Youth advocates prepare for DC trip

Most of the time I wouldn't expect to be humbled by a group of teenagers. When I think of the kinds of things kids want to spend their free time doing, I certainly do not think of preparing to go to DC to meet congressional representatives to persuade them to change policies that affect their communities.

That is how I spent Presidents' Day, in awe of a group of kids at Centro Campesino in Owatonna preparing for a trip to DC. On March 6th and 7th hundreds of leaders from Latino nonprofit and civic organizations from around the country will meet with their Congressional representatives and senators as part of National Latino Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill. Durning these meetings advocates will have a chance to present some real solutions to the issues that impact the lives of Hispanic Americans.

The Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) was asked to be part of the training to help prepare the young advocates at Centro Campesino for their trip to DC. These young advocates spent the day discussing race and power and the way in which it shapes their communities. They also looked at legislative advocacy and the things necessary to bring about change. I was surprised by the amount of real world policy changes they discussed and the methodical strategy they used to insure that their voices would be heard.

Part of the reason I was so impressed is because when I was I kid I wasn't concerned with how legislative policy affects education, immigration, health care, and the like. Nobody talked to me about these issues or cared about my opinion. But here in Minnesota, Centro Campesino is reaching out to youth and I can see the impact it's making. Seeing a group of young people empowered to actively participate in campaigns is nothing short of amazing. They are working to change society for the better by reaching out to policymakers and sharing their concerns. In the process, they're changing themselves, becoming the leaders that we need for a promising future.