Independent Policy Research Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has – Margaret Mead Our Mission The NextGen Research Incubator gives teens the chance to design and lead their own policy research projects on issues like affordable housing, zoning reform, economic…
Mental Healthcare “We don’t have a mental health care system in this country; we have a mental illness crisis management system.” Dr. Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, Author Our Mission Ten exceptional teens undertook an in-depth investigation into the economic, social, and legal forces driving the nation’s mental health crisis. They uncovered how stigma, misguided policies, and…
Financial Security “If poverty persists in America, it is not for lack of resources. We lack something else: the collective will to ensure everyone has a home.” Matthew Desmond, Author Our Mission This research cohort of nine high-potential teens embarked on a mission to investigate and address the financial, social, and legal barriers that contribute…
Mental Healthcare “Mental illness is the only disease that we blame the person for having.” Dr. Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, Author Our Mission This cohort of nine high-potential teens set out to investigate and address the financial, social, and legal barriers contributing to America’s mental health crisis. Through their research, our research cohort gained a deep…
Financial Security The poor don’t want some small life. They want to contribute, and they want to thrive. But poverty reduces people born for better things. Matthew Desmond, Author Our Mission Financial instability has always been a pressing issue for individuals who live below the poverty line, particularly those from underrepresented communities, such as racial…
Financial Security The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. Franklin D. Roosevelt Our Mission Throughout history, financial insecurity has plagued those members of our society living below the poverty line, especially…
Health Equity Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our Mission This research cohort was assembled to explore the economic, social, legal, and political impediments preventing all Americans from achieving health equity and access to care. By examining the profit-centered nature of the…
Climate Justice Young people are the game-changers climate advocates have been waiting for, and their actions, methods, and idealism are models for all. Dr. Michael Mann, The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet Our Mission The Teen Think Tank Project’s Change Agent Academy assembled a team of teen research associates in June 2022…
Intro to Social Justice Our Research The Teen Think Tank Project joined the Tuxedo Summer Bridge & Ed Camp (at Tuxedo Union Free School District in Tuxedo, NY), a multi-sensory educational program that offers enriching experiences both in and outside the classroom. The research associates of the Tuxedo Summer Research Cohort spent 6 weeks building…
Financial Security Our Mission The Summer Research Cohort was assembled in June 2021 with the research focus of achieving economic security and fighting poverty. Research Associates are investigating the struggles and hardships that low-income American families face to understand how education inequalities, underemployment, inconsistent health benefits, and institutional prejudices prevent individuals from escaping poverty’s grip. …
Social Protest & Sports “Be Radical” Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Former NBA Player, Activist Our Mission The Teen Think Tank Project was assembled in January of 2021 with the mission of creating social change in sports and developing a more sophisticated, more accepting society. Our Work Supporting Social Change in Sports Throughout the history of sports, whenever…