Sam Bailey and Katy Spencer, both juniors at Mercer Island High School, were recently named as recipients of the Mike Yarrow Peace Fellowship for 2017-2018. The fellowship provides a monetary grant to recipients, along with training and mentorship to develop a social justice campaign or project of their choice for the year.

This year’s fellowship was granted to 14 students from across the country. Bailey and Spencer, who are also the co-founders of the MIHS ACLU Club, will be conducting their year-long fellowship project in the study of “Implicit Racism and Police Brutality.”

The Mike Yarrow Peace Fellowship selects high school and college aged students in order to encourage the theory and practice of active nonviolence on issues of peace and social justice in the traditions of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. Fellows learn about peace and justice issues, nonviolent movement building, and gain skills such as public speaking, group leadership, media development, conducting surveys, public relations, outreach and lobbying.

The Fellows meet individual activists, visit organizations, are introduced to current hot issues, and are mentored by experienced activists, public figures, and community organizers from the Seattle area and beyond. Applicants may choose their topic and project of interest and then receive support and guidance throughout their year as fellows.

The MYPF is run by Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation in partnership with the Abe Keller Peace Education Fund.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the largest, oldest, interfaith peace and justice organization in the United State. The ACLU developed out of the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s conscientious objectors program and the Emergency Committee for Civil Liberties. The Abe Keller Peace Education Fund is a nonprofit organization that provides financial support for peace and justice education in the Pacific Northwest.