Solar Household Energy co-founder Darwin Curtis Named Purpose Prize Fellow
Washington, D.C.— Civic Ventures has announced that Darwin O’Ryan Curtis, from Chevy Chase, MD, is a 2010 Purpose Prize Fellow. Curtis was recognized as a social entrepreneur over 60 who, in his encore careers, is using his experience and passion to make an extraordinary impact on society’s biggest challenges. Now in its fifth year, the six-year, $17 million Purpose Prize program is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life.
Curtis was named a Fellow because of his work introducing solar cooking in the developing world to replace the ravages of the three stone fire.
“Purpose Prize Fellows show what’s possible in our communities – and the world – when experienced adults apply their passion and skill to improve the lives of others.” said Alexandra Céspedes Kent, Director of The Purpose Prize. “Imagine the potential for society if tens of thousands of adults focused their know-how on the social causes they are most passionate about – it’s a tremendous opportunity.”
The 46 Purpose Prize Fellows of 2010 were honored at the Purpose Prize Summit November 12-14 in Philadelphia. Approximately 400 attendees of the invitation-only event will hear from featured speakers such as W. Wilson Goode Sr. (former mayor of Philadelphia and 2006 Prize winner); writer and cultural anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson (author of Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom); civil rights leader and social innovator Robert Moses (founder of The Algebra Project); and bestselling author Martin Seligman (founder of the field of positive psychology).
“I’m lucky,” said Curtis. “Anybody would enjoy the satisfaction of being useful for a bit longer in life if they were able. Getting such recognition is a happy unintended consequence.”
The Purpose Prize, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation, is a program of Civic Ventures’ Encore Careers campaign (http://www.encore.org/), which aims to engage millions of baby boomers in encore careers combining social impact, personal meaning and continued income in the second half of life.
For more information, visit: www.encore.org/prize.
About Civic Ventures (http://www.encore.org/
Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.
About The Atlantic Philanthropies (http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/)
The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Their work is aimed at ageing, disadvantaged children and youth, population health, and reconciliation and human rights.
About the John Templeton Foundation (http://www.templeton.org/)
The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for research and discoveries relating to what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions. The Foundation supports work at the world’s top universities in such fields as theoretical physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, cognitive science and social science relating to love, forgiveness, creativity, purpose and the nature and origin of religious belief.
