the core of what we do

Effective Discourse

In Effective Discourse, our team is dedicated to bridging divides and fostering productive conversations on the most relevant, pressing issues of our current world. We aim to serve as guides and create spaces where youth can learn and engage with diverse perspectives, sharpen communication skills, and learn how to transform disagreement into collaboration. We work to expand and deepen youth engagement in policy by developing a lasting and active political community through various settings and mediums. This aligns with the Institute for Youth in Policy’s greater mission by energizing young people to actively partake in productive discourse through actionable methods of communication.Through youth-led programs, like our incredible Policy Fellowship, we are bringing together youth from all over the country in an effort to serve as mentors and collaborators with the next generation of changemakers and leaders.

1000+ Fellows

Have completed and graduated the Fellowship.

200+ Events

Have taken place since Discourse's inception.

200+ Projects

Have been published as a result of Discourse Programs.

A history of excellence.

Our Partnerships

YIP's Effective Discourse initiative has successfully hosted over 200 events, benefiting from partnerships with renowned institutions like Harvard's Kennedy School and Stanford's D-School. These collaborations have enabled us to bring together diverse voices from various sectors, enhancing the quality and reach of our discussions. Our speaker lineup has been equally impressive, featuring public health officials from states like California, Oregon, and Washington, academia representatives like Professor Douglas Becker and Deputy Director Bi-Yu Chang, along with political figures such as Congress member Anna Eshoo. The inclusion of prominent figures like 2020 Presidential Candidates Jo Jorgensen, Andrew Yang, Howie Hawkins, actor and author Stephen Fry, Richard Jefferson of Lens.org, and podcast influencer Samantha Haber, has added significant depth and perspective to our discourse, fostering a rich environment for policy exploration and development.

Our Approach

Our approach to events and the fellowship program is meticulously designed to further enrich discourse. Through interactive events, we facilitate critical discussions, bringing diverse viewpoints and expert insights to the forefront. In our fellowship, this ethos extends to nurturing young leaders, where participants engage in rigorous policy analysis and debate. Both platforms are intertwined in their goal to cultivate a deeper understanding of policy issues, encouraging participants to challenge conventional thought and contribute meaningfully to the policy dialogue. This dual approach not only broadens perspectives but also empowers young individuals to become informed, active participants in shaping policy discourse.

Conference

The Institute for Youth in Policy proudly presents our first ever Spring Policy Conference, a dynamic half-day forum bringing together leading youth policy thinkers and emerging voices in governance, technology, and global affairs. This conference will be hosted on February 22 from 1–4 PM EST, and is open for registration for interested youth! Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with a multi-sectional panel of policy speakers featuring experts in tech, space, innovation, and transnational policy, currently including youth technology advocate Momin Mahmood and speaker Jack Hardmann & Mason Bond.

Participants will then move into interactive breakout policy labs designed to deepen understanding and foster solution-oriented thinking. Breakouts will center on four relevant, and engaging policy sectors:

Tech Policy: Regulating innovation without hindering growth
Innovation in Policy: Emerging solutions such as 3D-printed sustainable infrastructure
Transnational Crime: Security dimensions of terrorist networks
Space Policy: Sovereignty, conflict, and the new era of orbital strategy

Each session will include a curated briefing, case studies of youth leadership, and collaborative work time for participants to draft policy solutions and present their ideas. The conference will conclude with closing statements and pathways for youth to continue their policy involvement, including fellowship opportunities and YIP initiatives. As technological and geopolitical landscapes shift rapidly, The Institute for Youth in Policy aims to provide young leaders and changemakers the chance not only to learn but to shape solutions. This conference is the next step in furthering our core mission of empowering the next generation to influence policy, providing the education and resources for youth to make an impact on the world.

More information about PIVOT

PIVOT is a youth-led global think tank that helps students research issues in their communities and translate their work into policy ideas and local action. Its programming has included a writing platform where students analyzed current events, a fellowship in which participants drafted policy briefs and carried out advocacy projects such as meeting with legislators, and local chapters that organized community-based initiatives. Now part of YIP, PIVOT brings an established international network and a set of research and outreach practices that expand YIP’s global programming.

Our signature program: the Fellowship

Apply

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

About one to two weeks after the deadline to apply passed, results will be sent out by our admissions board.