Inaugural Civic Engagement Fellowship Partners CUNY Students with Bronx Community Organizations to Spark Voter Education and Engagement

By Patrick Hart, Policy Project Director, and Carla Sinclair, Senior Communications Associate

A partnership between the NYC Campaign Finance Board and the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, the Fellows will embed in organizations for the next two years to develop strategies for empowering and uplifting the voices of Bronx community members in local elections.

CUNY ISLG and the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) announced this week that the inaugural cohort of Civic Engagement Fellows, an innovative program designed to foster voter education and engagement in Bronx by embedding CUNY students in community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve the borough.

The Fellowship, a partnership between ISLG and the CFB, represents an investment in both NYC’s future leaders and its local electoral spaces; it is designed to build the power of local communities and increase knowledge, transparency, and participation in the democratic process.

“CUNY students have always been the beating heart of New York City and at the vanguard of community-led change. Connecting these students with community-based nonprofit partners taps into this power to generate civic engagement and participation.”

- Patrick Hart, ISLG Policy Project Director

“CUNY students have always been the beating heart of New York City and at the vanguard of community-led change. Connecting these students with community-based nonprofit partners taps into this power to generate civic engagement and participation,” said Patrick Hart, CUNY ISLG Program Director. “We are grateful for the NYC Campaign Finance Board for their leadership and investment in this program, and to all the participating CUNY students and partner organizations for their commitment to civic engagement and community-based change. We’re thrilled to be a part of this work and to be building on the CUNY tradition of supporting economic mobility, civic engagement, and youth empowerment.” 

Fellows are rising seniors at CUNY schools, chosen through a competitive process that emphasized interest and experience in community building. For the next two years, they will learn best practices in program design, management, and measurement from NYC CFB and CUNY ISLG policy experts while they are embedded in Bronx CBOs. Fellows will learn about the communities they serve and co-design civic engagement strategies tailored to meaningfully bring community members’ voices to the political conversation. Initiatives led by Fellows will range from voter registration drives to policy education campaigns to hosting community meetings.

“In building a local democracy where all New Yorkers can build power and have a real say, we’re letting CUNY students and community-based organizations, who know the Bronx better than anyone, lead the way.”

- Paul S. Ryan, Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Board.

“In a place as vibrant and dynamic as New York City, our government should reflect the expansive communities that live here—but we know that’s not always the case. In building a local democracy where all New Yorkers can build power and have a real say, we’re letting CUNY students and community-based organizations, who know the Bronx better than anyone, lead the way,” said Paul S. Ryan, Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Board. “We are thrilled to partner with CUNY’s Institute for State & Local Governance to bring to life a policy recommendation surfaced by our incredible research team, and to create sustained opportunity for passionate young people and trusted local leaders who are dedicated to the work of strengthening civic participation from the ground up.”

Community-based organizations hosting Fellows were chosen through a competitive Request-for-Proposal (RFP) process, with an emphasis on organizations seeking to build new and/or enhance existing civic engagement activities in their local communities. The CBOs range in services and focus – serving children and families, people impacted by the criminal legal system, specific religious and ethnic groups, and more – but all share a commitment to strengthening local communities and creating avenues for Bronx residents to thrive in their neighborhoods.

Learn more about the Fellowship schedule and other logistical details on CUNY ISLG’s blog.

Read about the participating CBOs and Fellows below. Projected activities are subject to change based on ongoing assessments of need, capacity, and community relevance.

Community-Based Organizations

• Bronx Defenders
  The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit representing low-income residents of the Bronx in the legal system. Planned Civic Engagement Fellow (CEF) activities include building a community outreach database, launching neighborhood storytelling campaigns, and facilitating workshops that connect civic life to housing, education, and economic justice.

• Center for Justice Innovation, Bronx Community Justice
  The Bronx Community Justice Center works to create a safer, more equitable Bronx through community-driven public safety initiatives, youth opportunity, and economic mobility efforts. Planned CEF activities focus on enhancing the civic engagement component of the Justice Center’s youth programming, including strengthening the current political education curriculum provided at the start of youth programs and developing infrastructure (e.g., toolkits, workshops, community engagement tools) to incorporate more civic engagement into youth-led projects.

• Children’s Aid
  Children’s Aid provides comprehensive supports to children, youth, and their families in targeted high-needs NYC neighborhoods. Planned CEF activities include increasing voter registration in the south Bronx, increasing voter turnout among underrepresented and historically marginalized groups, making resources more accessible in languages other than English, and empowering youth to pre-register and register to vote to increase their participation in the democratic process.

• Graham Windham
  Graham Windham provides the tools and resources for children, young adults, and families who face some of the most difficult obstacles caused by poverty, racial injustice, and lack of access to educational opportunities, living wage employment, quality healthcare, and affordable housing. Planned CEF activities include building upon Graham’s O.U.R. Place Family Enrichment Center to establish a similar, community-led space at the Bronx, called the Tremont Youth and Family Enrichment Center. The fellow will assist with coordination and execution of community “Know Your Rights” sessions with legal professionals, efforts to support city and statewide policies that benefit and strengthen the communities Graham works with, and collaborate with 1000+ community members to address their challenges and strive to enhance access to essential needs, build marketable skills, and foster strong community connections.

• Madison Square Boys and Girls Club
  The Madison Square Boys & Girls Club enhances the lives of New York City kids who, by reason of economic or social factors, are most in need of its services. Planned CEF activities include increased civic engagement activities at the clubhouse, regular workshops, voter registration drives, youth-led service projects, forums, field trips, toolkit development for replicable civic programming, etc.

