The Youth250 Conference in Philadelphia, hosted by the National Constitution Center, marks Gen Z’s rise as America’s "founding generation" during its 250th anniversary. With 500+ museums backing civic engagement, panelists like Shania Bennett (Philadelphia Youth Commission), Ariel Geismar (Forbes 30 Under 30 advocate), and Sophia Alvarez (Japanese American National Museum) discuss youth-led activism—from Maryland’s gun violence lobbying to LA’s post-pandemic community events. Meanwhile, Jacob Rubashkin from Inside Elections outlines Democrats’ slim 2026 Senate path: four seats needed, with Texas and North Carolina primaries as critical tests, where retirements and redistricting favor Republicans. Gen Z’s urgency and digital savvy could reshape politics, but blind spots like overpassion without preparation remain hurdles. Their collective declaration, blending art and policy, aims to redefine America’s democratic legacy. [Automatically generated summary]
So the Senate map is the most straightforward to tackle here.
The answer is four.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the Senate, get them to that 51 number.
Remember, if they only get three, it's a 50-50 deadlock and Vice President JD Vance can cast tiebreaking votes for Republicans.
So Democrats need four in the Senate.
In the House, it's a little bit more complicated because there are some vacancies, but big picture math, Democrats need a net gain of three seats to get to that 218 number, reclaim the narrowest possible majority.
At this point, what we know based on the current House map, historical trends, and the political environment, Democrats are in a much better position in the House relative to where they are in the Senate.
Of course, the Senate only elects a third of its members every two years.
And it just so happens for Democrats that the class of senators up for re-election this year is not the most favorable to them.
There aren't very many great pickup opportunities in the House.
There are plenty of places where Democrats can find those three seats that they need.
You think back to 2018, which is a year that most of us would probably consider to be a wave election.
Democrats picked up 40 seats in the House.
They actually lost two seats in the Senate.
And I like to return to that year because I think it illustrates how even in a quote-unquote wave election, you can have somewhat unexpected or counterintuitive outcomes.
So certainly Democrats would like to take back the House if they take back the House with anywhere approaching that 40-seat mark they set in 2018.
Could you call that a wave election?
Sure.
But I think the only way we really get to a true Democratic wave is if we also see them take back the Senate.
It tells us that Congress is not the happiest place to be right now.
I think we're seeing that as a bipartisan sentiment.
Members of both parties are frustrated with how things are going in Washington, D.C., the breakdown of regular order, the consolidation of power into the Speaker's office, leaving people who once had committee positions that would have been very powerful in a much more diminished position.
So I don't think it's surprising at all that we're seeing members head for the exits, and especially that we're seeing members look for advancement either to the Senate in D.C. or like Chip Roy, for instance, who's on the ballot in two weeks in Texas, looking for opportunities back in their home states to run in just to get them out of D.C., but to keep them in the political fray.
Well, voters are going to start voting very soon down in Texas and in North Carolina.
Those are our first primaries of the 2026 election cycle.
We've got some blockbuster races in the Lone Star State.
You've got that Senate contest, two big primaries, the Republican primary, Senator John Cornyn, fighting for his political life there, the Democratic primary between State Representative James Tallarico and Jasmine Crockett.
And that's just the beginning.
You've got House races across the board here.
Remember, Republicans redrew that Texas map to try and gain as many as five seats.
What does that mean?
It means a lot of primaries for newly safe Republican seats that are being fought out across ideological lines, across political lines, and many of them aren't going to be resolved in two weeks because Texas requires a majority for the primary to win the nomination.
And so a lot of these candidates are actually going to be stuck for another two months in a runoff.
That could include John Cornyn and whichever of his opponents holds him to less than 50% in the Senate primary.
And go to the Tar Heel State because there is a very closely watched Senate seat in North Carolina and that also that primary taking place in two weeks.
And there's a lot less suspense about the one in North Carolina, I would say, certainly on the Senate side.
Democrats coalesced very early around former Governor Roy Cooper, who is former state attorney general, one of the only Democrats who has consistently won statewide election in North Carolina, even as the state has remained so stubbornly Republican at the federal level.
