Don’t miss out!
Teen Changemaker Program applications will remain open
on a rolling basis now that the priority application period has ended.
Learn more about our Teen Changemaker Programs, take our quiz
to see which program is right for you, and submit your application today.
Program Descriptions
Kol Koleinu
The Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship is a distinctive opportunity for young Jewish feminists in 9th-12th grade to build intergenerational and peer-to-peer relationships, to learn how to effectively speak their minds and build their activism toolbox to create change in their community.
Offered in collaboration with NFTY and with support from USY, this year-long fellowship invites young Jewish women, trans teens, and non-binary teens to learn how to apply a Jewish feminist lens to the world, ask powerful questions, deepen their knowledge about social change, and amplify their voices to share their beliefs and express a call to action. Finally, Fellows hone their skills by creating a tangible Capstone project.
Kumi: Foundation
Kumi is a unique opportunity for Jewish teens in 10th-12th grade to interrupt racism, antisemitism, and other manifestations of oppression. This teen leadership experience imparts knowledge and skills for exploring justice and equity from a Jewish lens.
Kumi is a one-semester retreat-based experience where teens of all genders from across the country come together to learn and build a Jewish justice community. In keeping with racial justice best-practices, the program includes two affinity spaces, Jews of Color Empowerment and Anti-Racist Allies, that learn together and separately over the course of the experience to provide intentional and targeted support of their learning.
*Jews of Color is an imperfect umbrella term that refers to Jewish people who also identify as people of color in an American race context.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Program Focus
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| Empowering changemakers through the intersections of feminism, activism, and Judaism | Interrupting racism, sexism, antisemitism, and other forms of oppression |
Eligibility
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| In 9th-12th grade during the 2024-25 school year Jewish female, trans, and non-binary teens | In 10th-12th grade during the 2024-25 school year Jewish teens of all genders |
Type of Experience
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| • Throughout the 2024-24 school year • National program with regional cohorts accepting 50-60 participants • Hybrid experience with monthly virtual meetings, regional and national in-person retreats • Matched with an adult mentor with relevant experience • Culminates with the completion of a Capstone project | • Fall semester 2024 • National program accepting 20-30 participants • Hybrid experience with monthly virtual meetings and a 4-day national in-person retreat • Includes two parallel tracks: Jews of Color and anti-racist allies • Alumni become eligible for Kumi: Exploration |
Time Commitment
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| • August — Family orientation (1 hr) • Sept-April — Monthly virtual cohort meetings (2 hrs) • Sept-April — Monthly community calls (1 hr) • Two in-person retreats: national (Nov 8-10) and regional (April 4-6, 2025) • Preparation for calls and Capstone project • Mentor meetings | • August — Family Orientation (2 hrs) • September and October — Virtual Community of Practice Sessions (2 hrs each) • November 8-11 — Foundation Retreat in Chicago • December — Post-Retreat Reflection Session (2 hrs) |
In-Person Experience
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| November 8-10 — 3-day, national program retreat in the Chicago area April 4-6, 2025 — 3-day regional cohort retreat | November 8-11 — Foundation Retreat in the Chicago area |
Opportunities
| Kol Koleinu | Kumi |
|---|---|
| Alumni are eligible to apply for our Kol Koleinu Teen Leader program | Alumni are eligible to apply for a Kumi: Exploration trip each spring |
Not sure which program is right for you?
Take this quiz or share it with the teen in your life to help them figure out which program is the best fit:
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE APRIL 21.
Help Us Spread the Word!
- Know someone who would make a great Teen Changemaker? Nominate them!
- Share this opportunity with your network using our Promotional Toolkit.