The Georgetown Public Policy Challenge is an interdisciplinary competition that calls on graduate students to develop innovative policy solutions that help address a challenge in the local community. The Challenge, now in its eighth year, is hosted by the McCourt School. This year, McCourt received the largest pool of submissions in Challenge history.

Proposals and prerecorded presentations were evaluated by a panel of 10 judges, which included past public policy challenge winners and members of the Georgetown and DC communities who are engaged in local policy work. The panel then selected five teams to advance to the final round. 

On Friday, April 1, the 2022 finalist teams will compete for the grand prize. The live event will take place in Copley Formal Lounge from 5:00-7:30 pm ET and is open to the Georgetown community. Each finalist team will receive $1,500 in scholarships, while the winning team will receive $3,000.

The 2022 Georgetown Public Policy Challenge Finalists

Greening Public Housing

Revising existing policy to ensure DC public housing renovations are sustainable, reducing emissions while improving health equity and housing resiliency.

Team members: Amy Lieber (MPP‘23), Macie Moore (MPP‘23), Charlotte Runzel (MPP‘23)

Small Buildings: Big Impact

Increasing the affordability of DC housing by providing grants to small building owners in exchange for affordability.

Team members: Rachel Wilson (MPP’22), Atsuhiro Oguri (MIDP’22), Eli Landman (MPP’23), Rikki Ulmer (MPP’23)

Vertical Farming: Elevating Equity and Eliminating DC’s Food Deserts

Creating a public-private partnership that utilizes vertical farming techniques to provide healthy food options to residents across DC.

Team members: Mark Himes (MPM‘22), Katherine Penland (MPM‘23)

Within Reach: Ending Opioid-Related Deaths in the District

Installing weather-proof boxes of Naloxone (opioid reversal drug) at bus stops in Wards 5-8 to help mitigate the impact of DC’s opioid epidemic. 

Team members: Kira Chandran (M‘23), Pei-Ying Kobres (M‘23), Chloe Wang (M‘23), Ruth Watson (M‘23)

YouCAN DC (Youth Career Access Network DC)

Creating a year-round intervention to enhance the employability of high school youth in DC through access, engagement and synthesis.

Team members: Husen Haikal Alhadar (GHD‘23), Meghna Chadha (GHD‘23), Angeli Grace Juani (GHD‘23), Jigyasa Sidana (GHD‘23), Jeetwan Tripathy (GHD‘23)