Twenty-five finalists (see list below) were selected from more than 1,000 submissions nationwide. The public can now vote online for the five who will receive $5,000, plus resources and support from the larger Encore.org community. Winners will be announced in early March.
Launch Pad is a project of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose, and sponsor of The Purpose Prize, which invests in five social innovators over 60 each year who are making extraordinary contributions to the greater good. Civic Ventures promotes encore careers – which combine purpose, passion and a paycheck – in many other ways, including advice and resources on Encore.org.
The first finalist, James Robinson of Huntsville, Ala., was selected by the public through online voting last week. The other 24 finalists were chosen by a Civic Ventures selection committee, headed by Alexandra Céspedes Kent, director of The Purpose Prize.
“With this contest, we hope to help people in the second half of life who are eager to put their experience to use for the greater good,” Kent says, “and show the world what those in their encore careers can do.”
Here are the finalists and their ideas:
David Buck, 51, Minneapolis
Will work to expand SHiFT Midternships, a pilot that offers internships for people in midlife who need real work experience to help them transition to new jobs.
Michael Caldwell, 60, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Will promote economic redevelopment in Cleveland’s inner-city neighborhoods by helping low-income people start businesses.
Esther Cantu, 68, San Antonio, Texas
Will recruit volunteers serve as mentors for Spanish-speaking school-aged children who have not yet learned English.
Anne Cheung, 59, South Amboy, N.J.
Will develop a Chinese Cancer Support Group for patients in the Chinatown area of Flushing, Queens, New York.
Robert Deissig, 65, New York City
Will provide free career transition services for U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers returning from deployments.
Cathy Elser, 61, Yonkers, N.Y.
Will engage older adults in the fight against childhood obesity by using a program proven to increase healthy behaviors in children.
Rachel Emmer, 51, Evergreen, Colo.
Will help teach residents of Section 8 (government subsidized) housing about gardening and how to choose healthy foods.
Susan Evans, 68, San Francisco, Calif.
Will recruit and enroll retired nurses to teach healthy cooking classes to kids at Boys and Girls Clubs.
Ellen Freudenheim, 61, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Will create a pilot program for low-income women in Brooklyn that uses text messaging on cell phones to communicate vital messages about pregnancy, AIDS and other health topics.
Anthony Genia, 68, Lauderdale, Minn.
Will develop a Native American youth entrepreneur training curriculum aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty on reservations.
Linda Grotberg, 66, Wimbledon, N.D.
Will work to make small farms sustainable by helping local farmers make homegrown fuel using straight sunflower oil.
Rita Hubbard, 52, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Will teach baby sign language to low-income parents before their children (who are able to hear) can speak with the goal of increasing parent-child interaction and enhancing future school performance.
L. Patricia Ice, 57, Jackson, Miss.
Will help undocumented immigrants plan for the management of their property and the care of their family members who remain in the United States, in case of deportation.
Vicky Jekich, 52, Boise, Idaho
Will improve patient access, especially in rural communities, to creative arts therapy – which uses dance, music and other forms of artistic expression to improve physical and mental health.
Irene Martinez, 55, Orange, Calif.
Will work to break the cycle of violence and poverty in immigrant communities by teaching women to change the way family violence is perceived.
Lynn McGee, 57, Brandon, Miss.
Will establish Delta Community Health House Network, a cost-effective primary care delivery system designed to treat the underserved in their communities.
Nancy Fernandez Mills, 63, Stockbridge, Mass.
Will provide education in Spanish to local low-income Hispanics, with the goal of preventing diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.
Milton Morgan, 72, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Will provide free Internet access and one-on-one computer instruction for fellow senior residents in affordable housing facilities.
Robert Morrow, 79, Stockton, Calif.
Will provide training to child care providers and agency outreach staff on how to identify and refer children with special needs.
Ron Moulton, 63, Cambridge, Mass.
Will create Project Managers for Good, which will match corporate project managers with nonprofit projects that benefit the developing world.
James Robinson, 47, Huntsville, Ala.
Will provide independent living services to homeless young people who may be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.
Rhonda Rundle, 60, Los Angeles, Calif.
Will recruit a corps of encore volunteer coaches to encourage public high school students to prepare for, apply to and enroll in college.
Shekinah Shakur, 57, Los Angeles, Calif.
Will recruit and train midwives and other childbirth experts in inner-city communities affected by high infant mortality rates.
Janine Vanderburg, 57, Denver, Colo.
Will provide training for retirees and others with corporate sales backgrounds to help them become nonprofit, campaign and community fundraisers.
Rod Wilson, 65, Lexington, Ken.
Will organize advocacy services for residents of assisted living, particularly those without family to advocate for their care.
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About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org)
Civic Ventures is a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.
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