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    Archive for the
    ‘youth activism’ Category


    By: Kristin Andrews

    A Chance To Be Heard

    Thursday, March 10th, 2011

    I am very much a type A personality. In group projects I like to be the leader, I don’t like to lose even in board games, but most of all, I want to be heard. Now is my chance. The White House has launched a program to sit in on 100 youth roundtables by May of 2011 to hear what young people are talking about.

    As a sophomore I participated in a service learning community on my college campus, and then went on to facilitate for the program. As part of the curriculum, for one hour each week a group of about 12 students would sit in class and talk about a variety of issues plaguing our nation. We discussed everything from poverty to healthcare and everything in between. We were often frustrated by the conversations we had, knowing that none of our thoughts and opinions were being heard.

    I’m encouraged that young people will be able to give voice to the problems that we are observing in our country, and the creative solutions that we are dreaming up in this new roundtable program.

    In case you missed the announcement, the White House Administration will be going out to 100 different youth roundtables across the country by May 2011. At these roundtables students and young people are coming together to talk about issues in their community and across the country, as well as discuss potential solutions. If you are interested in making your voice heard you can sign up to participate at www.whitehouse.gov/YoungAmericans to let the administration know when and where you will be meeting. If no one from the administration can attend your roundtable, you are encouraged to submit feedback and someone will follow up. Afterwards, data from all of the roundtables will be compiled allowing the administration to review what Young Americans are saying.

    I know that there are other groups like my service learning class that are experiencing the frustrations of not being able to voice their opinions, and this is a great opportunity to tell your story.

    Click here to find out more information about the program or to download a toolkit.

      Kristin Andrews
      Bio: Kristin is Rock the Vote's Communications Intern

      Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com

      Tags: , ,
      Posted in youth activism | Comments Off


      By: Heather Smith

      Rally of a generation

      Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

      Cross-posted from the Huffington Post

      Only one true winner will emerge from the upcoming comedic battle between fear and sanity: our democracy.

      The Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally held this Saturday, October 30th, will serve not only as the country’s largest public service announcement for the November 2nd midterm elections, but also provide young people with a forum – an outlet to express their hopes and frustrations about today’s political process.

      The frustrations of this generation are understandable. In 2008, politicians made sure young people got an invitation to the party, but since then they’ve been left off the guest list. While it is heartening to see leaders like President Obama once again reaching out to young people, as he will on The Daily Show tonight, it may be too little for this generation that is looking for candidates to stop the bickering and start leading. In our recent young voter poll, two-thirds of young people indicated that they feel more cynical about politics now than they did two years ago. Politicians seem to be reinforcing that cynicism with partisan bickering and endless attack ads this election cycle, so young people are turning to their peers and comedians like Stewart and Colbert to engage with our political process.

      The fact that young people identify with Stewart and Colbert’s ironic tone doesn’t mean they’ve given up on civic engagement. As they demonstrated in 2008, young people are hungry to be a part of something larger than themselves. Our recent young voter poll also showed that while young people may be more cynical about politics, an overwhelming majority of 83% believes their generation has the power to change this country. That belief will be manifested in the rally, where young people will come together on the National Mall and at dozens of satellite rallies around the country regardless of party affiliation.

      Yes, there will be clever signs, ridiculous costumes, and of course, a comedy show from Stewart and Colbert. Yet, the hosts’ brand of political satire can only succeed with an audience informed enough to understand the reality behind the humor. Young people know very well what is at stake in the upcoming midterm elections, and they are anything but apathetic. They are among those suffering worst from high unemployment, and many are worrying how they will pay their student loans. They understand that elections affect these issues and others they care about, and the rally provides a space to engage with their peers about such shared experiences. Perhaps not everyone will get close enough to really hear Stewart and Colbert, but the audience will be listening to each other.

      While the rally will raise money for noble causes, it is also important we take stock of its symbolic significance. Thousands of young people will gather together to celebrate sanity and make a mockery of fear. The rally will serve as the unified voice of a generation, one telling politicians and others who doubt their political power that they are still here and they will not be taken lightly. They will show everyone they are unafraid and we will support them by offering a pledge to Vote Fearlessly on November 2nd. Like Stewart and Colbert, we will give them a platform from which to speak – but it is their voice that will shape our country’s future.

        Heather Smith
        Bio: Heather is President of Rock the Vote.
        @rtvHS
        Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com

        Tags: , , ,
        Posted in heather smith, young voters, youth activism | 2 Comments »


        By: Jason

        Obama Addresses Young Voters

        Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

        The White House is coming to MTV next week in an event titled “A Conversation with President Obama.” The President will hold a town-hall-style meeting (modeled after a similar discussion that aired on CNBC last month) with 250 young people from across the country.

