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 our Young Minds Coordinator Aiden Correia (contact info below).
Meet Our Ambassadors









Beyond Academia Contest
The Young Minds Network is running the Beyond Academia writing contest in July 2023. This contest aims 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 are encouraged to submit their work on a broadly American topic.
Who is eligible?
Whether you are a Bachelor, Master, or PhD student, your entry should be thoroughly researched, original, and well-written. You can submit research papers, excerpts from a thesis, or a summary of an ongoing project. Regardless of your submission, you should ensure that it is an understandable exploration of the topic that people outside of academia can read, follow, and enjoy. Our panel of experts – both academic and non-academic – will select the winning entry.
What is the prize?
The winner of this contest will receive the John Adams educational grant of €500 and a yearlong John Adams Friends Membership valued at €1000.
Specifications and deadline
Your entry should meet the following requirements.
- Make sure your subject is both captivating and original.
- Your work must be written in English.
- Your work will be checked for plagiarism.
- The document must be sent in pdf-format no later than the deadline.
- Your entry should explore a facet of the United States or be on a ‘broadly’ American topic. This means that other transatlantic topics with a focus on the United States will also be taken into consideration, as long as the United States plays a central role in your essay.
- The length of the piece should be anywhere between 2000 and 4000 words (excluding references), however much you need to make your argument convincing. However, in terms of non-fiction writing for a larger audience, some advice: Less is often more!
- We want you to apply before the deadline with a short motivation (no more than 200 words) containing your topic, name and current field of study.
Application deadline: June 15 2023 (project description)
Submission deadline: August 15 2023 (final submission)
Email to: youngminds@john-adams.nl
We’ll announce our winner on October 10 2023!
Do you have any questions? Or want to get involved? Please contact our Young Minds Coordinator Aiden Correia via youngminds@john-adams.nl.
The Young Minds Network is made possible in part by the U.S. Embassy The Hague