YPL Annual Report

Newsletter

School Cellphone Policies

Sep 8, 2026

School districts in Michigan and across the country have adopted various policies to limit student cellphone use. However, we still don’t know enough about how these policies affect academic outcomes and student wellbeing. YPL is working with researc...

Room of people sitting around tables listening to a speaker in the center

Newsletter

Policy Fellowship Program - FY25-26

Sep 8, 2026

Through the Policy Fellowship program, Youth Policy Lab places early-career policy professionals in full-time roles within state and local agencies in Michigan. The Fellows provide technical assistance and strategic support to achieve specific and me...

2025 YPL fellow cohort: Dimitri, Sophie, Megan, Pita, and Sam

Newsletter

Intensive Tutoring

Sep 8, 2026

American schools are grappling with how to most effectively improve the literacy and math skills of their students. Many educational institutions turned to tutoring as a means of supporting students and improving their skills. Youth Policy Lab has be...

3 photos of Catherine Asher and Robin Jacob in Lansing - in front of the Capitol and testifying before a committee

Newsletter

Message from our Leadership

Sep 8, 2026

Brian and Robin Jacob launched Youth Policy Lab (YPL) in 2016 with seed funding from Arnold Ventures and a clear vision for the future. With one leg in the Institute for Social Research and another in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, we ha...

Brian Jacob, Robin Jacob, Megan Foster Friedman, Carrie Hammerman

Newsletter

ASPIRE 2026

Sep 8, 2026

We had another successful summer with the ASPIRE program! Now in its fourth year, ASPIRE (Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience) is an eight-week summer internship program for rising college juniors and seniors from Spelman and Mor...

The 2026 ASPIRE cohort with Gerald R. Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes

Annual Report

Youth Policy Lab 2023 Annual Report

July 1, 2024

Message from the LeadershipThank you to the dear friends and partners who have collaborated and followed Youth Policy Lab on our journey from our launch back in 2016. Throughout our existence, we have dedicated ourselves to understanding the needs an...

Annual Report

Youth Policy Lab 2022 Annual Report

February 2, 2023

Message from the YPL leadershipDear friends of YPL, It is hard to believe 2022 is over, and yet we’re thrilled to reflect back on all we have accomplished over the last year. From doubling the number of YPL Data & Policy Fellows working on strategic ...

The skyline of Detroit river and buildings