Empowering the Next Generation: The Jed Foundation Unveils Its 2026 Youth Advocacy Coalition Internship Cohort
The mental health landscape for young people in the United States is at a critical juncture. As rates of anxiety, depression, and systemic barriers to care continue to challenge students and young adults, The Jed Foundation (JED)—a leading national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults—is doubling down on its commitment to youth-led solutions.
This summer, JED officially launched its 2026 Youth Advocacy Coalition (YAC) internship cohort, a group of six distinguished young leaders selected through a rigorous, nationwide application process. These interns represent not just a collection of talented students, but a vanguard of advocates poised to reshape how mental health is addressed in classrooms, legislative halls, and local communities.
The Mandate: Centering Student Voice in Policy
The YAC internship is far from a traditional desk job. It is a highly structured, eight-week immersion program designed to transform personal passion into institutional impact. The curriculum is meticulously crafted to cover the pillars of effective advocacy: mental health policy, strategic communication, and the power of narrative storytelling.
The core mission of the program is to bridge the gap between policymakers and the youth they represent. For too long, mental health policy has been debated in spaces where the most affected demographic—students and young adults—have been excluded. JED’s YAC program flips this script. By providing these interns with expert mentorship and professional thought partnership, the Foundation ensures that when these young leaders step into legislative briefings or meet with elected officials, they are armed with both the data to support their arguments and the lived experience to give those arguments weight.
A Chronology of Advocacy
The journey for these six interns began months before they arrived at JED. Each was selected based on a proven track record of local advocacy, demonstrating that they were already working to solve the problems they hope to influence on a national scale.
- The Selection Phase: JED’s recruitment process sought individuals who demonstrated not only academic excellence but a deep-seated commitment to equity and inclusivity.
- The Onboarding: Upon arrival, the cohort underwent intensive training focused on federal and state policy mechanics. They were briefed on current legislative challenges, ranging from campus counseling funding to the regulation of digital platforms and their impact on youth well-being.
- The Advocacy Cycle: Over the next eight weeks, the interns will participate in a series of "action-learning" cycles. This includes drafting policy memos, participating in stakeholder meetings, and co-authoring communications that will be disseminated through JED’s national network.
- The Closing Impact: The internship culminates in a capstone project where each intern proposes a scalable advocacy strategy for their home community or college campus, ensuring that the knowledge gained during the summer creates a lasting ripple effect.
Profiles in Leadership: The 2026 Cohort
The diversity of the 2026 cohort—geographically, academically, and experientially—is one of its greatest strengths.
Audrey Brcka: The Student-Athlete Perspective
As an NCAA Division I volleyball player at William & Mary, Audrey Brcka brings an invaluable lens to the cohort: the intersection of high-performance athletics and mental health. Having observed firsthand the immense pressure placed on student-athletes, she advocates for early intervention and the normalization of help-seeking behavior. Her work at Eastern State Hospital has given her a clinical appreciation for the system, which she balances with her personal commitment to mentoring young athletes.
Blake Hurst: Bridging Policy and Prevention
Coming from Indianapolis, Blake Hurst brings a focus on the systemic roots of health crises. An incoming freshman at the University of Notre Dame, Blake’s history with the Indiana Department of Health—where he worked on youth vaping and tobacco policy—highlights his understanding of the interconnected nature of substance use and mental health. He views these issues through the lens of health equity, advocating for a holistic approach to student wellness.
Yousif Al Kinani: Community-Led Stigma Reduction
Yousif, a rising sophomore at Bowdoin College, has already proven that peer-to-peer influence is a powerful tool for change. As a co-founder of a campus-wide Mental Health Awareness Campaign that engages over 400 students, he understands that storytelling is the antidote to stigma. His background in neuroscience informs his approach, blending scientific literacy with community forums to create safe spaces for dialogue.
Alicia Mitchell: The Power of Narrative
Also competing in NCAA Division I basketball for Columbia University, Alicia Mitchell studies psychology and leverages her platform to advocate for systemic change. Her focus lies in using media and narrative to dismantle the "toughness" trope often associated with athletes and young people. By pushing for meaningful, accessible support systems, she seeks to ensure that no young person feels that their mental health struggles must be hidden in the pursuit of success.
Carter Nguyen: Navigating Institutional Change
Carter Nguyen, a student at the University of Washington, brings a high level of institutional sophistication to the team. Through his leadership roles with The ACCESS Project and the HEAL Initiative, he has spent his time evaluating university counseling services and training programs. His goal is to address the disparities in access that currently plague the higher education landscape.
Hanae Noirbent: History and Equity
Hanae, a UCLA junior, brings a global perspective to the coalition. With roots in Edinburgh, Atlanta, and her French-Cameroonian heritage, she approaches mental health through a lens of social justice. As Editor-in-Chief of Nommo, she has dedicated her voice to uplifting Black narratives. Her ambition to enter the legal profession reflects her commitment to systemic reform, viewing the courtroom as a site for future advocacy.
Supporting Data: Why This Matters
The urgency of the YAC program is underscored by persistent national data. According to recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Psychological Association (APA), the mental health crisis among youth is not merely a trend but a structural emergency.
- Access Barriers: Despite increased demand, a significant percentage of college students report that their campus counseling centers are under-resourced or have wait times that preclude timely intervention.
- The Role of Policy: Research consistently shows that schools with robust, policy-backed mental health initiatives—such as suicide prevention protocols and dedicated mental health education—see better outcomes in academic retention and long-term health.
- Peer Influence: Studies indicate that young people are significantly more likely to seek help if they are encouraged to do so by a peer, which is the foundational principle behind the YAC’s peer-led advocacy model.
Official Responses and Organizational Vision
The leadership at The Jed Foundation views the YAC program as an investment in the future of the mental health sector. In a recent internal briefing, JED representatives emphasized that the goal is not just to provide an internship experience, but to foster a lifelong network of advocates.
"We are not just training students; we are empowering the architects of tomorrow’s mental health systems," a JED spokesperson noted. "By integrating these young people into the highest levels of our policy work, we ensure that the voices of the next generation are not just heard, but are the primary drivers of the policies that will shape their own futures."
The Foundation maintains that the YAC cohort’s work is essential to its broader mission of closing the gap between the prevalence of mental health challenges and the availability of effective, equitable, and sustainable support.
Implications for the Future
The implications of the 2026 YAC cohort’s work are far-reaching. By training these six leaders, JED is creating a "force multiplier" effect. Each intern will return to their respective universities—ranging from Notre Dame and Columbia to UCLA and Bowdoin—with a heightened capacity to influence campus culture and administrative policy.
Furthermore, the legislative work conducted by these interns is expected to contribute to a broader push for federal mental health funding and improved standards for mental health services on campuses nationwide. As they move forward in their careers—whether as lawyers, psychologists, or policymakers—these individuals will carry with them the unique JED perspective: that mental health is not just a personal struggle, but a matter of public policy and collective responsibility.
For those watching the intersection of youth advocacy and national policy, the 2026 YAC cohort represents a beacon of hope. They are evidence that the next generation is not only concerned about the state of mental health in America but is actively building the tools and the political will to change it. As the summer progresses, the nation will undoubtedly see the fruits of their labor, as these six interns transform their passion into the policies that will secure a healthier, more resilient future for their peers.
