Wasilla, Alaska – The Riley Institute at Furman University has selected Amy Gorn, Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) program officer, to participate in the White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellowship. A partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the WRP Fellowship is a ten-month, national program designed to equip graduates with a real-world understanding of policy-making for afterschool and expanded learning.

In October, Gorn will travel to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, to begin the program. As part of the fellowship, she will develop and implement a state-level policy project in partnership with Alaska Afterschool Network and the national Afterschool Alliance. Including Gorn, 16 individuals have been selected to become WRP Fellows this year. The number of WRP Fellows nationwide has grown to 106 in 49 states since the initiative launched in 2012.

In her role at the Mat-Su Health Foundation, Gorn manages the Healthy Families area of focus and is responsible for working with the MSHF program team to design and implement strategic initiatives to advance the foundation’s goals and vision. Her previous work experience includes serving as a community wellness coordinator for Rural Alaska Community Action Programs, Inc.; working in public radio in Sitka and Nome; and working as a juvenile justice officer for the state of Alaska. She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and communication from College of Saint Benedict/St. John’s University.

“It is so important for young people to have access to high-quality academic enrichment opportunities during afterschool hours and in the summer – and we need policy leaders who can make that happen.The White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship is leading the way in developing afterschool advocates, future policymakers and advisors across the country.I’m so proud to welcome 16 more leaders to this outstanding program,” said former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley.

The WRP Policy Fellowship is named for Riley and for William S. White, chairman and CEO of the C.S. Mott Foundation, and Dr. Terry Peterson, national board chair of Afterschool Alliance and senior fellow at the Riley Institute and the College of Charleston.

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About the Mat-Su Health Foundation

Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight.The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available at healthymatsu.org.

About the Riley Institute at Furman University

Furman University’s Richard W. Riley Institute broadens student and community perspectives about issues critical to South Carolina’s progress. It builds and engages present and future leaders, creates and shares data-supported information about the state’s core challenges, and links the leadership body to sustainable solutions. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change.More information is available at riley.furman.edu

About the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, established in 1926 in Flint, Michigan, by an automotive pioneer, is a private philanthropy committed to supporting projects that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. It supports nonprofit programs throughout the United States and, on a limited geographic basis, internationally. Grantmaking is focused in four programs: Civil Society, Education, Environment and Flint Area. In addition to Flint, offices are located in metropolitan Detroit, Johannesburg and London. With year-end assets of approximately $3 billion in 2017, the Foundation made 375 grants totaling more than $122 million. More information is available at mott.org.