• Muslim Community Network
  The Muslim Community Network (MCN) builds and strengthens New York City’s Muslim and immigrant communities through civic education, leadership development, advocacy, and direct services. Planned CEF activities include supporting MCN’s civic engagement initiatives in Bronx Districts 1–7 by leading voter registration and education efforts, assisting with multilingual outreach at food pantries and cultural events, and coordinating youth voter pre-registration campaigns in local schools.

• New Settlement
  By ensuring agency around education, employment, housing, wellness, and creative expression, New Settlement helps cultivate an equitable society where individuals and families have the power to use their voice to create the change they wish to see. Planned CEF activities include implementing monthly community forums engaging youth and officials, launching a Voter Registration Drive aiming to reach 15,000 Bronx residents, and supporting community-based volunteer initiatives. 

• Sapna NYC
  Sapna NYC works with South Asian immigrant women and families in NYC to address health inequities, foster women’s empowerment, and build community power. Planned CEF activities include creating educational materials, supporting voter registration drives, participating in community events, conducting outreach to community leaders, researching voter engagement in the district, and planning community workshops focused on civic engagement topics such as ranked choice voting, voting rights, NY and US government, and more.

• South Bronx United
  South Bronx United’s core mission is to improve health and education outcomes for immigrant, low-income, and at-risk youth in the South Bronx by combining soccer with academics plus social support and immigration legal services. Planned CEF activities include introducing civic engagement to existing SBU community events and spaces, including annual events and programs, community days, workshops, and more; and creating new civic engagement forums in collaboration with local partnerships, businesses, and SBU’s external communications.

• South Bronx Unite
  South Bronx Unite’s mission is to bring together neighborhood residents, community organizations, academic institutions, and allies to improve and protect the social, environmental, and economic future of Mott Haven and Port Morris. Planned CEF activities include helping increase their organizing team’s capacity to conduct civic outreach for   in all corners of the dynamic and large neighborhood of 60,000+ residents.

• THE POINT Community Development Corps
  THE POINT Community Development Corporation is dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Planned CEF activities include organizing forums and town halls, running programs that reach teenagers who are not yet voting age but will be eligible soon, developing leadership programs, and launching civic education campaigns focused on local issues.

• Urban Youth Alliance International
  Urban Youth Alliance International provides youth and adults with a range of service including prevention, intervention, and re-integration for justice-involved populations. Planned CEF activities include voter education, civic rights training, youth-led town halls, and the creation of accessible and visual resources/pamphlets that demystify critical issues such as voter rights, tenant rights, and Miranda rights. The Fellow will work to facilitate mobile voter restoration clinics to support record expungement and registration, and train residents to advocate for their rights through public testimony, stakeholder engagement, and budget hearings.

• Volunteers of America – Greater New York
  Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) is an anti-poverty organization with a 125+ year history of serving New Yorkers in need. Its vision is to end homelessness in the New York area by providing housing, health, and wealth-building services to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Planned CEF activities include building and supporting a Civic Leadership Group (CLG) composed of clients from VOA-GNY’s Bronx programs, and expanding the CLG’s impact through partnerships, public engagement, and community-led civic events. The initiative will culminate in a Bronx Civic Engagement Day, elevating client voices in policymaking and civic action.

• We Stay/Nos Quedamos
  WE STAY/Nos Quedamos, Inc. is a South Bronx-based community development corporation focused on sustainable development, cultural preservation, and empowering marginalized communities to thrive in place. Planned CEF activities include supporting a community-led land-use framework that will inform the next era of urban planning in Melrose; building a public awareness through storytelling, education, and outreach; and supporting land use advocacy for protections like a Special Purpose District (SPD). The Fellow will also to broader civic initiatives, including youth-led climate resilience campaigns, voter access efforts, and community education on relevant policies.

Fellows

• Liza Begum
  John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Cecilia Castellon
  Hunter College

• Stephanie Frias
  Baruch College

• Benjamin Gamboa
  Baruch College

• Diamond Hopkins
  John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Brandon LaFontaine
  Hunter College

• Samantha Martinez-Santoyo
  John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Madeline Mendoza Sierra
  Baruch College

• Angelina Tizzano
  Baruch College

• Fahlovi Noman
  The City College of New York

• Pamela Ortega
  Baruch College

• Ruksana Ruhee
  Baruch College

• Helaryn Vasquez 
  John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Freddy Ventura III
  Lehman College

About the NYc campagin finance board and cuny islg

NYC Campaign Finance Board

The Campaign Finance Board is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that empowers New Yorkers to have a greater impact on their elections. Our mission is to make local democracy more open, transparent, and equitable by removing barriers to participation. 

We make it easier for New Yorkers to vote, meaningfully support candidates for city office, and run for office themselves. NYC Votes, our voter engagement initiative, meets people where they are to share trustworthy election information and help New Yorkers make a plan to vote. We publish the citywide Voter Guide, which delivers information about candidates directly to voters’ doors. Our public matching funds program ensures small contributions can make a big difference, allowing regular people to run for office by relying on the support of other regular people, not just wealthy donors and special interests. And we lift the veil on how candidates raise and spend money, increasing transparency and accountability in local government. 

CUNY ISLG 

The CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (CUNY ISLG) is a good governance think-and-do tank. We craft the research, policies, partnerships, and infrastructures necessary to help government and public institutions work more effectively, efficiently, and equitably for all communities. For more information, visit islg.cuny.edu.