Civic Spring Fellows Named for 2023

The Institute for Citizens & Scholars has named 36 young adults as Civic Spring Fellows in the summer 2023 cohort.

The Fellows are from six organizations or projects across the country, including New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, and Oregon. Their projects will tackle issues affecting local communities, including water health, access to health services, education policy, and afterschool programs, and wildfire governance.  

With funding from PayPal and Maher Charitable Foundation, each Fellow in this class is awarded a $1,800 grant to put towards their project, and Team Leads receive $4,000. During the 11-week Fellowship period, Fellows will work with dedicated coaches. Coaches are youth or adult mentors who will help Fellows sharpen their projects through weekly sessions. Many of the coaches come from the larger Citizens & Scholars network, including some former Civic Spring Fellows.  

The Civic Spring Fellowship invests in young people who are determined to tackle tough local challenges head-on. By focusing on community-based projects, Civic Spring Fellows develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions to positively impact their cities, rural areas, or tribal lands for the long term. Young people gain hands-on experience by engaging in important issues while learning about government, influencing systems, building coalitions, and working collaboratively across traditional divides.

Civic Spring Fellows, Summer 2023

Breaking the Silence / St. Louis, Missouri
Andrew de las Alas, Sonal Churiwal, Annie Le, and Saish Satyal

Address the stigma of mental health in Asian and Asian American communities in regions of Missouri that are undergoing rapid demographic change.

The Gem Project / Newark, NJ
Yaa Ampofowaa Awuah, Amanda Ebokosia, Amza Fofana, Theodora Hoegah, Jennymarie Idrobo, and Ayoko Kessouagni

Host public health workshops for Newark residents about healthcare options since the redetermination of the New Jersey FamilyCare coverage, in partnership with the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition.

Great Oaks Legacy Back to School Bash / Newark, NJ
Nathan Duguid, Tahquan Johnson, Abriyah Julu, Maria Nunez, Kalila Scott, Za’Hirah Thomas-Travers, and Lamar Washington

Provide Newark students and families with school supplies and access to social services and afterschool programs.

Water is Life / Newark, NJ
Cristian Cerrato Morales, Ravin Ramsaran, Saeed Rayman, and Ammar Williams

Partner with the Newark Water Coalition to design and build a safe and secure mobile water filter system for communities most affected by Newark’s water crisis.

Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) / Houston, TX
Hayden Cohen, Da’Taeveyon Daniels, Angel Huang, Edward Lopez, Alexavier Mendoza, Cameron Samuels, and Tobin Wood

Establish a network of student organizers across Texas to inspire policies that promote diversity and representation in schools.

Wildfire Resilience through Designing Democratic Governance and Solutions with Diverse Young Communities / Eugene, OR
Ian Browne, Meredith Jacobson, Ayuthea LaPier, Garrett Stanford, Ilse Stacklie-Vogt, and Kyle Trefny

Transform wildfire governance by prioritizing Indigenous sovereignty, intergenerational environmental justice, and youth-led democratic governance to tackle the underlying social and institutional causes of today’s wildfire crises.