Introducing: Inside the NYAC Fellowship — A Year of Youth Leadership in Action
2025 NYAC Cohort students learning from Georgia State University archivist Morna Gerrard at the 2025 IGNYTE conference
The National Youth Advocacy Corps (NYAC) is a year‑long leadership development fellowship that equips young people with the research, advocacy, and policy skills they need to drive change in their communities.
Last Fall, from October 9–12, 2025, 2025 NYAC Fellows gathered at the IGNYTE Symposium for four days of learning, connection, and community building. Before and after the symposium, fellows completed evaluation surveys that helped us understand their expectations, their learning, and the impact of each workshop. Their reflections — captured through these pre‑ and post‑surveys and through ongoing monthly evaluations — have shaped the fellowship year ever since.
Now, as we move into Spring 2026, we're excited to share that journey with you.
This April, we're launching Inside the Fellowship, a monthly blog series that brings readers into the heart of the 2025–2026 NYAC Fellowship. Each post will highlight a different part of the fellows' growth — from the early sparks of inspiration at IGNYTE to the development of their research projects, leadership skills, and advocacy practices throughout the year. IGNYTE set the foundation. Fellows told us they left the symposium feeling more connected to one another, more confident in their ability to lead, and more grounded in the skills they would carry into their projects. Those themes — confidence, community, and clarity — have continued to guide their work in the months since.
Throughout this series, you'll see how fellows:
Built confidence and community at IGNYTE
Learned within cross‑generational learning spaces
Developed strong research questions
Explored archives and history as method
Chose and refined their research approaches
Applied intersectional thinking to deepen their analysis
Grew through one‑on‑one coaching with faculty mentors
Learned from NYAC alumni who return as mentors
These elements — youth‑driven inquiry, faculty mentorship, cross‑generational dialogue, and alumni leadership — form the backbone of NYAC's leadership development model. They reflect our belief that young people are not just participants in this work; they are co‑creators of the movement's future.
Each post in this series draws from evaluation feedback, student reflections, and the real moments of growth that have defined this fellowship year.
We're excited to share the brilliance, curiosity, and leadership of our 2025–2026 NYAC Fellows — and to celebrate the community they continue to build together.
First up: What IGNYTE 2025 taught us about youth leadership.
Stay tuned.
About Our Evaluation Approach
To understand how fellows grow as leaders, researchers, and advocates, NYAC uses a multi‑stage evaluation process grounded in reflection, transparency, and continuous improvement. Fellows complete:
Pre‑conference surveys to share their expectations, prior knowledge, and learning goals
Post‑session surveys after each IGNYTE workshop to capture immediate learning, confidence shifts, and sense of community
Post‑conference survey to assess overall impact
Post monthly check‑in meeting surveys that ask fellows how helpful each presentation was for their project development and invite suggestions to strengthen future meetings
Post monthly one‑on‑one coaching session surveys with faculty, where fellows receive individualized guidance and practice leadership competencies
This evaluation approach allows us to measure growth over time — from early sparks of curiosity at IGNYTE to the development of research skills, critical thinking, and leadership competencies throughout the year. These insights directly inform our curriculum, coaching model, and cross‑generational learning spaces, ensuring that NYAC remains youth‑centered, data‑driven, and responsive to the needs of emerging leaders.
