2026 Youth Leadership Institute

The Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ Youth Leadership Institute is a week-long residential program designed for high school students. The 2026 Youth Leadership Institute will be hosted on campus at Keene State College from July 12-17, 2026. This year’s theme is Genocide Studies and the Future of Ethical Leadership , and the program will bring together young people from diverse backgrounds to explore how lessons from history and the modern day can guide their leadership into the future.

Throughout the week, students will engage with Holocaust and Genocide Studies experts, who will coach students to apply ideas from peace studies and conflict resolution to their own lives and communities. Through lectures, discussions, and interactive activities, students will explore the historical and social conditions that give rise to genocide, the warning signs of mass violence, and the international efforts to prevent it. These sessions will encourage critical thinking, empathy, and moral reflection to equip students with a deeper understanding of how the study of genocide can inform ethical leadership in today’s world.

Learn more about this program by visiting: https://www.keene.edu/academics/cchgs/education/institute/youth-leadership-institute/

Please note that the deadline to apply to this program is April 6, 2026.

This event is part of the Cohen Center calendar.