National Campaign Conference for Civic and Political Engagement

Sustaining Youth Power!

Sustaining Youth Power! the Spring 2021 National Campaign Conference for Civic and Political Engagement hosted by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at the Harvard Kennedy School was held on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. The event was open to students and administrators.  

Students from over 60 colleges and universities joined for a virtual gathering to discuss how to maximize the momentum from the 2020 election. The conference included a conversation with Hannah Bristol, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement on  President Biden’s Priorities for Young People, presentations on exciting campus political and civic innovations, a town hall with IOP pollster John Della Volpe, interactive workshops, and opportunities to meet other young people and build collective power.

Sustaining Youth Power! Conference Resources:

Friday, May 21, 2021

1:00 p.m.
Welcome to Sustaining Youth Power!  
Menat Bahnasy ‘22, President, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Kevin Ballen ‘22, Vice President, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Mark Gearan ‘78, Director, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School 

Students Speak Up: A Town Hall on Politics and Public Service
Facilitated by:
John Della Volpe, Director of Polling, Institute of Politics
Jing-Jing Shen ‘23, Chair, Harvard Public Opinion Project

2:00 p.m. 
Stretch Break

2:05 p.m.
A Conversation on President Biden’s Priorities for Young People      
Hannah Bristol, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
Kevin Ballen ‘22 (moderator), Vice President, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
For updates from the Office of Public Engagement: http://wh.gov/ope-signup
 

2:35 p.m.     
Campus Civic and Political Innovations Breakout Sessions
Introduced by: Jacob Blair '22 

  1. Civic Engagement at Every Level
    Increasing participation in student government elections
    Patrick Mehler, Cornell '23 

  2. Reaching Across the Aisle
    Hosting bipartisan discussions and debate
    Aristotle Vainikos '23

2:52 p.m.
Campus Civic and Political Innovations Breakout Sessions 

  1. Sudent Activism in the Pandemic
    Executing a successful advocacy campaign during the pandemic
    Arianna Maddox, UMass Boston
    Jacqueline Grundfast, UMass Amherst '22 

  2. Online Resources for Nationwide Voting
    Developing online tools for student voting in all states
    Neha Saju, Rutgers ‘22
    Fiona Kniaz, Rutgers ‘22

  3. Facing Restrictive Laws
    Understanding and overcoming state voting laws
    Sarah Baston, University of Texas Austin '23

3:10 p.m.
Campus Civic and Political Innovations Breakout Sessions 

  1. Reel Voter Engagement
    Utilizing TikTok & social media platforms for youth voter mobilization
    Jackson Snellman, Rutgers '22
    Cassie Cuddihy, Rutgers ‘23

  2. Educating the Next Generation
    Helping incoming students learn the ins and outs of advocacy
    Elisha Azize, Clark Atlanta University '22

3:25 p.m.   
Introduced by: Aristotle Vainikos '23
Breakout Workshops - 
Please indictate your choice here.  

Free Speech Simulation 
Dr. Benjamin Radd of Fascination Lab, an educational strategy firm, will be
facilitating an experiential role-playing program at the [conference]. Participants
will simulate a scenario involving an attempt by a college campus group to host a
controversial right-wing state legislator and outspoken supporter of the “Stop the
Steal” election fraud campaign, centered around the 2020 presidential election,
while facing student and community opposition. At issue will be debates over the
limits of public discourse, “cancel culture”, and the role of academic institutions in
addressing broader political and culture wars in the United States.
 

Or 

Creating a Strategic Campaign 
Strategy is how you get from here to there, from challenge to victory. We cover
the difference between strategy and goals, or tactics and how to develop a
handle on an issue. After this training, trainees will know how to craft a strategy
to win on issues, and how defining the problem, the policy and their vision relate.
Manny Rin, Director, Student PIRGs New Voters Project will lead this session with 
Shawna Upton, Recruitment and Digital Director, Student PIRGs and Arianna Maddox.  

4:45 p.m. 
Video Greeting from Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)
Menat Bahnasy ‘22, President, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School

4:55 p.m.
Networking Opportunity