About Us

Us.

Our name comes from the Latin word amicus, meaning “friend.” It also comes from the legal phrase amicus curiae, or “friend of the court”—someone who contributes knowledge and perspective to help others better understand an issue.

That idea remains at the heart of who we are.

Amicus Youth exists to be a friend to students as they learn how government, politics, law, economics, and public institutions shape the world around them. We make complicated political topics easier to understand so young people can examine information, ask better questions, and develop informed opinions of their own.

We do not tell students what to think.

We give them the knowledge to think for themselves.

Our Why

Students are surrounded by politics long before they are taught how politics works.

Political decisions shape their education, rights, communities, opportunities, and futures. Yet many students are expected to form opinions, a political information, and eventually vote without first receiving a meaningful political education.

Amicus Youth believes political literacy should be a normal part of every student’s education, not something reserved for adults, future politicians, or students who already follow the news.

Our Mission and Vision

Mission

To make political education more prominent throughout American schools by creating accessible resources, programs, discussions, and student-led learning opportunities.

Vision

An America in which every student graduates with the knowledge and critical-thinking skills to understand politics and participate responsibly in civic life.

My Story

Growing up, I was always drawn to speaking out, debating ideas, and asking questions about the world around me. On my first day of kindergarten, I was sent home after arguing with my teacher because she said we could not discuss “real-world problems” in class. Even then, I could not understand why students were expected to learn about the world without being allowed to question it. During my time as a Virginia Senate Page in eighth grade, I had the opportunity to see government operate beyond a textbook. I watched legislation being discussed, decisions being made, and public officials participating in a system that affects millions of people. That experience showed me how much easier politics becomes to understand when students can see the institutions, procedures, and people behind it.

At the same time, I noticed how often political terms were used online without their full meanings or histories. Students were being exposed to debates about socialism, communism, democracy, political parties, public policy, and international conflicts without always receiving the background knowledge needed to understand them. I created Amicus Youth because students should not have to wait until college, voting age, or adulthood to learn how politics works. Young people deserve more than simplified labels, partisan arguments, and disconnected facts. They deserve the knowledge to evaluate information, understand different perspectives, and decide what they believe for themselves.

Political education should not tell students which opinions to hold.

It should prepare them to form informed opinions of their own.

That is the future Amicus Youth is working to build.

-Ani Nishanian, Founder of Amicus Youth

Our Core Values

At Amicus Youth, we value....

Knowledge

Informed opinions begin with a real understanding of the facts, history, institutions, and ideas behind an issue.

Independence

We teach students how to think critically—not which party, candidate, or ideology they should support.

Every student deserves access to clear, engaging, and reliable political education, regardless of their school, background, or existing level of knowledge.

Access