EMILY BELL McCORMICK

Emily Bell McCormick is on a mission to change Utah for the better. As the founder of The Policy Project, she has been working hard to address social issues that are often overlooked. Her efforts have contributed to policy changes related to menstrual equity, along with other social issues.

McCormick didn’t originally plan to enter policy advocacy. But when she discovered how widespread menstrual product insecurity was among students, she realized she couldn’t ignore the issue. Many students were lacking access to basic menstrual products, negatively impacting their education and well-being. Her background in journalism and entrepreneurship had prepared her to tackle complex problems, and now she knew it was time to act.

“I had this realization that policy was the greatest way to implement the kind of change that I was looking for. It was so apparent, because when you looked at different government systems … it was a system that was built like, one tiny law at a time,” she said.

In 2022, McCormick led the effort to pass House Bill 162. This law requires all public and charter schools in Utah to provide free period products in their bathrooms for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The new policy impacted more than 337,000 students statewide.

But she didn’t stop there.

In March 2023, McCormick teamed up with Governor Spencer Cox and Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson. Together, they made sure Utah would be the first state to provide free period products in all state executive branch buildings.

“This is going to help any girl in that position now,” McCormick said at the time.

Her work in Utah is already inspiring other states. Officials in Idaho, Alabama, New Mexico, and Georgia are considering similar policies. McCormick’s approach shows that smart policymaking can spread from one state to the next.

The Teen Center Project: Supporting Vulnerable Youth

While menstrual equity has been a big focus of McCormick’s advocacy, it’s not the only issue she’s taken on. She’s also working to help vulnerable youth across Utah through The Teen Center Project. In 2023, McCormick launched the initiative to create resource centers attached to high schools. These centers are designed to offer essential services like showers, laundry, food, and a safe place where students can feel supported. The goal is to help students who are struggling with housing insecurity and other challenges.

“Teen centers are for taking a shower, doing laundry and grabbing food, and having a trusted adult [nearby],” McCormick said.

She recognized that addressing basic needs was fundamental for academic success, mental health, and overall stability. The centers were designed specifically to break down barriers that keep students from focusing on school, ones that many Utahns don’t realize exist in their communities. Each center is intended not only to meet immediate physical needs but also to provide emotional support through adult mentors who can connect teens to further resources and guidance.

The project quickly gained momentum. McCormick secured $15 million in legislative funding along with $3 million in private donations to build centers in 65 Utah high schools. The effort targets the estimated 15,600 students experiencing homelessness throughout the state. Beyond just housing insecurity, McCormick understood that the centers would also address a wider spectrum of hardship, including food insecurity, isolation, and mental health challenges that often accompany unstable living situations.

But for McCormick, the impact of the centers is about much more than numbers. It’s about making sure no child is left behind. She’s heard heartbreaking stories from workers on the front lines of kids who don’t have necessities, like the ability to prepare food or even a safe place to sleep.

“They said that one of their students, she’d come in, and she was like, 'Thanks so much for this food pack that I get to take home on the weekends. I actually live in a car, and I don’t have a way to make the mac and cheese you’re giving me,'” McCormick said.

Stories like these reinforced for McCormick the urgency and importance of the teen centers. They were powerful reminders of the hidden struggles students face every day, often unnoticed by classmates or teachers. By providing practical and immediate assistance, McCormick aims to transform these heartbreaking realities into opportunities for hope, security, and brighter futures.

Other stories were just as devastating for McCormick to hear. She was heartbroken by the story of a girl in Beaver eating dog food because she had no other options, and deeply shaken when she learned of a boy in Fillmore living in a pile of crates with only a cardboard flap for a door.

“This is a kid. This kid is going to school. Like, we can’t do this. We can’t overlook it,” McCormick said.

For McCormick, these accounts fueled her determination to expand and sustain the Teen Center Project. She hopes that by shedding light on these stories and providing tangible solutions, communities across Utah will rally around these vulnerable students, ensuring that support remains available for years to come.

From Journalism to Policy Advocacy

McCormick didn’t start her career as a policy advocate. She built her skills through journalism and marketing, experiences that laid a strong foundation for her strategic approach to advocacy.

