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The 2026 Iowa Youth Symposium (IYS) will be held on Wednesday, October 28th, and Thursday, October 29th.
August 10: Background guides for topics will be available. Students should write position papers to prepare for regional meetings.
September 7 - October 9: Regional meetings
October 1 - October 14: Register for the Iowa Youth Symposium
October 15: Invoices emailed to advisors
October 21: Payment postmarked
The State Capitol cafeteria will be closed during the IYS, and we’re using an outside caterer to provide lunch. After you register, you will receive an invoice via email for the conference fee ($10 per delegate) and the lunches you order ($11 per lunch).
Pre-Plenary Day 1
Wednesday, October 28
Outstanding delegates from the regional meetings attend the pre-plenary session of the IYS.
Expert-led roundtable discussions will be held on each topic in the morning.
The day will continue with committee work to draft position papers on each topic.
Plenary Day 2
Thursday, October 29
All students are invited to attend the second day of the IYS.
After an opening ceremony that includes a keynote address, delegates will split into committees to compose formal UN resolutions on the five topics.
The day ends with a closing ceremony during which two Outstanding Delegates from each committee are recognized.
2025 Keynote Speaker
Catalina Samaniego's story begins in Des Moines, Iowa, where she built a foundation of service, scholarship, and community that carried her to Washington, D.C. She graduated debt-free through scholarships, fellowships, and grant-funded projects, earning recognition from the Iowa Senate, the Des Moines City Council, and the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission for her leadership in diverse community and economic development. Today, she works as a Policy Analyst, studying illicit financial flows and their global impact. Her path has taken her from researching data-driven housing development for refugees and immigrants to managing financial projects at Iowa State Bank to hosting interfaith dialogue through Meet My Religious Neighbor. What ties all of her work together is her belief that leadership is not about titles, but about humility: listening more than speaking, bridging perspectives, and holding yourself accountable before anyone else.
Samaniego graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with an AA degree in English Language and Literature, and then went on to Drake University to earn a BA in International Relations and Affairs, a BSBA in Economics, and minors in Cybersecurity and German. She also served as an Ambassador for the Iowa United Nations Association.
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