Our Work

Since 1975, Keystone Policy Center has helped public, private, and civic-sector leaders solve complex problems and advance good public policy. We rely on our independence, our commitment to good science, and our skills in designing and leading consensus-building processes to establish new partnerships, reduce conflict, and produce policy agreements.

  • Growing Ute Futures

    Growing Ute Futures

    Growing Ute Futures Learn about the creation of Kwiyagat Community Academy and the history behind why and how it came to be. Background The Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council has envisioned an education initiative that creates a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics curriculum that is also embedded with Ute arts, language, culture, and traditions. Since…

  • Colorado’s Missing Year

    Colorado’s Missing Year

    Colorado’s Missing Year In October 2021, the Keystone Policy Center released a report titled Colorado’s Missing Year analyzing data on Colorado education during the pandemic, which revealed critical gaps in student learning across the state but also indicated potential bright spots. The data paints a revealing picture of student participation and achievement during the pandemic. For students worldwide,…

  • IUCN Syn Bio Task Force

    IUCN Syn Bio Task Force

    IUCN Syn Bio Task Force Synthetic biology (SynBio) is an emerging technology with the potential for significant positive impacts and various applications in industry, agriculture, conservation, energy, medicine, preparedness, and public health. SynBio also raises important questions and concerns related to bioethics, social acceptance, ecological impacts, and health and safety. Addressing these issues and establishing…

  • Gene Editing and Societal Engagement Toolkit

    Gene Editing and Societal Engagement Toolkit

    Gene Editing and Societal Engagement Toolkit Keystone Policy Center partnered with the Innovative Genomics Institute and the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public to develop the Gene Editing and Societal Engagement Toolkit. The toolkit provides guiding questions, planning frameworks, and references to support gene-editing researchers, developers, and partners in getting started on societal engagement for gene editing. Click here…

  • Emerging Technologies

    Emerging Technologies

    Keystone incorporates diverse societal perspectives into discussion of responsible governance of emerging technologies. Our recent work includes:

  • Lake Erie

    Lake Erie

    Lake Erie Water quality in the Great Lakes region is a complex issue with many interrelated factors, including geography, land use, economic and population growth, and weather events. Given this complexity, the question of where best to put effort and funding to influence the situation is not straightforward.  To help focus its own investment, the…

  • Waste Consolidation Area Project Focus Team

    Waste Consolidation Area Project Focus Team

    Waste Consolidation Area Project Focus Team The Coeur d’Alene Basin Cleanup is also known as the Bunker Hill Mining & Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site. It is located in northern Idaho and eastern Washington, in one of the largest historical mining districts in the world. The Coeur d’Alene Basin Cleanup is one of the nation’s largest…

  • Water Systems

    Water Systems

    Keystone creates solutions for water conservation and quality, and the resilience of water systems to growing demand and a changing climate. Our recent work includes:

  • Just Transitions for Coal Communities

    Just Transitions for Coal Communities

    Just Transitions for Coal Communities Market forces, aging infrastructure, and environmental regulations to modernize the electric grid are contributing to the closure of coal plants and mines across the country. The coal industry is often an economic engine for host or adjacent communities, especially in rural or sparsely populated areas, so “just transition” considers and…

  • Colorado Greenhouse Gas Roadmap

    Colorado Greenhouse Gas Roadmap

    Colorado Greenhouse Gas Roadmap Between April and June 2022, Keystone partnered with Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment, Energy Office, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, and Air Quality Control Commission to meet with communities and get their input on the state’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap and related policies. The effort engaged historically…