Young Minds Network

The Young Minds Network brings together the best and brightest by connecting young thinkers and professionals. Are you interested in the United States, big ideas, or simply keen to meet like-minded people? Then the Young Minds network is the perfect fit for you, and there are a variety of ways to get involved.

Young Minds Ambassadors

Do you bore your friends at parties with your in-depth knowledge on American politics? Can you not stop talking about that one book you read a few weeks ago? Do you stay up to date with news from the US on an obsessive level? Are you under the age of 35? Then you are the perfect candidate for an ambassadorship!

We are excited to expand our community with students and young professionals. Our world knows both immense challenges and great opportunities, and the John Adams is determined to bring young minds in touch with some of the most important ideas of our time. As an Ambassador of the John Adams, you will help us chart our course for the coming years. By contributing to our ambassador planning sessions four times a year and inviting your friends to John Adams events, you can join our community free of charge and receive a free ticket to all John Adams events, as well as invitations to special gatherings and social events. Our ambassadors also write blogs and essays, shedding light on topics and ideas that discuss the U.S. of today, the past and the future. 

Interested? Contact us via youngminds@john-adams.nl

Meet Our Ambassadors

Beyond Academia Contest

Throughout the year, the Young Minds Network organises multiple events for our younger audience. One example is the Beyond Academia writing contest. This contest aimed to make non-fiction works with a strong academic foundation more available to the public. Bachelor, Master, and PhD students registered at a Dutch university were encouraged to submit their work on a broadly American topic. The winner received the John Adams education grant of €500 euro and a yearlong John Adams Friends Membership, providing free tickets and access to all events. 

Out of all the applicants, the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies (RIAS) composed a short-list with three essays, from which the winner was ultimately announced. 

  • Rajae el Morabet Belhaj on Let Black be synonymous with Glory: Pan-Africanism in Black is King (Winner) 
    In her essay, Rajae el Morabet Belhaj explores, dissects and analyses Beyoncé’s visual storytelling in Black is King. She gets to the root of the purpose of the film, which Rajae states is to provide the African diaspora with an opportunity to discover, reclaim and celebrate their culture and heritage. Read more…
  • Maaike Siemes on Environmental Activism in and through Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were (Short-listed)
    In her essay, Maaike Siemes dissects Mbue’s novel to argue that, beyond the content, the book itself is a mode of activism – which can be seen through its narrative strategies and in its emphasis on the exploitation of a region by corporate entities. As such, Maaike argues, literary works play an essential role in climate change activism. Read more…
  • Marco Segantini on The Inextinguishable Legacy of Patrice Lumamba (Short-listed)
    In his essay, Marco Sgantini dives back into history to unravel the drivers behind the murder of first Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumamba. By following the thread of history, Marco’s essay reveals the history of racial discrimination, political schemes and Western colonial legacies – which, he argues, remain as relevant as ever. Read more…  

 

 The Young Minds Network is made possible in part by the U.S. Embassy The Hague