Capstones

The capstone projects in the YIP Fellowship represent the culmination of an intensive eight-week program, embodying the essence of inquiry-driven learning. These projects, crafted by fellows at the program's conclusion, are a testament to their intellectual growth and understanding of complex policy issues. Each capstone is a unique reflection of the skills and insights gained, demonstrating a synthesis of research, analysis, and innovative thinking. Serving as both a personal and academic milestone, these capstones highlight the fellows' readiness to engage with real-world challenges, marking a significant step in their journey as emerging policy leaders.

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Capstones may reflect individual viewpoints and do not represent YIP's nonpartisan stance.

All Fellowship Capstones

Strengthening California’s Policies for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Capstones Fall 2025

Sexual violence is a pervasive issue that leaves survivors facing stigma, barriers to justice, and limited institutional support. While California has taken steps through measures like AB 379 and the Safe at Home program, significant gaps in restitution, legal protections, and academic accommodations remain. This brief outlines the problem and proposes survivor-centered reforms to strengthen prevention, access to justice, and long-term recovery.

Giving Illinois Wildlife a Fair Shot: A Critical Analysis of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act and the Path Forward

Capstones Fall 2025

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest risks posed to animal, plant, and human populations. In response to this issue, the federal government and state governments have enacted legislation to protect endangered species and promote habitat recovery. This brief specifically explores conservation efforts for endangered and threatened species in Illinois.

Pesticide Exposure: A Proactive Approach in Improving Maternal Health

Capstones Fall 2025

Health policy often overlooks the intersection of maternal health risks and environmental harm. This brief explores the risks associated with pesticide exposure and adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Despite evidence linking pesticides usage in agricultural zones to reproductive harm many states fail to address this issue.

Revitalizing Brownfields: Local Policy Solutions for Sustainable Urban Redevelopment

Capstones Fall 2025

Brownfields—abandoned or underused industrial areas affected by pollution—remain a challenge for sustainable development in the United States. While federal programs like CERCLA and the EPA’s Brownfields Program have helped address contamination, many sites are still left behind because of high cleanup costs, liability issues, and complicated regulations. This policy brief explores why brownfields continue to persist and what can be done at the local level to fix the problem.

Restoring Italy: the Immigration Crisis and Ineffective Systems

Capstones Fall 2025

Immigration is prevalent all over the world: regardless of location, it has been a persistent catalyst for discourse. Pertaining to Italy, immigration from neighboring countries has risen in recent years, simultaneously exacerbated by fruitless policies.

Detention and Family Separation in San Diego County: Addressing the Human Cost of Immigration Policy

Capstones Fall 2025

The separation of a family continues to be understood as one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges for individuals living in the United States, and more specifically for families in San Diego County, California where the pernicious trauma of separation continues for thousands of immigrant families due to immigration detention, poor reunification processes, and lack of access to legal and social services. While there are legislative programs that exist in California to assist families, such as the Reuniting Immigrant Families Act (SB 1064), there remain gaps in coordination and enforcement, and families continue to experience the humanitarian crisis of separation.

California’s Contributions: Equity in Education

Capstones Fall 2025

In this brief, I analyze inequity in the American education system and its impact on underserved students in both low-income and affluent communities. I examine California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) as a policy response and evaluate its effectiveness as a potential national model.

Increasing Mental Health Support in Washington State Schools

Capstones Fall 2025

This brief explains the problem of mental health support in Washington State schools and why students are struggling to get the help they need. It addresses who is affected by this issue, what has been tried already, and why current systems are not working. This brief covers the history of school counseling in Washington, the different people involved in trying to fix this problem, and what policy options the state could use to make things better.

The Intersection Between Food Waste & Insecurity

Capstones Fall 2025

Throughout the hearts of Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona, the hunger crisis has rampaged cities, and clung on to the lifelines that hold up the societal framework of small towns. Paralleling the devastations of the over 18 million households living in hunger, almost a half of the food supply in the United States goes to waste annually. This brief will touch on the intersection at which hunger and food waste meet, and how reducing waste can have positive implications for families experiencing hunger, nationwide.

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All Fellowship Capstones

Strengthening California’s Policies for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Giving Illinois Wildlife a Fair Shot: A Critical Analysis of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act and the Path Forward

Pesticide Exposure: A Proactive Approach in Improving Maternal Health

Revitalizing Brownfields: Local Policy Solutions for Sustainable Urban Redevelopment

Restoring Italy: the Immigration Crisis and Ineffective Systems

Detention and Family Separation in San Diego County: Addressing the Human Cost of Immigration Policy

California’s Contributions: Equity in Education

Increasing Mental Health Support in Washington State Schools

The Intersection Between Food Waste & Insecurity