What We've Accomplished So Far

With active support from the AYA, UCS and various Yale graduate and professional schools - and following a year of focus groups and the development of our strategic plan - STAY began life at the start of 2012. From the outset, student and alumni/ae response exceeded our wildest hopes: applying to serve as STAY committee volunteers, hundreds of students and alums each wrote hundreds of words to support their commitment of time and talent. STAY has already:

• Attracted, as founders, leading Yale students and alumni/ae (e.g., the Yale College 2012 student body President)
• Deployed 6 mission-based committees, each with student and/or alumni volunteers
• Obtained a challenge gift from an individual donor, aimed at raising $11,000 in seed money
• Attracted $20,000 in funding (with possible further support) from a well-known foundation
• Supported syllabus-and-case-study driven Student Leadership Forums led by alumni/ae speakers
• Co-sponsored Career Panels attracting hundreds of students and dozens of alumni/ae panelists
• Enlisted Yale students - for the first time ever - as Site Coordinators for Yale Day of Service
• Committed hundreds of Yale students to participate in Yale Day of Service
• Begun exploring multi-tiered mentoring (e.g., seniors-to-alums-to-grads-to-undergrads-to-at-risk-youth)
• Created a database template to deploy a hometown STAY summer strategy
• Attracted internship and fellowship opportunities aimed at students and young alumni/ae
• Attracted financial support from individual donors

These events continue to attract many alumni and students who have never before participated in Yale-related alumni programming or events. Students and alumni at these events express a strong desire for a permanent organization that brings together Yale's G&P students, undergraduates, and alumni. STAY's creation sprang from the energy, enthusiasm, and passion of Yale students and alumni seeking to foster community in new and powerful ways.