The Empower Fellowship
The Empower Fellowship is rooted in the foundation of social justice work; that we, ourselves, must take an active role in our growth.
The application for the Empower Fellowship is currently OPEN.
What do we do?
Empower focuses on identity/leadership development, as well as building our knowledge and practice in solidarity work. We acknowledge in the work we do to address and deconstruct our biases, personal narratives, and our understandings of power, privilege, and oppression, that we must learn not only how to make space for ourselves and for our communities, but understand our participation in the systems that oppress those that endure what we do not. We acknowledge the power in advocating for ourselves while also recognizing our individual impact and value within our communities and the importance of our active advocacy and solidarity for those outside our communities. We do this all, understanding that this growth rests beyond our comfort zones.
“Empower was my first social justice program, so I learned a lot about what it means to be an organizer and an ally. I learned how to approach and fight for justice concerning all the issues in the world that I might not have known much about before.”
Who Joins the Empower Fellowship?
This Empower Fellowship is for those who are interested in beginning their journeys of unlearning internalized messages about themselves and their communities, and it is for those interested in expanding their knowledge, understanding, and advocacy of groups outside their communities and identities. It is for those interested in breaking down their barriers and becoming leaders. Those that join the Empower Fellowship are open-minded, critical and self-reflective, curious, community-orientated and interested in social justice, excited to use what they learn about themselves and about others to begin organizing, and willing to push themselves into what we call their “learning zones”, even if it means becoming uncomfortable and engaging with concepts you have never engaged with before. Ultimately, having a background in social justice and organizing is not the most important thing, your willingness to learn and advocate for others is.
As with all our programs, the Empower Fellowship serves youth from the ages of 15-19
When? Where? How?
The Empower Fellowship takes place twice a week from 4:30-6:30pm. All programming occurs in person at the YA-YA Network office, 135 W 36th St. PH, New York, NY 10018.
Young folks will engage in a variety of workshops rooted in popular education, with a focus on identity development, self-esteem, confidence building/self-advocacy, and leadership training, and allyship. In the last stages of the fellowship, young folks will complete a self-led action project in which they will be expected to engage in advocacy work outside of program meeting times.
The Empower Fellowship is a stipended opportunity.
For more information, or questions contact Divine Ndombo at divine@yayanetwork.org
We hope to see you there!
Meet the 2023-2024 Empower Fellowship Cohort
Hello awesome people!! I am Juky(them/them), ABC (American Brazilian Chinese). I am currently a freshman at ccny studying environmental engineering and science more focused on food science. I am blogger and love roller blading. Currently running 2 campaign. One about fiscal policy and the other is about VeganByDEfault. I am part of Action Committees and Empower. I was part of Summer Institute too. Here is my linkedin if yall wanna connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jukychen2004
Hi my name is Esther, my pronouns are she/her. I’m from the Bronx and my favorite colors are green and blue. I joined empower to bring awareness about issues in my community and to learn how to advocate to bring about change.
Hey my name is Bella, I’m 16 and currently a junior in high school. I love all types of horror movies and music. In the past I did Summer Institute which I’ve enjoyed my time there though I wanted to learn more on how to better myself as an activist which is why I joined Empower this year.
Malcon Hernandez He/him I am Mexican and I like going to the gym for fun I enjoy empower because of the fun and safe environment I can tell it will be really fun I just need to open up more
My Name Is Samantha pronouns she/her. I’m a Dominican born and raised in the Bronx. I enjoy movies specifically action or comedy movies & I like watching sports like MMA, baseball, and football. I joined Empower with the hope of making a difference in my community.
Hi my name is Melina , my pronouns are she/her. I was born in Brooklyn and I still live there today. My favorite color is purple more specifically lavendar. I am currently a junior at bard high school early college Manhattan. I enjoy swimming and running in my free time as well as spending a me with my family. My decision to join empower stemmed from wanting to bring awareness about issues in my community and be able to do something about it.
Hello! My name is Myla, my pronouns are she/her. I live in Harlem and has been living here for quite some time now. My favorite color is green. I also go to Bard Highschool Early College Manhattan. I joined empower to learn more about my identity and to advocate for others and social issues that are happening in my community.
Hi my name is King, my pronouns are he/him/his. I’m from Brooklyn and still live there even though I've moved around a little. I like to go out to eat, watch movies, and do silly/fun things with my friends and family. My favorite color is sky blue. i am also a sophomore at Bard School Early College in Manhattan. I joined Empower to discover more about myself and how to advocate for and bring awareness to issues in my community.
Hi, my name is Isabela, but I also go by Isa. My pronouns are she/her. I am Ecuadorian and Dominican and live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. My favorite sport is soccer and I’m on various teams including my school which is Bard High School Early College. I love listening to music and trying new foods. I am interested in entering the health field and becoming an athletic trainer in the future. I joined Empower because I want to be able to educate myself to make an impact in my community and the people I encounter in my life. Also, because Empower is not just about social justice but about improving your own skill set and growing as a person to be a productive member of the communities you’re a part of
Hi my name is Melanie. My pronouns are they/she. I’m a senior at the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice. I’m Dominican, born and raised in The Bronx. I love to read and take naps but I spend most of my time in clubs or programs outside of school. I joined empower because I’m very passionate about being a voice for those who can’t speak up or speak out. I hope this program helps me learn a little more about myself and the diverse environment of the city.