Founded in 2015, the YI New York office works out of New York City and across the state to expand economic opportunity for young adults, and bring young voices into the political process. Since our founding, our New York team has worked on issues related to college affordability, health coverage, and connecting young people to living-wage employment.
Last year we launched New York’s first state-wide coalition dedicated to meeting all postsecondary students’ basic needs, especially food, housing, and mental health. We also released Living With a Debt Sentence, the first policy report examining the impact of medical debt on young adults in New York State.
In November 2019, we released a report on the barriers young people experiencing homelessness face when trying to enter and complete college. Our research became the foundation of our campaign to make sure that all college students have access to their most essential needs, like housing, food, and healthcare. After the release of our report, we launched statewide coalitions to end student homelessness and the hunger crisis impacting New York’s college campuses.
YI New York also advances access to higher education through our partnership and coalition work. We are a founding steering committee member of the CUNY Rising Alliance, where we push for creating tuition-free college at the City University of New York, the nation’s largest public urban university system. We also launched #DegreesNYC with the Goddard Riverside Options Center, and Graduate NYC, a collective impact project to close the college equity attainment gaps in New York City.
We run two programs: the New York Young Advocates Program and our Youth Advisory Board.
Young Advocates Program
The New York Young Advocates program is our signature paid fellowship in policy and advocacy. Our semester-long program trains young New Yorkers to develop and lead their own issue-based campaigns, and builds the next generation of civic leaders across our state.
Sign up for our email list to be notified when we open applications for our next cohort!
Youth Advisory Board
The Youth Advisory Board is a volunteer opportunity for young leaders (ages 18-34) to gain experience in politics, advocacy, and government relations while building your professional network. Members help develop Young Invincibles’ policy agenda around issues facing young people, such as health care, higher education, and employment – ensuring the final agenda is reflective of real needs and experiences.
Join our email list and reach out to Lisa.Nishimura@Younginvincibles.org to learn more. Apply here!
Read below for research, policy ideas, and fact sheets related to economic opportunity for young adults in New York, and check out our 2025 legislative agenda. If you’re interested in partnering or joining our work in New York more generally, we’d love to hear from you!
Contact information:
Sean Henry Miller, Northeast Regional Director
Sean.Miller@younginvincibles.org
25 Broadway
New York, NY 10004