Students in the Clark Scholars program at Stevens Institute of Technology have selected the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps (HVAC) as the inaugural recipient of a $25,000 charitable donation.
The grant was awarded through the newly established Clark Scholars Philanthropy Challenge, a hands-on initiative made possible by a $1 million endowed fund. The fund is part of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s historic $21 million commitment to Stevens, finalized in September 2025.
The challenge is a core component of a specialized Service and Philanthropy course taken by first-year Clark Scholars during their spring semester. The curriculum introduces students to local nonprofits through site visits and volunteer work, teaching them how to evaluate community needs, assess organizational impact, and manage collective resources.
At the conclusion of the spring 2026 semester, 39 student scholars nominated, pitched, and voted on local organizations to receive the inaugural funding, ultimately choosing the ambulance corps.
“This challenge provides an opportunity for our students to experience philanthropy as decisionmakers,” said Alida McKee, director of special programs and administration at Stevens. “Through this program, students are learning how to identify community needs, evaluate nonprofit organizations and make decisions about where their collective resources can have an impact.”
For more than half a century, the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps has served the mile-square city, responding to upwards of 7,000 emergency calls annually.
“The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps team is incredibly honored by this award,” said Thomas F. Molta, president of the Corps. “The generosity of the Clark Scholars will help us continue that tradition and ensure that we have the resources, equipment and capabilities we need to be there for our neighbors when they need us most.”
