Health, and OMRDD. It is located on State Route 80, two miles east of Edmeston and 15 miles west of Cooperstown.  More information is available at its website, www.pathfindervillage.org, and Pathfinder Village now has a fan page on the popular social network site, Facebook.