Her journey began at Brigham Young University, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism. She then went on to get a master’s degree in communication from The Ohio State University. McCormick said her education and journalism experiences shaped her perspective and honed her communication skills, laying the groundwork for her future advocacy.

“Journalism was a great choice because it makes you a clean, quick writer. If I can say something in fewer words, I should,” McCormick said.

Journalism also taught her how to research thoroughly, ask hard questions, and listen carefully — skills that later became invaluable in her policy work. Her communication training made her uniquely effective at delivering clear and compelling messages, essential for persuading legislators and rallying community support behind her advocacy projects.

Following school and after moving back to Utah, McCormick took an unexpected detour into the world of fashion. The company, Shabby Apple, was a successful venture built around her idea of offering fashionable yet modest clothing for women.

“I started a clothing company because I love clothes and saw a need in the marketplace. It was a gamble but ended up working. I ran it for about five years before selling it,” she said.

Though fashion was initially a surprising pivot from journalism, the entrepreneurial experience taught McCormick important lessons in risk-taking, project management, and navigating complex markets. Running a successful business also showed her the potential for creativity and innovation to address unmet needs. This was a concept she later applied directly to policy advocacy.

Even with her entrepreneurial success, McCormick felt pulled toward something deeper. Her interest in policy continued to grow as she saw how much good could be done by addressing systemic issues rather than just individual needs. It was during this time that she began to explore the power of policy as a tool for making real, lasting change.

She began questioning the system while talking with a friend working on period poverty in South Africa. At first, McCormick assumed it was a problem only affecting developing countries. But as she started researching, she realized that the United States wasn’t doing much better.

 I had no experience in policy, had never touched it, but I started learning … I initially thought, ‘That’s not a problem in the US, right?’ Then I realized, we didn’t have laws around it,” McCormick said.

This discovery was a turning point. Recognizing her own lack of familiarity with policy, McCormick dove deeply into researching menstrual equity, quickly becoming well-versed in existing laws, legislative processes, and grassroots advocacy methods. As her understanding grew, so did her determination. She realized that systemic change, achieved through policy, was the key to making a real, lasting impact.

That’s when she founded The Policy Project. Instead of applying Band-Aid solutions, McCormick wanted to target the systemic problems at their core. And as she quickly found out, her ideas had the power to change lives in very real ways. She shifted from merely addressing individual issues to creating laws that could benefit entire communities. Through this process, McCormick came to see advocacy not just as a means of influencing policy, but as a powerful tool to reshape society itself.

What’s Next?

Emily Bell McCormick’s work through The Policy Project is far from over. After her success with menstrual equity and The Teen Center Project, she’s turning her attention to new challenges. Her next major focus is child care, an issue she says needs fresh, practical solutions.

“The thing I’m most excited about tackling is we’ve got big plans to have a conversation about child care, and that is so desperately needed,” McCormick said.

Child care is a critical but often overlooked issue, particularly affecting working families who face high costs and limited availability. McCormick sees this gap as another systemic issue that demands thoughtful, well-designed policies to ensure no family is left without necessary support. Her vision includes practical solutions that are not only affordable but also accessible and inclusive, making sure child care works for all Utah families, regardless of their income or background.

She’s also working on initiatives aimed at improving student food access for children living in poverty. Food insecurity among Utah children remains a significant challenge, impacting academic performance, health, and overall well-being. For McCormick, addressing hunger isn’t merely about providing meals — it's about creating lasting systems that ensure every child has reliable access to nutritious food, supporting both their education and their future.

McCormick believes the state’s values of family, thriftiness, and independence can be powerful tools for change. She often highlights how Utah’s distinctive culture can play a central role in crafting effective policy solutions, aligning community values with meaningful legislative actions.

“I think what we have to look forward to is a lot within the realm of … artistic, thrifty people who love families and really value culture,” she said. “Politics are shifting, and I’m excited to see people realizing they can use their voices to create change."

She remains committed to empowering everyday Utahns, encouraging them to see themselves not just as passive residents but as active participants in shaping the state’s future. She sees immense potential in mobilizing the community around issues that resonate deeply with their values. By fostering greater civic engagement, McCormick hopes to build on her successes, creating a ripple effect of advocacy and policy change throughout Utah and beyond.