OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS

Iowa Youth Congress (IYC)

State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council

Human Rights Youth Chapters

Sign up to become an Iowa Human Rights Youth Chapter

Iowa Human Rights Youth Chapters get to: Become an official Iowa Department of Human Rights partner. Address their local Human Rights needs by developing and delivering youth led local activities, forums, campaigns, rallies, etc. Participate in the Annual Statewide Human Rights Campaign in December Highlight their chapter’s activities statewide. Participate in a statewide Human Rights Awareness Campaign

Does your youth organization want to become an official Iowa Human Rights Youth Chapter? Contact us!

Iowa Department of Human Rights

Claire Yocom IYC Coordinator Lucas State Office Building  321 E 12th St. Des Moines, IA 50319 Claire.Yocom@iowa.gov  Phone 515-725-2836 Fax (515) 242-6119 https://humanrights.iowa.gov

Youth Program Updates

Iowa Youth Congress (IYC)

The Iowa Youth Congress (IYC) brings students from around the state to discuss issues that affect youth.  Youth of diverse backgrounds will learn about state and local government, advocacy, and civic engagement.  

In June 2019, IYC members from around the state of Iowa took part in regional meetings. Members presented the outcomes of their service projects and volunteer work from the 2018-2019 IYC term. Members in the Central Region volunteered at Meals from the Heartland. All IYC members completed at least 30 hours of community service during their term, with some members completing more than 100 hours. 

These meetings around the state wrapped up the 2018-2019 IYC term. 

A new cohort for IYC will be welcomed this summer. 

State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC)

The State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC) is a council within the Iowa Department of Human Rights that offers young people a role in having a meaningful voice on issues affecting youth in Iowa. Youth from across the state are selected to serve as volunteer council members to advise and advocate for important issues affecting youth.  

To finish up the 2018 - 2019 SIYAC year, members completed their annual group service project to give back to the community. Council members teamed up with Polk County Conservation Youth Corps (PCCYC) to engage in a service project located at Jester Park. 

Members weeded, picked up litter, and removed honeysuckle, which is an invasive species found in the park. 

In addition to the service project, SIYAC members elected their new executive committee for the 2019-2020 year. 

Ottumwa High School Human Rights Youth Chapter Year in Review

The Iowa Human Rights Youth Chapters (IHRYC) are Iowa youth (14 to 24 years of age) who are committed to creating awareness, education and advocacy for Human Rights in their local communities across Iowa.   

The Ottumwa High School Human Rights Chapter participated and organized many awareness building  events during the 2018 -2019 school year, including hanging flags that represented the students' countries of origin. They also created a highlight video of their results. Click here to see their year in review.