He got in.
That was a big recruiting hit for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Republicans, meanwhile, have surrounded Michael Watley, the former Republican National Committee Chairman, as their presumptive nominee.
He still faces a few less heralded primary challengers, but he is likely to be their candidate in that race.
He was handpicked by Trump.
This is probably Democrats' best pickup opportunity on the Senate map.
It is absolutely a must-win for Democrats if they want to reclaim the Senate majority.
And look, that goes back to what I was saying earlier.
Democrats must win in the Senate.
Step one for reclaiming a Senate majority is to win a state that they haven't won at the Senate level since 2008, 18 years ago.
So it's a challenge for Democrats and the Senate, but they've got candidates like former Governor Cooper who are putting them in contention as we head into the home stretch of this election season.
Well, this is where recruitment really has come in clutch for Democrats because it has been a priority of Senate Minority Leader Schumer, who also leads the Democratic campaign operation, essentially.
He's the power behind the throne there.
He has worked very hard to try and coax candidates into races that are not as competitive on paper at least, but could be with the right person at the helm.
So we're looking at Ohio, which is a state that has trended toward Republicans significantly over the past decade, once the quintessential swing state, now very much a Republican state.
But former Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his reelection campaign in 2024 by about four points, he's running again.
That gives Democrats an opportunity there at the very least.
In Alaska, another state where Democrats have really struggled at the federal level.
The one person that they found some success with, former Congresswoman Mary Peltola, she's running in that race.
So I would say Ohio and Alaska are probably your next two best bets.
And then, you know, we'll see what happens in Texas.
We'll see what happens with the primary in Iowa as well.
And there are a few other states that in a true wave scenario could come online.
If we're sitting here, John, in October talking about Mississippi or South Carolina, that's when we'll know we're in true Democratic wave territory.
From the Senate come back to the House, Inside Elections has its race ratings where it tries to categorize all the different House and Senate races to give you a sense of which ones are the most competitive.
The most competitive category is called the toss-up category, trying to figure out that it's a coin flip right now as to who would win it.
In that toss-up category, there's 10 races listed from Arizona to Virginia, but eight of them are Republican seats and only two are seats held by Democrats.
Well, it tells us that the overall political environment is more tilted toward Democrats right now.
When you look at all of the macro indicators that us in the business track here, it's clear that Democrats have a head of steam heading into the spring of 2026.
So you've got an unpopular Republican president in the White House.
Donald Trump has lost STEAM ever since he came back into office, essentially.
His approval ratings are the lowest that they've been, certainly of this term and approaching the lowest that they ever were.
Youth 250 Pledge00:13:11
unidentified
The same day we have yet, but it's going to be wonderful.
Thank you all for being here.
My name is Caroline Klibenoff, and I lead Made by Us, which is the organization behind this gathering, along with our partners at PolicyLink.
If you don't know about Made by Us, I will just give you the brief overview.
We are a coalition of more than 500 museums across the country that have put their hands up and said, yes, we can be a hub for civic participation, for cultivating and informing and inspiring the next generation's civic power.
And we're going to work together to do it.
So we bring credible multi-perspective history to the next generation that meets you where you are.
And you all have been a huge part of that, as have our partners here at the National Constitution Center.
So, some of you might know our work from the mass activation civic season, which is coming up again this summer.
Civic season goes from Juneteenth to July 4th, and we created this with young people and museums.
We're in our sixth year, and this will be a huge summer because it collides with America's 250th anniversary.
And if you don't know, that anniversary also collides with the largest youth generation in history stepping over the threshold into adulthood.
I don't know if anyone here was born in 2007, but that probably not because you would be right on the cusp of 18.
That class, that's the largest birth year in history, and that's the high school class of 2026.
So, there's a youth wave coming.
We spun up Youth 250 in response to this collision, and under Alex Edgar's leadership, Alex is here.
Alex has been completely responsible for bringing this to life.
It has reached heights we never thought it could.
