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The Gem Project

Fellowship Lab

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A Dynamic Space Showcasing the Work of The Gem Project Fellows

"I’ve become more confident, better at speaking up, and more open to learning from others. I now feel more equipped to handle challenges."
Oluwaferanmi F.College Fellow, Montclair Universiy
"I've definitely learned more terms, different formats, and how white papers work—things I never learned in school."
Annika L.High School Fellow, Malcolm X. Shabazz High School
I applied what I learned about leadership and advocacy to address littering at my school. Inspired by The Gem Project's focus on community action, I organized a clean-up initiative and collaborated with students and staff to promote environmental responsibility.
David O.High School Fellow, Central High School

The Gem Project

Fellowship Lab

Welcome to The Fellowship Lab, a dynamic space showcasing the work of The Gem Project Fellows as they drive change and advocate for justice across key social pillars. This platform is a living archive, capturing the voices, insights, and strategies of young leaders committed to advancing educational equity, strengthening democracy, improving health access, and challenging injustices within the criminal justice system.

In The Fellowship Lab, you’ll find a wealth of resources developed by our Fellows, including in-depth policy briefs, policy brief presentations,  impact reports, case studies, and project samples. Each piece embodies the dedication, rigor, and compassion with which our Fellows approach their work.

Reincarnation of Jim Crow is a powerful, youth-led exhibit that explores the issue of mass incarceration through visual art and found objects created by the youth at The Gem Project. Fellows were able to inform their work by speaking with individuals who have been justice-involved, deepening their understanding of the realities of the system. The exhibit featured an artist sit-down and discussion, inviting community members and attendees to engage with the artwork and its themes. Each fellow developed their pieces with the guidance and mentorship of local teaching artists at the Paul Robeson Galleries, creating a meaningful space for reflection and dialogue about justice and inequality.

Virtual Art Exhibit (Using VR): Reimagining Black Liberation through Afrofuturism

Beyond authoring issue briefs, Gem Project fellows harnessed the power of the arts to reimagine alternate realities where Black communities can thrive free from the weight of oppression. Guided by our dedicated arts and social justice teaching artist, Nadine LaFond, fellows explored visions of Black futures in the realms of education, justice, and health—futures untethered from a world rooted in racism. For many, envisioning these possibilities was a challenge, but the result was brought to life beautifully on canvas.

To support their artistic journey, each fellow received a 60-piece art kit and easel delivered to their homes at no cost, enabling them to dive deep into the creative process while balancing their roles as organizers.

The virtual museum tour, featuring their work and went live,  during a rally, offering a self-guided experience that immerses viewers in the powerful visions of Black liberation. In next module to your right, you get to travel and explore the interactive museum itself (click anywhere in the box museum to your right to navigate. Once inside, click on the art to review the artist statements).

For the last 4 years, Gem Project Fellows have conducted and led a Youth-Led School Board Candidate Forum with partners Youth Media Symposium of the Abbott Leadership Institute.

Gem Project Fellows have partnered with local organizations and across to co-host and or moderate school board candidate forums like with Project Ready and the NAACP Newark Branch.

Fellows at The Gem Project get to learn, draft, and present a policy brief surrounding an issue of their choice. By presenting their brief, youth engage peers and/or community members. Below are limited examples of youth work surrounding education from the PowerPoint they designed highlighting key areas of residing issues, policy options, recommendations, and solutions.

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Ishva Mehta’s presentation tackles the growing issue of college affordability, focusing on how the rising costs of education are preventing many students, especially from low-income backgrounds, from accessing higher education. This financial barrier perpetuates inequality and limits opportunities for social mobility.

 

Ishva discusses current efforts like the Pell Grant program and the Higher Education Act, which provide some assistance but don’t solve the problem. The proposal suggests broadening financial aid programs, increasing funding for need-based scholarships, and considering initiatives like the Scarlet Guarantee at Rutgers, which aim for tuition-free or debt-free education. Additionally, it calls for stronger oversight of for-profit institutions to protect students.

By implementing these changes, we could see more students, particularly those from marginalized communities, enrolling in college, reducing their financial strain, and opening up opportunities for upward mobility. Ishva emphasizes the need for collaboration across federal, state, and institutional levels to ensure that higher education becomes more accessible to everyone.

Jovanna Abdou’s policy brief presentation examines the federal government’s role in K-12 educational reform, focusing on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its impact on U.S. education. ESSA, enacted in 2015, replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and aimed to give states more control over their educational systems. However, despite its improvements, ESSA still faces criticism for not adequately addressing issues like funding disparities, resource allocation, and teacher diversity, especially in marginalized communities.

The presentation provides a critical look at the shortcomings of NCLB, such as its overemphasis on standardized testing and its one-size-fits-all approach to education, which left minority and disabled students disadvantaged. While ESSA is seen as a step forward with its expanded school performance metrics, there are concerns that states will not be held accountable for equitable resource distribution.

Jovanna recommends several actions, including investing in early childhood education, promoting community engagement, and leveraging ESSA’s flexibility to implement research-based, community-driven programs. She also advocates for implementing diversity training and hiring qualified, diverse teachers to better serve minority students.

The Gem Project Fellows host a rally that highlights issues surrounding education, health, and criminal justice. These issues come with a set of demands, exploring policy options and recommendations they had expressed in their issue briefs.

This section delves into the systemic issues in the criminal justice system, including wrongful convictions and the impact of mass incarceration. The fellows demand reform in policing practices, the abolition of unjust sentencing laws, and compensation for those wrongfully convicted. They emphasize the need for policy changes to address racial biases and promote a fairer system.

The issue brief collection titled, “Structural Racism Across the Sectors of Education, Health, and Justice.

The Gem Project Fellows, a group of youth organizers, have created a collection of issue briefs addressing structural racism in education, health, and criminal justice. These reports examine the persistent inequalities faced by Black communities and propose actionable solutions for systemic change, particularly in response to challenges heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefs provide youth-driven perspectives on racial disparities in these critical sectors, advocating for reforms that promote equity, justice, and access for marginalized populations.

Criminal Justice:

 

This section delves into the systemic issues in the criminal justice system, including wrongful convictions and the impact of mass incarceration. The fellows demand reform in policing practices, the abolition of unjust sentencing laws, and compensation for those wrongfully convicted. They emphasize the need for policy changes to address racial biases and promote a fairer system.

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