OUR MISSION

Our Mission

At the Youth Tech & Ethics Institute, students don’t just learn about technology—they shape it. We equip young people to design and govern emerging technologies with ethics, evidence, and public benefit in mind.

Why We Exist

AI, biotechnology, and other frontier technologies are moving fast—and youth voices are too often missing from the rooms where decisions get made. YTEI was founded to change that gap. We blend hands-on research, critical debate, and real deployment so students can build useful tools, interrogate impacts, and publish work that stands up to scrutiny.

Impact Snapshot

400+
Members
30+
Active Projects
40+
Leadership Applications
V1
Journal (Fall 2025)

What We Do

We run a project incubator, publish a peer-reviewed student journal, and host challenge-driven events. Students ship prototypes, policy briefs, and public write-ups across AI, biotech, climate, medicine, and education—tying technical execution to societal impact.

1000+
Direct Event Participants
7+
Chapters
16+
Student Project Teams
01

Hackathons & Events

Our flagship Tech Innovation for Good hackathon showcases youth-built tools and policy proposals—centered on measurable benefit and clear ethics.

02

Project Incubator

A structured pipeline from scoping to pilot & public showcase. Teams work through research, build, evaluation, and communication milestones.

03

Youth Journal

A student-led, peer-reviewed venue focused on technology, ethics, and society. Volume 1 is in production for 2025 with open-access distribution.

Our Commitment

We practice student leadership with expert guidance, open methods, and community-first deployment. We believe technology is designed—not inevitable—and aim that design toward the public good. YTEI is fiscally sponsored by Hack Club Bank, enabling transparent, compliant operations as we grow global chapters and programs.

Operating Principles

  • Student leadership with expert mentorship
  • Open, reproducible research practices
  • Community benefit & real-world deployment
  • Equity-centered design & governance

Milestones

  1. 2024 — Institute Launch

    Founded with an inaugural cohort and first projects across AI & biotech.

  2. 2025 — Fiscal Sponsorship

    YTEI becomes fiscally sponsored by Hack Club Bank.

  3. 2025 — Advisory Board

    Advisors from Stanford, Meta, Google, and Bank of America join.

  4. 2025 — Journal V1

    Youth Journal of STEM & Society Volume 1 moves into production.

By The Numbers

800+
Participants in our latest hackathon
4+
Large-scale events hosted
50+
Chapter members