This year, 12 powerhouse Brooklyn Youth Fellows will be engaged in 8-months of community work in four key areas:

• Participating in leadership and activism retreats to continue to harness their community superpowers
   
• Mentoring our first ever Brooklyn Youth Voice Awardees (see the projects that last year's Fellows funded here)
   
• Activating a rigorous youth grantmaking program focused on equity and youth-centered justice work
   
• Stepping into their role as Community Researchers—using their lived experiences as a foundation for community knowledge and insights—culminating in the first-ever Youth Insights Report , featuring youth voices and stories in Brooklyn

Our cohort is passionate and dynamic, and even though we just started, the energy to change the world and ourselves is felt! I'm excited to see this year's Brooklyn Youth Fellows continue to transform preconceptions around who has knowledge in the community and lift up the idea that the face of an expert is a fearless young person who knows what their community needs—and has the energy to make it happen!

Pictured: (top row, l-r) Michelina Ferrara, Alanis Lantigua, Ray-Ana Hill, Nirmeen Shumman, Shafrarisi Bonner; (bottom row, l-r) Rachie Lipkind, Peace Titilawo, Marline Nkounkou, Dani Cyan

Here are the 2016-17 Brooklyn Youth Fellows: 

Dani Cyan, Age 18
Organizational Partner: Brooklyn Community Pride Center
Focus: LGBTQIA and Trans* Justice

Peace Titilawo, Age 22 
Organizational Partner: United Community Centers of East New York
Focus: Food Justice

Marline NkouNkou, Age 18
Organizational Partner: Five Myles
Focus: Gender and Racial Justice

Raquan Graham, Age 18 
Organizational Partner: Brownsville Community Justice Center
Focus: Racial justice and Juvenile Justice

Alexander Davis, Age 22 
Organizational Partner: Center for Nu Leadership
Focus: Criminal Justice and Youth Power

Shafrarisi Bonner, Age 16 
Organizational Partner: Sadie Nash Leadership Project
Focus: Gender and Racial Justice

Nirmeen Shumman, Age 16
Organizational Partner: The Arab American Family Support Center
Focus: Immigration

Vidal Guzman, Age 25
Organizational Partner: Drive Change
Focus: Criminal Justice Reform/Re-entry

Gabriela Ponce, Age 18
Organizational Partner: Center for Family Life
Focus: Economic Justice

Ray-Ana Hill, Age 16 
Organizational Partner: Red Hood Initiative
Focus: Youth Development and Leadership

Alanis Lantigua, Age 17
Organizational Partner: Dance Theatre Etcetera
Focus: Youth leadership

Rachie Lipkind, Age 19
Organizational Partner: Footsteps
Focus: Economic Empowerment