We help undergraduate and graduate students make meaningful connections through learning, experience, and reflection in service and civic engagement. Alumni play an important role in helping students envision how they can live lives of meaning and service while at Princeton and beyond. 

Learning to Serve Well

Throughout the year, we offer a range of opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of service and civic engagement, build new skills, and connect with others. Just as campus and community partners have knowledge and expertise to share, so do Princeton alumni. 

Whether it's through annual events like our Lift As You Climb volunteering conference and Community House Youth Leadership Summit, or through workshops and talks with student groups and cohorts, there are a number of ways you can connect with the Pace Center community.

If you are an alum who would like to support the Pace Center and the student experience in service, contact Senior Associate Director Elsie Sheidler at [email protected].

Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS)

Alumni involvement has always been, and will continue to be, a hallmark of PICS. We invite alumni to volunteer in several ways:

If you are interested in becoming more involved with PICS, please fill out this short form to be connected to Class of 1969 PICS Program Director Emily Sharples. 

Suggest an Internship

Do you know of great nonprofits, government agencies, hospitals, or other agencies engaged in civic service who could benefit from a PICS intern? Reach out to PICS Program Director Emily Sharples ([email protected]) to start a conversation, and fill out this Community Partner information form.

Serve as an Alumni Mentor

Alumni Mentors are one of the most important aspects of the PICS summer internship program. Drawn from Princeton alumni and alumni spouses, Alumni Mentors are friends, listeners, guides, and advocates to PICS interns. For many students, PICS is their first professional work opportunity, and sharing your life and leadership skills positions the student and their community organization for success. The Alumni Mentor also introduces students to the life-long networking benefits of being a Princeton graduate. For a complete guide to the Alumni Mentor experience, explore our PICS Alumni Mentor Guide and contact PICS Program Coordinator Rose Holton ([email protected]) to learn more.

Support PICS 

Every gift makes a difference! PICS welcomes support from individuals, alumni, parents as well as Princeton classes, affinity groups, and regional associations. 

  • Friend of PICS: up to $300 in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the PICS Program
  • PICS Love: $600 provides a week’s worth of stipend
  • Cherishing the Past: $1,969 in honor of the Great Class of 1969
  • Celebrating the Future: $2,023 in support of future interns
  • Big PICS Love: $5,000 covers an average intern stipend

If you are considering supporting a PICS internship, contact PICS Program Director Emily Sharples ([email protected]) for more information and with any questions.

How to give:

We accept gifts in a variety of forms, with checks and wire transfers being preferred. If you intend to restrict your gift to a specific internship, please include a note about any restrictions with your gift.  

  • Checks, both personal and from any Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA), should be made payable to "The Trustees of Princeton University" with “PICS” in the memo and sent to:

Helen Hardy, Alumni and Donor Records
P.O. Box 5357
Princeton, NJ 08543-5357

  • Wire transfers are also accepted; contact PICS Program Director Emily Sharples ([email protected]) to request a wire transfer form.
  • Gifts may be made over the phone by calling 800-258-5421.
  • Gifts of appreciated securities can be made by contacting Alumni and Donor Records ([email protected] or 609.258.0160).
  • Endowment gifts can be made by contacting Jordan Moses ([email protected]).