Design a life
worth living,
build a world
worth having.
The Flourishing Youth Academy is where young people — from middle school through university — discover their strengths, design meaningful futures, and develop the skills to make them real.
More than a program.
A design for life.
FYA is a human-centered design-thinking academy rooted in the science of human flourishing. We believe every young person has unique strengths worth building on — and that the skills to design a meaningful life can be taught, practiced, and lived.
Programs that matter
F3 Fellowship
A flagship fellowship experience where young people build the foundations of a purposeful life — exploring identity, strengths, and what it means to flourish in the world.
FellowshipLife Design
Drawing on Stanford's design-thinking methodology, Life Design guides young people to prototype, iterate, and craft lives, careers, and paths authentically aligned with their values.
Workshop SeriesFutureMakers Labs
Hands-on innovation labs where students tackle real challenges, build ventures, and develop the entrepreneurial mindset to turn bold ideas into meaningful action.
Innovation LabThe F3 Fellowship
The F3 Fellowship is a year-round, experiential learning journey structured around four design phases — one per season. Fellows work together as a design team to tackle a real challenge, build a real business, and leave a lasting mark on their community.
Every phase builds on the last — from deep self-discovery to global inspiration, from prototype to launch. By the end, Fellows have done something most adults haven't: started something real.
How might we use our individual and collective design team strengths to develop a youth-run tourism business in the Washington, DC region?
Fellows discover themselves and the opportunity space. Through character strengths assessments, DC tourism industry research, and foundational human-centered design workshops, they build the self-knowledge and market insight needed to begin creating.
Fellows travel to one of the world's most creative countries to immerse themselves in a thriving tourism culture — gathering bold ideas and fresh perspectives to fuel their designs.
Fellows select their strongest concept, develop a prototype business, and present to local community stakeholders for real-world input and feedback.
Fellows build and beta test a low-fidelity prototype, refining their business model based on what they learn — and preparing for launch.
Fellows finalize and launch their youth-run tourism venture into the world — a real business, built by them, designed to endure beyond the program.
Learning that sticks
Every FYA experience is designed around a core belief: young people learn best by doing, reflecting, and connecting learning to something they genuinely care about.
Ready to design a life that flourishes?
Whether you're a student, educator, school, or supporter — there's a place for you in the FYA community.