It's civic and creative infrastructure that puts young people at the center of this commemoration because it's not just about the past 250 years, but also about the future.
So, thank you all, especially to our youth participants today, bringing your imagination, your seriousness.
We are going to ask you to really dig in and create this declaration together.
Thank you for being here.
I also want to thank in Philly, there's a really great term for this, our old heads.
I think I got it right.
Our old heads who are established leaders from across industries, you're bringing your expertise and playing a very critical role in listening to the conversations that are happening here today, because what happens here is going to ripple out across the country.
So, today is about modeling this process that built America not only in 1776, right across the street, but by every generation since.
We imagine, we debate, we commit, we build grievances, truths, and what we pledge to each other.
And is Trey Delighted here?
I'm going to quote you as I always do.
You know what's coming.
Trey said my favorite thing that I think just we can carry this with us today years ago when he first came into the Made by Us universe.
If you could make your country better, wouldn't you?
I love it.
So, thank you.
Thank you to our partners at PolicyLink, Josh, Tom.
We are all in on Project All, and we are the founders of Tomorrow.
You're going to hear more about that shortly.
Thank you to the Hearthland Foundation for your support of Youth 250, believing in this work, and especially for your contributions to the gorgeous design that we see on these signs here.
And thank you to our artist, Haley McDevitt.
She's listening in.
She's going to be crafting this amazing art piece.
And thank you to Dylan St. Bernard and his team DSB who are here capturing the day.
We're going to make creative amazingness out of this.
So, thank you to everyone, and especially thanks to the National Constitution Center for lending your space as Civic Commons for today.
Now, here is Vince Stango, interim CEO.
Thanks, Caroline.
When you started talking about old heads, I thought you were beginning your introduction to me.
I got a little.
I was like, wow, old head.
Okay.
Good morning, everyone.
My name is Vince Stango.
As Caroline said, I'm Interim President and CEO here at the National Constitution Center.
And it's my pleasure to welcome you all to Philadelphia for Youth 250, our Declaration.
Today is about you.
Gen Z is stepping into civic life at a milestone moment for our country.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, you are the generation that will help define how this anniversary is remembered and what it ultimately means for generations to come.
You are not simply observing history, you are encountering and shaping it at a formative time in your own lives as citizens.
Here in the heart of historic Philadelphia, where the American experiment in self-government began, we are reminded that the principles debated and adopted here were written with future generations in mind.
And they endure only if each generation takes the time to understand them and the responsibility to carry them forward.
250 years ago, this city was the setting for decisions that shaped a new nation.
The choices made here established real structures, real limits on power, and real responsibilities for citizens.
That framework has remained strong not because it runs on its own, but because Americans in every era have applied it, interpreted it, amended it, and worked within it to address the challenges of their time.
That is why your presence here today matters.
As we mark the nation's semi-quincentennial, the National Constitution Center is inviting Americans to step directly into the nation's founding story.
Not to rely on summaries or slogans, but to encounter the words and ideas for themselves, to see how the Declaration established a nation built on big, bold ideas, and how the Constitution established a durable framework for self-government.
Through our story continues, we're encouraging the country, and especially young Americans, to engage those texts thoughtfully, to understand how our system works, and to consider what informed citizenship requires in their own lives.
Every generation has been asked the same fundamental question.
What does it mean to live up to the ideals of the Declaration and sustain the system of self-government under the Constitution?
During this gathering, you explore that question in your own way.
You will create our Declaration, a collective statement written and signed by you here in the nation's birthplace.
You will share letters to America through spoken word, music, and art, thoughtful expressions of perspective and purpose.
This is not ceremonial.
It's civic.
The founders understood that constitutional democracy depends on participation grounded in knowledge and responsibility.
It depends on citizens who are prepared, informed, and willing to contribute constructively.
That responsibility now belongs to each of you.
Your declaration will not remain here.
It will travel across the country, inviting reflection and encouraging engagement with the principles that define our constitutional system.
At the National Constitution Center, we believe that civic education does more than inform.
