Our society is deeply divided.
Cultivate bridgebuilding skills and be part of the solution.

The Bridging the Gap Fellowship (BtG) equips students with bridgebuilding skills to engage in meaningful conversations across the deep divides of our polarized society. The program is based on a curriculum by Interfaith America. It helps students learn to listen, understand, seek common ground, and work with others across differences.

The 2024-2025 fellowship includes four workshops and two student-led panel discussions. Participating students will sharpen their bridgebuilding skills, while learning to think productively about belonging in a multicultural, multiethnic, and multi-confessional society.

Our two panel discussions will feature religious leaders who have committed to interfaith dialogue and local politicians who work across political divides. BtG fellows will meet privately with the panel participants and work together to moderate a public discussion.

A limited cohort will be asked to serve as BtG Ambassadors, who will help train the next year’s cohort and may even deliver trainings at local high schools.

Cohort 2024-2025

Catherine Bardzell, Bibhu Bhatta, John Brighouse, Tru Cawley, Lerina Davis, Christopher Flug, Breanna Gordon, Pranish Khanal, Grace Martinez, Liz Mendicino, Brandon Prichard, Emally Quezada, Amanda Shortt, Ava Smajlaj, Keva Torres

Our First Panel Discussion

Visit this page in Sep. 2025 to apply for the 2025-2026 cohort.

Co-sponsored and co-organized by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Civic and Community Engagement Center at Ramapo College.

The Russell Berrie Foundation and Interfaith America provided seed funding for our first cohort. We invite new sponsors for the coming years.

Please direct all inquires to to ccec@ramapo.edu or holgen@ramapo.edu.