
What is Our Generation?
Maine has the oldest median age in the country, and our population is projected to continue to shrink. For the sake of Maine’s economy and the quality of life of all Mainers, more young people need to stay in Maine, and to move here from other places. How can that happen? Policymakers should start by listening to what young Mainers need!
Young Mainers need to have their voices heard on the issues that affect them. But who speaks for young Mainers? One barrier to young people building political power is that there is no group that currently exists that can credibly represent them, and in which they are empowered to determine strategic priorities. This project aims to fill that gap.
We anticipate the need to work on issues like economic vitality, student debt, and affordable housing. We also expect to discover, through grassroots organizing, the issues that may not yet have risen to the top of the policy agenda, yet are important to young people’s ability to lead successful, healthy, fulfilling lives in Maine.
This project seeks to build political power by:
- Bringing together the broadest and most diverse possible group of young people, across the political spectrum;
- Discovering, through conversation and surveys, the issues that we have in common;
- Articulating priorities and building the skills we need to be effective advocates for those priorities (including encouraging young Mainers to serve in elected office and other positions of power) and,
- Holding elected officials and other decision-makers accountable to the needs of young Mainers, through direct action, voter education, and advocacy.
In all our work, we will prioritize inclusiveness, disagree with civility and remain accountable to the priorities of our base.
