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The Public Policy Fellowship
An intensive two-month program for young leaders to collaborate, develop, and propose innovative cross-sector solutions for social, political, economic, and environmental issues, while also honing their skills in project management, policy analysis, teamwork, communication, and more.
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Our Impact
Our fellowship stands as a testament to impactful, youth-driven innovation in public policy, striving to be among the most influential in its field.
1500+
Fellows graduated from the program.
300+
Fellows' capstones published.
3.2M
Viewed the Fellows' Capstones.
80%
Of YIP Leadership started in the Fellowship.
5-8%
Acceptance rate average.
The public policy fellowship program is a two-month development opportunity designed for young, emerging leaders who are passionate about learning how to engage with and develop public policy and create positive social, political, economic, and environmental change.
The fellowship is designed exclusively for United States based individuals, aimed to enrich students' understanding of American political systems and their role in implementing and executing change. For internationally based students who are interested in the Fellowship programs offerings, please explore our Global Rising Innovators Program below.
Throughout this program, fellows collaborate with their peers, YIP department executives, political and educational leaders, and community stakeholders to analyze and develop innovative solutions to current issues in a wide variety of mediums. Fellows will collaborate with their peers and mentors to gain a deeper understanding of the various sub-sectors related to their fields of focus while honing their project management, policy analysis, and development skills. All fellows explore policy from a personal, local, and global angle, and complete a capstone project.
The fellowship empowers young leaders on their policy journey. Each session is crafted to be unique and impactful, giving fellows invaluable knowledge, skills, and experiences that will shape their future through workshops and discussions (often in collaboration with YIP’s other departments). Fellows will work on numerous fronts and focus on topics including social change, urban renewal, public policy reform, SMART infrastructure/technology initiatives, and education to create a brighter and more collaborative future for all.
December 23rd
Application due date for the Winter cohort of the 2027 Fellowship. Decisions will be released on January 6th.
DUE
2027 Cohorts
Winter - January 16th to March 20th
Spring - April 3rd to June 9th
Summer - June 19th to August 21st
Fall - September 11th to November 13th
Dates
Fellowship Speakers
Speaker events serve as one of the foundational aspects of the Fellowship program, offering opportunities for emerging leaders to learn from and interact with policy experts. With two speaker sessions per cohort, we strive to host a variety of experts that target different policy fields, expanding fellow’s knowledge of cross-sector civic impact.
Recent speakers include:
Angela Pedrigal:
Angela Pedrigal serves as a Council Policy and Legislative Analyst for San José Councilmember David Cohen and Civic Organizer with LEAD Filipino, where she helps bridge civic action with underserved communities.
Edward Price:
Edward Price serves as the Interim Co-director of the Harvard Institute of Politics and previously served as the Deputy and former Spokesperson for the United States Department of State.
Elizabeth Goitein:
Elizabeth Goitein serves as a senior director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, and is a nationally recognized expert on presidential emergency powers, government surveillance, and government secrecy.
Global Rising Innovators in Policy
GRIP is a six-week, hands-on program where high school and college students transform real community challenges into compelling, solutions-driven policy pitches.
Participants collaborate in teams, attend interactive workshops to sharpen their storytelling and strategy, and compete in a Shark Tank–style showcase. Through sessions focused on narrative-building, policy development, and public communication, students will develop innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing global issues.
Top proposals will receive policy mentorship and a direct pathway to continue developing their work within the Institute for Youth in Policy. Winning teams will have the opportunity to pitch real solutions, draft real bills, and present to government officials.
Applications coming soon
Explore
Prior to applying, check out some former fellow profiles as well as the capstones.
Apply
Apply for the fellowship by filling out the short form on the left. We look forward to reading your applications!
Results
We post decision dates on our website and send results via email.
How often does this program take place?
Our programming for 2027 consists of four cohorts:
Winter: January - March
Spring: April - June
Summer: June - August
Fall: September - November
The applications are rolling for all cohorts when open. Please see the form for which cohorts are currently open. We look forward to reviewing your applications. Applications close at 11:59pm PST on the deadline date. Feel free to reach out to us via email with any questions at fellowship@yipinstitute.org.
What does the day-to-day look like?
In short, there is no day-to-day; the program was created in 2021 during the pandemic by our Chairman to work for busy schedules! There are two mandatory weekly synchronous meetings every week on Wednesdays at 8pm EST and Saturdays at 12pm EST. The program also includes an individual capstone project and presentation, which extends from the second week of the fellowship to the end of the program.
Most fellows report approximately 4-6 hours in terms of weekly commitment including all synchronous meetings and asynchronous work.
What are your prices?
How does the program work?
After qualified applicants are selected to participate in the fellowship program, they embark upon an immersive journey of personal, professional, and political growth through engaging seminars, thought-provoking debates, interactive workshops, and exclusive guest speaker opportunities. Throughout the program, fellows will also work with their peers on writing an original policy brief and presenting it, as well as developing their own original capstone project. Fellows receive ongoing guidance and mentorship throughout the program to ensure that they are building a unique skill set of policy analysis, communication, articulation, nonpartisan thinking, debate, and problem-solving. We like to think that what you get out of the fellowship, is what you put into it!
What are your prices?
Who is eligible?
The fellowship program is open to all high school and undergraduate students ages 13-23 with interest or experience in social impact, community organizing, civic engagement, design thinking, advocacy, and, of course, discourse! Graduate students and graduates are not eligible for the program. Unfortunately, the fellowship is not open to international applicants since meetings are scheduled in U.S. time zones and the workshops largely focus on U.S.-oriented public policy and political systems. The fellowship is designed to accomodate students in Eastern, Central, and Pacific time zones.
What happens after?
Fellows are given priority consideration and direct access to YIP's C-suite and SVPs in terms of hiring and other positions. We have a priority hiring pipeline for fellowship graduates. Additionally, your capstone project will be posted on this page! Feel free to check out some of the older ones before applying.
