Working Together for a Just and Inclusive New York
In the final phase of the Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy, our fellows create their own community-based projects, applying the skills and insights they have developed in the program to address social issues that impact their faith communities or other New Yorkers. Upon approval of a written proposal, each fellow receives a $500 grant to support their project.
This page describes the projects created by our 2025 – 2026 ICLA fellows. You can also click here to learn about projects created by our senior fellows from past ICLA cohorts. We hope their work inspires you to make your own unique contributions to NYC civic life.
Oríkì (Praise-Poetry) as Empowerment
Led by Iyalosa Ajike K. Asegun
This interfaith gathering brought together religiously diverse New Yorkers to honor important individuals in their personal and communal lives through spoken word, poetry, praise, and appreciation. Inspired by the Yoruba tradition of Oríkì praise poetry, the project celebrated human dignity, strengthened community bonds, developed new models for interfaith engagement, and restored visibility to the people whose care and leadership often go unrecognized.
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Rebuilding the Brooklyn Chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Led by Laura Edidin
This project aims to revive the Brooklyn chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a national organization that works to build lasting friendships between Muslim and Jewish women in order to advance human rights and end bigotry against the other in their respective faith communities. Through proactive outreach to Muslim and Jewish Brooklynites and a recommitment gathering, the project will help to build Muslim-Jewish solidarity.
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Postcarding to Protect Sensitive Locations Led by Alexandra Coll
This project launched a grassroots advocacy campaign in support of the federal Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would prohibit immigration enforcement at places of worship, schools, hospitals, courthouses, and other sensitive sites. Members of a dozen diverse houses of worship throughout the city wrote postcards to Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, calling on them to cosponsor the legislation and protect our sacred spaces.
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Spiritual Care for Activists and Organizers Led by Jan Eckstein and Monika Son
This collaborative project explores how activists, caregivers, organizers, and movement leaders can sustain themselves amid the demands of social change work. The project created spaces for reflection, embodied practice, meditation, communal meals, and meaningful connection. Participants highlighted the importance of balancing urgency with care, emphasizing joy, rest, community, and collective resilience as essential to long-term movement work. The project affirms the need for intimate, restorative spaces where people can simply be—nurturing the emotional, spiritual, and relational foundations that make social change possible.
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EcoPeace America: Teens on the Green Deen Led by Batina Bamba
This project supports Muslim teen participation in a range of public events building connection to the earth and spiritual grounding through ecological education. Encouraging positive mental health in youth and families through holistic group experiences is the key focus.
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Queer and Trans Yoga Workshop Led by Dubbs Weinblatt
This project created a space for meditation, yoga, breathing, and community building for New York’s LGBTQIA+ community. There have been so many attacks on queer New Yorkers in the past year that our nervous systems need to take a break and reset. Participants joined in yoga practice with a yoga/meditation instructor who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as community-building and connection opportunities.
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Desi Dad Diploma Led by Ishwar Bridgelal
This project aims to strengthen South Asian families — and prevent developmental trauma — through fatherhood education. Working in partnership with a team of new fathers, and with support from South Queens Women’s March, the project will build key fatherhood competencies and empower desi dads to share their wisdom and experience with new and expecting fathers in the community.
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Arts for Safety Workshops Led by Melvin Sharty and Imam Muhammad Shahidullah
This collaborative project, developed in partnership with Save the People and Nonviolent Peaceforce, helped Muslim teens in Queens develop essential safety and peace-building skills. Through creative projects, role play, and movement-based activities participants built social/emotional skills in situational awareness, risk assessment, de-escalation, and safe responses.
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Supporting Bronx Muslims in Recovery Led by Selina Fulford
This project supports the Millati Islami 12-step recovery program at Masjidus Sabur in the Bronx. The program is life-saving, and urgently needed. Although NYC has seen a decrease in overdose deaths in recent years, the Bronx continues to bear the heaviest burden of the overdose crisis with high overdose mortality rates. The project will provide participants with Millati Islami literature, and support a community-building barbecue.
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Faiths for the Earth Led by Sam Cook-Merino
This project will convene an online panel discussion exploring diverse faith perspectives on environmental justice issues, with a focus on issues facing the predominantly Dominican and Latino communities of Inwood and Washington Heights. The program will be developed in partnership with Altagracia Faith and Justice Works, and will include live interpretation in Spanish for language accessibility.
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Supporting Shinnecock Sovereignty in the Hamptons Led by Elizabeth Yepez
Through a social media education and advocacy campaign, this project will support the dignity and autonomy of the Shinnecock Nation, the indigenous inhabitants of Long Island. Since 2020, the Shinnecock Nation has been enmeshed in a legal battle with the Village of Southampton over a pair of billboards designed to raise money for tribal institutions while promoting awareness of tribal rights. The project will address the billboard controversy within the much longer history of conflict around Native American sovereignty.
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Celebrating NYC Women's Sacred Dress Led by Vrinda Jagota
This project will document and celebrate the diverse ways that NYC women and femmes dress for important occasions in their lives. Through street photography at houses of worship and other sacred sites, it will show the importance of fashion, visual aesthetics, and beauty in the spiritual lives of New Yorkers. The resulting photos will be shared in a zine and a community event.
