MCE Summit Press release

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NEWS RELEASE CONTACT
June 7, 2012 Amber Goodwin, Mobilize.org
202-729-3218, goodwin@mobilize.org
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
Millennials from five states to gather in Charlotte for historic summit
Representatives from California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania will discuss generational challenges and
compete for awards.
On August 24-26, more than 100 Millennials – Americans born between 1976-1996 - will gather at a historic summit in
Charlotte, NC, to discuss the pressing challenges facing their generation. Millennials are the largest generation in American
history and will play a critical role in the upcoming 2012 presidential election.
The Millennial Civic Engagement Summit: Our Generation, Our Communities, is hosted by Mobilize.org in partnership with GOOD,
with the generous support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“The 2012 presidential election has generated a lot of momentum among Millennials, but our generation‟s power goes beyond
registering voters,” says Maya Enista Smith, CEO of Mobilize.org. “The aim of the summit is to capitalize on that momentum and
ask ourselves, „What does the future of Millennial civic engagement look like?‟”
The entry of most Millennials into careers and first jobs has been significantly set back by the Great Recession, but research
shows that they are more upbeat than their elders about the overall state of the nation. Nearly two million more Americans
under the age of 30 voted in the 2008 presidential election as compared to 2004, and innovative ideas for sustaining Millennial
civic participation is critical for 2012 and beyond.
The Millennial Civic Engagement Summit is the first of its kind, bringing together young leaders from five states - California,
Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania - to determine ways in which Millennials can capitalize on the energy
surrounding the election to create lasting change in their own communities.
Summit participants will discuss the unique challenges facing their generation, meet with local, state, and federal elected
officials, and propose strategies to increase civic participation on their campuses and in their communities.
“Civic engagement is about thinking big and acting locally. It's about getting our friends and families involved in making our
communities more just, more transparent, and more sustainable,” said Smith.
Awards totaling $25,000 will be distributed by Mobilize.org to support the implementation of the top five ideas, which will be
selected by summit participants via a live competition.
ABOUT MOBILIZE.ORG
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems. Mobilize.org believes
Millennials are crucial in creating long-term, sustainable, community based solutions to the challenges facing our society.
Millennials must authentically engage their peers in identifying problems, work collaboratively to create solutions, and most
importantly, work together to implement these solutions on their campuses and in their communities.
Mobilize.org is the pioneer of an innovative engagement model, convening more than 1,600 Millennials in-person and 20,000
online across two and three-day intensive summit events in select cities nationwide. We have invested in 49 Millennial-led
projects, addressing such critical issues as increasing the community college completion rate, addressing the challenges facing
our returning Millennial veterans and improving the financial literacy of our generation.
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Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems