2026 Institute

The Impact Lab @ GDS selects Policy Institute tracks that encourage learning about the human impacts, policy underpinnings, and means for engaged action specific to their topics. This summer, the Impact Lab @ GDS will be offering seven Policy Institute tracks:

AI in a Human World

Beyond Bars: Rethinking Criminal Justice in America

Body and Choice: Who's in Charge?

Degrees of Access: Equity in Higher Education

The Health Gap: Wellness Culture, Elitism, and Equity

Life Resettled: The Immigrant Experience

Body and Choice

Under the Algorithm: Mental Health, Phones, and Public Policy

Dates + Commitments

• Applications are due Sunday, March 8 by 11:59pm.

• The 2026 Policy Institute will run from Monday, June 22 - Friday, July 17 (with a day off on Friday, July 3). Students who apply and are accepted into the Institute must confirm their commitment to attending each day of all four weeks. 

• The Institute will take place in person Monday - Friday, generally from 9:00am-3:00pm. 

• There will be two nights of out-of-town travel from Thursday, June 25 - Saturday, June 27

• All participants must attend the Policy Institute Culminating Event on Thursday evening, July 16. Family, friends and community members are encouraged to attend as well.

• Students with service-learning requirements at their school are eligible to receive 40 hours of credit upon completion of the Institute for their leadership and advocacy work. Please make sure to check in with your school's community service coordinator to ensure that the Institute counts towards your school's specific requirements.

Program Cost + Financial Aid

• The standard cost for the Policy Institute is $2,900. GDS students can find discount information given their contributions to tuition on the application form. This amount covers all DC-based curricular experiences, local travel, supplies, daily on-campus lunch, snacks, one local off-campus lunch, and ALL travel expenses associated with each track's out-of-town trips (airfare, lodging for two nights, public transit, etc.).

• We are committed to making the Policy Institute financially accessible to all families. Thanks to generous donations from DMV community members, we have significant financial aid resources available to ensure access to the Institute's programming. Upon receipt of student applications, parents/guardians will be contacted with general information about the Institute, as well as instructions for requesting financial aid through Clarity, the third-party program GDS employs to determine financial aid awards for the Policy Institute.