It equips people with the knowledge, the values, and the confidence to take their place in our constitutional democracy.
It deepens constitutional literacy, strengthens civic character, and prepares each generation not simply to inherit that system, but to sustain it and steward it with care.
Today, you are those people.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for taking this responsibility seriously and for contributing your unique voice to this moment in our shared constitutional story.
I want now to introduce Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager of Youth 250, who, as you know, helped to make today possible.
My thanks to you, Alex, and to all of you here with us today.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Come on, where's the energy?
Good morning, everyone.
Now, that is so much more like it.
Well, that's me.
Gotta stay on your toes, y'all.
Thank you so much, Vince, for the warm welcome.
We could not have asked for better partners than the National Constitution Center for this event.
And welcome, everyone, to Youth 250, Our Declaration.
My name is Alex Edgar, and I'm the co-founder of Youth 250, and I'll be your MC for today, kind of like your civic tour guide through the rest of the day.
Before we begin, I wanted to take a moment to ground us in just how powerful it is that we're all here together.
250 years ago, across the street from where we stand today, a group of imperfect revolutionaries took a bold stance.
Later, when you're back out on the overlook, look out across over the beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, and you'll see Independence Hall, where they actually signed the Declaration, and put yourself in their shoes.
They put their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor all on the line for this great American experiment.
A declaration that all men are created equal.
They could not have predicted where their declaration would take this country.
They couldn't have imagined the movements, amendments, the reckonings, the expansion of who counts and who belongs.
And yet those founders, most of whom were younger than our leaders today, set us on a path to the beautiful yet complicated United States we live in today.
As we commemorate the 250th, for us at Made by Us, we see this moment as not just a celebration, but really a reflection.
It invites us to look honestly about where we've been, who's been included, and who's been excluded, and what type of country we want to carry forward.
The tension between American exceptionalism and American pessimism is what led to the creation of Youth 250.
We wanted an initiative that learns from the past but is unapologetically focused on the role young people play in writing the next chapter.
And that brings me to all of you.
It is generally so exciting to look out and see this room filled with young leaders and older allies who are committed to seeing that young people have a real say in our country's future.
Gen Z has grown up through overlapping crises that you'll hear about in our panel in a moment, and at the same time, unprecedented access to information and each other.
We are constantly described as the future, but rarely seen as leaders of the present.
And today is about changing that.
Youth 250 Our Declaration is a once-in-a-generation gathering because Gen Z is being positioned as the new founding generation of this next chapter of American history.
Throughout the day, you'll engage in conversations about what it means to come of age in this milestone moment.
You'll wrestle with history, not as something frozen in the past, but as something alive, and for better or for worse, open to reinterpretation as we see even across the street.
We'll start with an opening panel on Gen Z of the 250th, setting the scene for the day ahead.
And we'll be followed by a founder's mindset talk focused on how each of us can serve as a founder in our own lives.
Then you'll go on a self-guided tour through the National Constitution Center and grab a lunch with your peers.
Then we're going to get to my favorite part, which is creating the physical Youth 250 Our Declaration, a collective work of art on a giant scroll that reflects your values, hopes, and demands for our country that you want to live in.
By writing it, you are making a statement that your voice belongs in the American story.
Afterwards, you'll get to experience the Youth 250 Showcase, featuring Letters to America through spoken word, music, art, and dance, bringing civic imagination to the forefront of this 250th moment.
And at the end of the day, after listening to some of our older leaders reflect on what you all shared, surrounded by peers, leaders, and media, you'll have the opportunity to actually sign the Declaration, just like our founders did 250 years ago.
I want you all to know that this does not end today.
The declaration that you all create will travel museums and civic convenings all across the country as a public art exhibit of what young people are thinking and feeling at this U.S. 250th moment.
After this room clears, your declaration will continue to ask the country a very important question.
What do we owe the future and who gets to decide?
Before we dive in to our panel, a quick note on how to approach today.
What Do We Owe the Future?00:02:37
unidentified
We really hope that this is not a passive experience.
