Policy Pathways and VCU Wilder School launch 2026 Summer Academy

Policy Pathways and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will open the 2026 Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service on June 22 in Richmond. The two-week program brings 20 high school, college and recent graduate participants into policy training, public forums and capstone projects focused on public service and community impact. Why it matters: - The Summer Academy is designed to train future public service leaders and build skills in policy, leadership, civic engagement and communication. - The program gives students direct exposure to public policy issues affecting local, national and global communities. - The opening-day forum on energy and regional development is free and open to the public, broadening community access to the event. What happened: - Policy Pathways and the Virginia Commonwealth University L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will launch the 2026 Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service on Monday, June 22, 2026. - The program runs through Friday, July 3, 2026. - Enrollment is available both online and in person. - Opening Day events will be held at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Hibbs Lecture Hall, Room 403, at 900 Park Ave. in Richmond, or online through the meeting link . - The online session uses Meeting ID 897 2971 3310 and passcode SA#2026. - The welcome ceremony starts at 1:00 p.m. - James W. Dyke Jr., senior advisor for state government relations at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and former Virginia secretary of education under Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, will give greetings. - Dr. Ahkinyala Cobb-Abdullah, director of academic and outreach programs and an associate professor of ecology at Virginia State University, will deliver the keynote. - The public policy forum, “Economic/Regional Development and Energy Policy in Virginia,” runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Del. Destiny L. Bolling of Virginia House District 80, who also serves on the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, will moderate the forum. - Forum panelists include Jonathan Ward of Newport News Shipbuilding, Morgan Whayland of Virginia Natural Gas and Jake Wiseman of Dominion Energy. - Twenty high school students, college students and recent college graduates from across the nation will participate in the academy. The details: - Participants will learn from academicians, decision makers, advocates and speakers across public policy and administration topics. - The academy curriculum includes economics, policy formulation, public administration, advocacy, law, statistics, research methodology and international affairs. - Students will build research, problem-solving, leadership, analytical and communications skills through peer and faculty mentor engagement. - The academy will cover energy policy, public health, criminal justice reform, environmental policy, housing and education policy, social justice, immigration and economic development. - Summer 2026 capstone projects will examine policy implications of human trafficking awareness education in Virginia high schools, barriers to study abroad for first-generation college students, agriculture’s impact on rural communities in Ghana, and infrastructure for civilian-led reporting on in-custody deaths. - Capstone site partners include the Office of the Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Policy Pathways Inc. and Divine Kids Academy in Jukwa, Ghana. - Capstone site leads include Corey M. Nicholson, Verlisha Brandon, Kwame Appiah-Kubi and Logan Sowers. - Participants will present their projects at the closing ceremony on Friday, July 3, 2026. - The showcase will give students a public platform to present research, policy analysis and recommendations for addressing public policy challenges. - Funding support comes from the Virginia Natural Gas Foundation, Richmond Public Schools, the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Safety Bound/Ending Jail Deaths Fellowship Program and individual donors. Between the lines: - The program pairs classroom-style learning with applied projects, which signals a focus on practical policy training rather than lecture-only instruction. - The mix of Virginia-based and international capstone topics suggests the academy is positioning public service as both local and globally relevant. - The opening forum on energy policy and regional development reflects the kinds of policy questions that are likely to shape the academy’s discussion. What’s next: - Students will move through the two-week academy and complete capstone work before the July 3 closing ceremony. - The public policy forum and capstone showcase are the main public-facing events of the session. - More information is available at Policy Pathways or by calling (866) 465-6671, or emailing info@policypathways.org. The bottom line: - Policy Pathways and VCU’s Wilder School are using the 2026 Summer Academy to turn high-achieving students into policy-minded leaders with hands-on experience, public speaking practice and exposure to real-world problems.