Would just as soon find some time working at KEEP - yes, I said working. Can you find me a non paying job? I am a good carpenter, bricklayer, or painter."
~Brian Kane in letter to Paul Rusch, May 22, 1961
The Brian Kane Fellowship Program added an ACK Internship program in 2006 to give American college students the opportunity to work in a nonprofit setting and learn of the model of service to others set by former ACK Board member and KEEP volunteer Brian Kane.
The American Committee for KEEP, Inc. Board of Directors established the Brian Kane Fellowship (BKF) Program in 1976 as a volunteer opportunity to serve the needs of KEEP. The program honors Brian Kane, a businessman from Maryland. Mr. Kane met Paul Rusch and became excited about KEEP's mission and programming. Learning of KEEP's need for support, was an avid fundraiser and he even used his hobby of building custom bird houses as a fundraising project. Then, he visited KEEP and was distressed to learn the staff followed a customary maintenance policy of tearing down and rebuilding rather than preserving facilities.
Brian Kane decided to become personally involved. He arranged his business so that he could spend one or two months in summer at KEEP working with KEEP's staff to demonstrate new methods of preservation and maintenance. Mr. Kane paid all his own expenses and made financial contributions to KEEP as well. He earned the nickname of "Shogun" from the staff as he pitched in with all kinds of tasks from repairing a roof to painting a fence.
In 2006, it was clear that offering young adults the opportunity to work in the ACK office was a natural extention of KEEP's dedication to educational outreach. Former interns have worked on development projects and web page updates. Each year interns have a new focus project.
Jennifer Corwin at KEEP with Mt. Fuji in the background.
The ACK is currently recruiting for the 2008 BKF. The application deadline is October 31, 2008. For an application form, please click here. For a position description with intern responsibilities and desired skills, please click here. For any questions, please contact Jennifer Corwin, ACK Executive Director, by email, by fax at 847-853-8901, or by telephone at 847-853-2501.