There's only two panels for a reason.
We really want to make sure you all feel comfortable to ask questions, to engage, to think honestly about what this moment means for our country.
So please make new friends, share your voice, and without further ado, we'll be introducing our Gen Z of the 250th panel.
So I will be moderating.
Hi, everyone.
And then we have Sophia Alvarez, who is a Youth 250 Bureau member, as well as a program coordinator at the Japanese American National Museum.
We also have Ariel Geismar, a Forbes 30 under 30 recognized organizer, advocate, and creator in youth-centered policy, who has led essential advocacy campaigns around responsible technology, women's now due to its rights, and is also a bureau member.
And last but not least, we have Shania Bennett, who is the youngest person in Mayor Sherelle Parker's administration here in Philadelphia, where she's the executive director of the Office of Youth Engagement.
There's some deep chairs.
Can I inch forward a little bit?
Wow.
Yeah, we're really on the edge.
Well, hello, everyone.
On the edge of our seats.
We are on the edge of our seats.
That is how excited we are for this panel.
Well, I gave very brief introductions to each of you, but maybe if each of you can give like 30 seconds, what is the thing that you're doing right now that you're most excited about?
And maybe we can start off with Shania at the end.
Good morning, everyone.
My name is Shania Bennett.
One thing that I'm doing is in the mayor's office, I oversee the Philadelphia Youth Commission, which is a commission of 21 young leaders representing neighborhoods in Philadelphia ages 12 to 24 years old.
They're all appointed by a council member.
17 appointees come from council and four come from the mayor.
Awesome.
Amazing.
Hi, everyone.
My name is Arielle.
My background is in youth organizing, and I come from writing policy and passing policy with, by, and for young people.
And so I've worked in areas from LGBTQ plus rights to women's rights to mental health.
And right now I'm focusing on responsible technology, the ways that technology impacts our daily lives, from the data that companies have on us to the ways that young people create digital spaces for ourselves.
Fragile Hope00:05:52
unidentified
Amazing.
Hi, everyone.
I'm Sophia Alvarez.
I am a program coordinator at the Japanese American National Museum.
I work in the department called the Democracy Center, and our focus there is to create programming and event space for people to come and have civic discussion.
And with that, we're really hoping to bring more community members in to share that space, specifically younger community members, to know that everyone here in LA across the U.S. have a seat at the table in being able to be a part of their democracy.
Awesome.
Well, we are so lucky to have these three incredible panelists with us today.
And to start off, again, we're in this beautiful, beautiful location across the street from where the Declaration of Independence itself was signed and really thinking about what was going on in the country before it was even a country 250 years ago.
It was a moment of intense turmoil, of who are we as a people?
And I think as we're in this moment, that I think is also, not to speak for everyone, I think a pretty tumultuous period of time right now.
I really want to get from each of you, from where you sit, what feels most fragile in our country today, whether it's systems, it is institutions, what is kind of, as you're looking out there as a young person, something that's kind of given you, given you pause.
Maybe you can start off with Arielle.
Sure.
To me, there's a lot that feels fragile right now, but I think at the core of it is the hope that we can be better.
I think that we are completely tied to what America is doing right now, as we should be.
And I think that as we evaluate America's past and present, I feel this very fragile breaking of the belief that we can be better than what we are now, of the belief that we can outgrow a past, fix injustices in our past, and push forward.
I think that as we think about dreaming big, as we think about the future that we want of the next 250 years of America, the idea that things can be better is feeling fragile to me right now.
And I think that's why the power of young people has been so incredible and why we're all here and why you're all here is because I think we have a new perspective.
Like we inherited all of these issues.
We're growing up in one of the most tumultuous times of our country, if not thee.
And we're saying it doesn't have to be this way.
Like it actually doesn't have to be this hard.
It doesn't have to be this difficult.
We can actually address the things that we want to address and go forward.
But I think as we continue, and for me, I feel like every single time I turn on the news, I feel the hope getting a little bit more fragile.
And we'll talk about next steps later, but that to me is feeling scary.
