Applications for Interfaith America’s Bridgebuilders Relating Across Interfaith Differences (BRAID) 2025-26 fellowship are now open until November 9. The BRAID Fellowship helps undergraduate students across the country advance bridgebuilding on their campuses and in their communities through skill-building, networking with peers, and facilitating on-campus interfaith projects.
At the 2025 Interfaith Leadership Summit, some of the 2024-25 BRAID fellows discussed the challenges and opportunities of coordinating interfaith bridgebuilding projects during a panel entitled “BRAID-ing Together Student-led Interfaith Projects.”
Learn more about their projects and read their reflections on the experience:
Applications for Interfaith America’s Bridgebuilders Relating Across Interfaith Differences (BRAID) 2025-26 fellowship are now open until November 9. The BRAID Fellowship helps undergraduate students across the country advance bridgebuilding on their campuses and in their communities through skill-building, networking with peers, and facilitating on-campus interfaith projects.
At the 2025 Interfaith Leadership Summit, some of the 2024-25 BRAID fellows discussed the challenges and opportunities of coordinating interfaith bridgebuilding projects during a panel entitled “BRAID-ing Together Student-led Interfaith Projects.”
Learn more about their projects and read their reflections on the experience:
In May 2025, Rybka planned and facilitated an interfaith event and lunch on her campus entitled “Promoting Healing and Wellbeing: An Interfaith Dialogue about Native Plant Medicines.” The event, which took place during UIUC’s finals week, was held in partnership between Interfaith in Action UIUC, a club she helped found as a freshman, and the campus Native American House. It featured two panelists who spoke on approaches to stress, followed by participant roundtable discussion.
When asked during the BRAID-ing together panel what this fellowship has taught her and what advice she has for students advancing bridgebuilding work, Rybka shared the following: “Don’t be intimidated if something on paper is ‘not for you’ … You don’t have to start something new. You can build through a group already on your campus.”
Read more from Rybka: How This Year’s Summit Helped Two Big 10 Campuses Win
Aleena Malik, University of Michigan
Malik’s BRAID project was an interfaith Fast-A-Thon, where U of M students and community members with diverse worldviews came together to share a meal and discuss how various faith traditions understand the practice of fasting. This event was also an opportunity to introduce Aleena’s on-campus organization, Interfaith in Action.
Reflecting on her role on the panel and her fellowship experience on LinkedIn, Malik wrote, “The Bridgebuilders Relating Across Interfaith Differences (BRAID) fellowship taught me interfaith bridgebuilding skills, expanded my network of students and leaders dedicated to fostering interfaith engagement on their campuses, and provided me funding to bring my visions to life on campus.”
Joseph Pool, Rollins College
Paying tribute to his Moroccan-Jewish heritage, Pool hosted a version of Mimouna — a festival marking the end of Passover, when Muslim and Jewish neighbors would come together to share a table of good food, treats, and mint tea. During the final week of classes at Rollins, students, staff, administrators, and community members participated in this “Festival of Good Neighbors,” where they bonded over traditional food, music, and conversation.
“The best way to talk about differences is to talk about what you have in common,” Pool said during the panel, emphasizing the power of a shared meal in bringing folks of all different backgrounds and ideologies together.
Mahnoor Iftikhar, Pacific Lutheran University
As a part of her BRAID fellowship project, Iftikhar hosted an interfaith iftar, where she invited her peers and campus community to break a fast together during the holy month of Ramadan, observed in Islam. The event included an informational presentation about iftars and Ramadan, and a quiz with prizes.
“Just because something hasn’t been done before,” shared Iftikhar during the Summit panel, “doesn’t mean it can’t happen on your campus.”
