A midwife, a social science teacher, five high school seniors, a domestic violence counselor and a fire lieutenant are among 12 Vineyarders chosen to be part of the 2016 Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship program.

Announced this week, the vision fellowships provide financial support for individuals and programs focusing on issues related to the sustainability of the Island. The program began in 2005 and now includes a network of 57 Islanders, who in turn help mentor the new fellows.

This year’s fellows include a diverse cross section of issues and individuals.

Marcelle Alves is a senior at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School whose goal is to become an immigration lawyer. Next year she will study political science and Spanish in college, and this summer she will intern with Island attorney Rebecca McCarthy.

Zachary Bresnick, a senior at the regional high school, plans to pursue a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering with a focus on renewable resources. He was selected as a representative of Dukes County on the Governor’s statewide youth council, where he is currently working on a bill designed to close the education gap in Massachusetts. This summer he will intern with Island Grown Initiative under the mentorship of Keith Wilda.

Katy Plasse Decker works at Daybreak Clubhouse, a program of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. Next year she will pursue a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology at Penn State’s World Campus. She plans to design a specialized education program for people with mental and physical disabilities.

Connor Downing, a senior at the regional high school, will pursue a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. At the high school, he helped create a science-based outreach program for elementary school children. Connor has been a varsity tennis player since his freshman year, and also plays violin with local orchestral groups and the All Cape Orchestra.

Lila Fischer, a certified professional midwife and doula, will pursue a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She recently returned from a two-month volunteer trip to Mother Health International’s birth clinic in rural Uganda where she previously spent six months as lead midwife.

April Knight will obtain a Ph.D. in international psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. During her fellowship, she plans to develop a one-year pilot curriculum for fourth to eighth grade students on soft skill development. She works as counselor at the Oak Bluffs School and serves as an emergency services clinician at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.

Sara Leandro will pursue a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work through its Virtual Academic Center program. She is a domestic violence and rape crisis counselor at Connect to End Violence, a program of Community Services.

Jonah Maidoff is a social science teacher at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. He plans to develop a curriculum called Equator to the Arctic that will provide opportunities for high school students to investigate real-world climate change issues.

Brian Morris will continue studies toward a master of science degree in rehabilitation counseling at UMass Boston’s School for Global Inclusion and Social Justice. He serves on the development committee of Vineyard House and runs a monthly Lyme disease support group at Howes House.

Sara Poggi, a senior at the regional high school, will obtain a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She has volunteered at Windemere since she was a sophomore and has been a student teacher in the high school’s special education program. Sara was captain of her field hockey team, vice president of the student body, president of SafeRides and a member of Martha’s Vineyard Youth Leadership.

Kara Shemeth will obtain a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from American Public University. Kara is a project surveyor for Schofield, Barbini & Hoehn, Inc. and a lieutenant/EMT with the Edgartown fire department. For two years after college, she served as an AmeriCorps Member in the National Civilian Community Corps, where she engaged in trail building, wildfire fighting, emergency responses and other community projects.

Astrid Tilton, a senior at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, plans to study environmental policy in college. Last year she worked with state Rep. Tim Madden and Noli Taylor, program leader of Island Grown Schools and a 2007 vision fellow, to create legislation for Massachusetts Farm to School Month. She organized the first annual farm-to-school day where students, teachers, farmers and advocacy groups from around Massachusetts gathered at the State House to demonstrate the value of connecting students to the source of their food. She is also a photographer and won a gold key from the Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her photography portfolio.

For more information on the vision fellowship program, visit vineyardvision.org.