        This gathering is the latest in a string of instances in which the Obama Administration has reached out to young voters on the issues that affect them most. The President will also be holding the first summit on community colleges at the White House next Tuesday. With 3 out of 4 students leaving 2-year colleges without a training certificate or a degree, the condition of community colleges is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed for young people to gain the most from their education.

        Next Thursday’s event will be the second time President Obama will have appeared on MTV to speak to young voters. In 2007, then-Senator Obama participated in the MTV/MySpace “presidential dialogues” as a presidential candidate. In next week’s discussion, the President will address questions from young people in the audience, as well as questions submitted via Twitter, on a broad range of issues that affect them, especially education and the economy.

        Sway Calloway of MTV, Kate Cook of CMT and April Woodard of BET will host the event, which is scheduled to air at 4 PM (ET) on October 14th. The one-hour, commercial free, event will air on MTV, CMT, BET, MTVu, Centric, and the bilingual network TR3s, and stream live on the MTV, CMT and BET websites. Click here to learn how to participate in the discussion.

          Jason
          Bio:

          Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com

          Tags: , , , , ,
          Posted in Obama, young voters, youth activism | Comments Off


          By: Jason

          Yes, 1/3 of the eligible electorate

          Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

          Rock the Vote’s Thomas Bates and the Washington Bus’ Thomas Goldstein wrote an op-ed for the Seattle Times detailing how young voters will own a huge percentage of the electorate and why they should not be ignored in this election cycle.

          When campaigns focus on “perfect” or “near perfect” voters, namely those who have participated in three or four of the past four elections, young people whose voting records may be perfect but too short are not targeted for those glossy mail pieces. It’s a bit like throwing a party, not inviting someone … and then wondering why they didn’t show up.

          But check this out Millennial Voters, those born after 1980 are the largest generation in the history of the United States. Each day 13,000 become eligible to vote. That’s 9 million a year.

          First, a touch of background about young voters: The most distinctive attribute of the rising Millennial Generation — which generally includes those born after 1980 — is its size. The Millennials are the largest generation in the history of the United States — larger than the baby boomers and twice the size of Generation X. Nearly 13,000 young people turn 18 every day across America, introducing 9 million new potential young voters this cycle.

          In fact, by the year 2015, Millennials will make up one-third (yes, one-third) of the eligible electorate. Needless to say, investment in young voters is a growth market.

          The older electorate is relatively stable: Very few people will change a lifelong habit of voting or not voting. But even the slightest increase in young-voter participation changes elections. If youth turnout increases modestly — say 2 percentage points (which is the equivalent of the national increase from 2004 to 2008) — it would be enough to alter the outcomes in many elections across the state.

          Click here to read the entire post.

            Jason
            Bio:

            Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com

            Tags: , , , , , , , ,
            Posted in young voters, youth activism, youth vote | Comments Off


            By: Danni Lin

            Rocking the Global Vote

            Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

            With a 52% youth turnout rate under our belts from the 2008 presidential election, the Millennial generation has proved that we are worth courting, that we have opinions on issues that matter to us, and that we can be agents of change. Interestingly enough, the US isn’t the only country that’s responding to the changing demographics of our world, one in which the number of American Millennial voters is estimated to be between 60 and 75 million. Jordan and Australia are also pushing the youth vote in their respective countries.

            Let’s travel nearly 6000 miles to Jordan. In Jordan, 58% of the population is under the age of 25, ensuring that young people have a huge say in the direction of their country when they vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections in November. The government and various groups are doing their part to get out the vote, launching campaigns to educate young people on the voting process and stressing the importance of participation in government. Both the Higher Council for Youth and the All Jordan Youth Commission have plans to directly reach out to at least 4300 people through workshops, seminars, and debates that encourage young people to vote based on candidates’ merits rather than family ties or other social pressures. Like Rock the Vote, Jordan’s civic society is working on increasing youth participation and encouraging informed voting.

            If we travel another 9000 miles, we’ll arrive in Australia, one of 32 countries with compulsory voting. This month, the Australian Electoral Commission helped Google create Student Voice, a website which allows school students aged 15-17 to vote in a mock version of the upcoming elections in addition to offering educational resources and competitions. In partnering with Google, Australia is hoping to harness the power of the internet to give unprecedented access to young people on politics, government, and voting in order to better prepare them for their civic duties. As Australian officials work to make young voting more relatable to students, Rock the Vote’s very own Democracy Class is doing the exact same thing in the states but by mixing music and pop culture with information on elections and voting. When Democracy Class comes to your school, we also simulate a mock election with your peers as the candidates and hold a debate on issues you care about. Two initiatives in totally different countries both aim to get young people engaged in the political process early in their lifetimes.

            How are the needs of young people in politics similar everywhere? What do you think about the direction of youth voting in America? What are some ways young people can help to get out the vote? What do you think is the best way?

              Danni Lin
              Bio:

              Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com

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              Posted in young activists, young voters, youth activism | Comments Off

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