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This year’s competition theme, Governing the Environment invited students to explore complex topics including substance use disorders, social media addiction, compulsive gambling, video game addiction, and more. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students crafted evidence-based policy proposals intended for implementation at various levels of governance.

19 teams compete 

The 19 teams that participated in the preliminary round explored a wide range of important topics from environmental challenges posed by AI data center to efforts to mitigate urban air pollution in Chicago communities, and initiatives to promote the create of urban greenhouses.

The three final-round teams were evaluated based on an executive summary and white paper submitted in advance to the judges, as well as a live presentation. Teams had 10 minutes to present, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session with the judges. The teams competed on April 26, 2025 for cash prizes from a pool of $10,000.

PLACEHOLDER FOR QUOTE FROM DANIELLE COHEN: “The Public Policy Analysis Challenge epitomizes the four pillars of Lake Forest College’s public policy program: promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, cultivating global citizens, providing supportive mentorship, and creating experiential learning opportunities that enable students to apply their knowledge from inside and outside the classroom to a critical public policy problem of their choice,” said Danielle Cohen, director of the public policy program and professor of politics and history.