When academics first introduced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education as an adaptation of the pre-existing STEM curriculum, the shift immediately sparked debate. Critics challenged the presence of creativity amongst the sciences, pointing to the perceived rigidity within the other disciplines. We don’t see the same distinctions.
At CitizensNYC, we believe creativity and innovation are deeply intertwined, and that the people closest to the work are the ones best equipped to lead it. Honoring the legacy of our co-founder Osborn Elliott, the one-year Elliott Fellowships provide $15,000 in support to leaders who have outgrown our grant eligibility threshold by providing flexible funding and opportunities to mentor the next generation of changemakers.
CitizensNYC’s Elliott Fellow, Meghan McNamara, has built The Octavia Project at the intersection of these fields, redefining the lines between them. Through free programs that integrate science fiction, creative writing, art, and STEAM education, The Octavia Project has cultivated spaces where imagination and self-expression are not separate from science but essential to it. Meghan and her team center STEAM as an equity-driven, community-centered practice, bringing together young women, trans, and nonbinary youth as creators and changemakers.
At CitizensNYC, we believe the people closest to the work are the ones best equipped to lead it. The Elliott Fellowship brings community leaders back as mentors to share lived expertise, strengthen collective capacity, and guide the next generation of grassroots changemakers. As part of the inaugural cohort of Elliott Fellows, Meghan returns to us as a mentor and leader, drawing on more than a decade of experience building community-centered programs in Brooklyn.
As a part of her Fellowship, Meghan facilitated “Cultivating Individual Donors,” a workshop geared towards the CitizensNYC grantee network, sharing practical strategies for sustainable fundraising, relationship-building, and sustaining donor support over time through the lens of a peer grassroots leader. Highlighting the resonance of peer-to-peer learning, she reflects, “I remember what it was like to run our first campaign, and now I’ve done it for over a decade.” Having once been in familiar shoes, she offers guidance grounded in empathy, clarity, and a true understanding of both the challenges and possibilities of grassroots work. “Not everything has to be learned through trial and error; I want to help others avoid some of the challenges we faced early on.”
For Meghan, this Fellowship has created opportunities to give back and to continue to grow herself. Fellows serve as mentors to emerging grantees, lead workshops, and contribute their expertise to processes like grant review and program design. This role, creating space for reflection and recognition, often marks the shift from learning to leading.
She shares, “This is the first time I’ve really felt like I have something to offer others.”
By creating a bridge between past and present grantees, the Elliott Fellowship captures the heart of CitizensNYC’s mission: when New Yorkers invest in one another, the entire city moves forward.
