May 18, 2015
Jerome de Bontin ’81, P’06. U.S. board member of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (PA2F); Erika Shelburne, senior philanthropic adviser and director of international giving at Amherst; His Serene Highness Prince Albert Grimaldi ’81; and Bernard Fautrier, vice president and CEO of the PA2F
Amherst College has signed a partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (PA2F), the official environmental charity of Prince Albert Grimaldi ’81, to create a summer internship for a current Amherst undergraduate. The internship, which will be based in Monaco, will give students a chance to work with a foundation known for its success in shaping environmental understanding and action on the international stage.
“The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is doing remarkable work in environmental advocacy, combatting deforestation and conserving bluefin tuna, in particular,” said Biddy Martin, president of the College. “I am delighted that we have formalized our partnership with the foundation, given that its mission and philosophy align so closely with Amherst’s sustainability efforts. That the organization’s namesake and leader is an Amherst alumnus makes us especially proud.”
Amherst has made sustainability efforts a priority for more than a decade by cutting the College’s carbon footprint, building a co-generation power plant and using high-efficiency building designs. Most recently, Amherst created the Office of Environmental Sustainability to further incorporate sustainable values and practices into daily campus life.
Prince Albert also has a longstanding interest in conservation and sustainability, and he founded PA2F in June 2006 to address the “planet’s alarming environmental situation.” Dedicated to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development on a global scale, the PA2F supports initiatives of public and private organizations in three fields: research and studies, technological innovation and socially aware practices.
Prince Albert continues as the organization’s president and has remained closely involved with its many projects. In the nine years since he founded PA2F, the organization has supported critically important initiatives that range from implementing renewable energies in developing countries to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Peru to helping establish community-led marine protected areas in Madagascar.
Marine biodiversity has been of particular interest to PA2F and Prince Albert, due in part to Monaco’s geographic position on the Mediterranean coast. The prince is a fourth generation ocean conservationist and he is in a unique position to blend his belief in environmental stewardship with the policy and strategic planning of a nation.
In addition, Prince Albert is the only head of state to ever travel to both poles and he frequently takes part in marine scientific expeditions. In 2009, he was awarded the Roger Revelle Prize for his efforts to protect the environment and promote scientific research. This May, the prince and U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry were honored at the 2015 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards ceremony at the Carnegie Institution. The Benchley Awards are the world’s preeminent ocean honors and Prince Albert was presented with the Award for Excellence in National Stewardship.
“We are grateful to Prince Albert II of Monaco and his foundation for providing Amherst students with an opportunity to be part of its global initiatives,” said Ursula Olender, director of the Career Center. “Working at the PA2F will surely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of them.”
An official signing ceremony finalizing the internship agreement between Amherst and PA2F took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on May 8. The event was attended by Jerome de Bontin ’81, P’06, ’15, who serves on the U.S. board of the foundation and will be working closely with Amherst on this internship initiative, and Erika Shelburne, Amherst’s senior philanthropic adviser and director of international giving, who represented the College during the event. Shelburne, de Bontin and de Bontin’s wife Helga then attended the inaugural Formula E Grand Prix as guests of the foundation on May 9.