Our History
ACE launched its first Student Policy Fellows program, inviting emerging policy researchers to develop nonpartisan briefs on key issues such as foreign policy and immigration. The response was overwhelming, with applications pouring in from students across the country. To meet the demand for youth policy experience in various research areas, ACE expanded beyond immigration policy to include areas such as foreign policy, environmental policy, and criminal justice.
ACE hosts the world’s first Conference on Climate Migration, attracting contributors from across the world. The Conference lasts two days and includes a research symposium featuring work from ACE’s Policy Fellows as well as a roundtable discussion with youth climate activists from across the African Continent. Then-Fellow Ella Dennis works with partners at Chatham House to co-author a reflection on ACE’s conference that is published in The World Today magazine.
2019
Siena Frost, ACE’s founder, first encountered this gap while working as a refugee resettlement coordinator and Arabic translator in Bulgaria after graduating from Colgate University. Witnessing the complexities of immigration policy firsthand, she began writing nonpartisan, introductory briefs to help young voters better understand key issues. Her work quickly gained traction, revealing a demand for clear, well-researched, and unbiased policy resources. Encouraged by this response, Siena returned to the United States and secured funding to launch ACE—a national initiative designed to train, mentor, and empower the next generation of policy leaders through nonpartisan research, writing, and thought leadership.
2020
ACE launched its first Student Policy Fellows program, inviting emerging policy researchers to develop nonpartisan briefs on key issues such as foreign policy and immigration. The response was overwhelming, with applications pouring in from students across the country. To meet the demand for youth policy experience in various research areas, ACE expanded beyond immigration policy to include areas such as foreign policy, environmental policy, and criminal justice.
2021
ACE hosts the world’s first Conference on Climate Migration, attracting contributors from across the world. The Conference lasts two days and includes a research symposium featuring work from ACE’s Policy Fellows as well as a roundtable discussion with youth climate activists from across the African Continent. Then-Fellow Ella Dennis works with partners at Chatham House to co-author a reflection on ACE’s conference that is published in The World Today magazine.
2025
Recognizing the importance of bringing nonpartisan information on current events to readers, ACE’s leadership team works to formalize a Current Events Internship and launches the first cohort in Summer 2025.
Present
Today, ACE has collaborated with over 700 students from more than 130 universities across 42 states, providing them with the tools to analyze complex issues, communicate effectively, and advance their careers in policy and leadership. We are constantly evolving to bring the highest quality policy of information and career support for young thinkers across the globe.
Today, ACE has collaborated with over 700 students from more than 130 universities across 42 states, providing them with the tools to analyze complex issues, communicate effectively, and advance their careers in policy and leadership. We are constantly evolving to bring the highest quality policy of information and career support for young thinkers across the globe.
ACE’s Roots: Empowering the Next Generation of Policy Leaders through training and mentorship
ACE was founded to address a growing challenge: how to bridge the gap between real-world policy issues and a political landscape often dominated by soundbites, partisanship, and misinformation.
Siena Frost, ACE’s founder, first encountered this gap while working as a refugee resettlement coordinator and Arabic translator in Bulgaria after graduating from Colgate University.
Witnessing the complexities of immigration policy firsthand, she began writing nonpartisan, introductory briefs to help young voters better understand key issues. Her work quickly gained traction, revealing a demand for clear, well-researched, and unbiased policy resources. Encouraged by this response, Siena returned to the United States and secured funding to launch ACE-a national initiative designed to train, mentor, and empower the next generation of policy leadersthrough nonpartisan research, writing, and thought leadership.