Thank you.
Shania, what about you?
I was going to touch on hope.
I talk to my young people all the time, and I truly do think that there's a hope deficit amongst young people.
We all have that feeling.
But I also talk about the loss of joy.
And I think with being young, the beauty of being a young person, it's like we just have this innate joy of being a young person that we all add to spaces and get in the way of in the way of what feels fragile is just young people being able to enjoy the joy of their youth and with everything that's going on.
So that's what I feel like is most fragile, just young people being young and having joy and happiness and not our joy and happiness being based on happenings of what's going on in our country.
100%.
I always joke and say that I think that young people should not be required to do anything before they turn 18.
Because I don't know about Rest of y'all, but like, how many of us today, whether it's because you want to get into college, you want to achieve your dreams, whatever it is, like so many of us, we give up our childhood in order to protect this bigger thing, our community, our country, the world, whatever it may be.
And I think, Shania, what you said of like, what happened to being a kid?
What happened to enjoying our youth?
I think it's really, really important.
But, Sophia, what about you?
What's feeling fragile for you right now?
I think in this moment, it's our trust in systems, specifically the democratic process.
Right now, we're seeing a real decline in people's interest in showing up to the polls, getting educated, being civically active in their own communities, not only at a local and a state level, but at a federal level.
And we need to realize that we are voting in people who are serving us, their constituents.
And so, being able to have that dialogue with our leaders is so critical.
And knowing that our voice matters and our voice counts is so critical to young people, especially because this is the future that our leaders right now are shaping for us.
And right now, we are seeing so many policies, so many attacks on our systems right now that uphold and protect our world and our future.
And it's disheartening, it's frightening.
And I think what really needs to happen is a revitalization of people's interest and wanting to defend our country and wanting to protect what is our nature rights.
Beautiful.
And I think a common thread between what the three of you shared is this idea of young people getting out there, whether it's in a more joyful, community-centered way, whether it is on the kind of more civic participation front.
And with that, I'd love to hear from each of you.
Young Voices Unite00:06:48
unidentified
You are all from different areas.
Sophia is based in LA.
Arielle is based between DC and New York City.
Shania is here in Philly.
You all do different work locally and nationally.
I'd love to hear how, what are the exciting ways that you're seeing young people show up in this moment?
And maybe let's start off with Shania.
Okay, yeah.
So what I described is the Philadelphia Youth Commission.
A lot of people believe that they have to be appointed to be a part of it.
But in 2008, Mayor Michael Nutter created and put it into a homeload charter for Philadelphia to have a standalone office of youth engagement in the city to uplift youth voice.
It became an actual office roughly like 11 years later.
So it's only had a few directors, but what we focus on is civic engagement participation and uplifting and getting not getting away from, but taking further steps beyond just voter registration, but voter education and actually getting beyond just like getting out there and voting, understanding the process and how the system works.
And it's unique in Philadelphia.
We have a committee person.
And in 2018, I become the youngest ever elected committee person in the city of Philadelphia.
And it's just been a way for young people to get involved in the community, knock on my neighbors' doors, organize community cleanups, and from an advocacy standpoint, but also coming down to Valley and engage local government to understand that you can't do much if you're not doing it locally in the neighborhood on the block that directly impacts you in a neighborhood that you may go to school in,
that you may worship in, that you may work in.
So that's how we're doing it here in Philly.
Beautiful.
Ariella, about you.
I have been really excited about the coalitions that people are creating online, particularly for information sharing, right?
As young people, we've grown up online, we've grown up in the digital spaces, whether it's social media, the internet, kind of take your pick.
And I've been incredibly impressed and excited about the ways that we are working with one another across locations, right?
So the beauty of the internet is that we don't have to be in the same place to organize.
And I think as we look at the news and as we think about the things that are most pressing, exactly like what you were saying, things around democratic resilience, the information sharing is consistent, it's agile, and it's up to date, which is infrastructure that doesn't just like appear like that, right?
So when young people are, you know, there's a new headline, new information comes out, something's happening actively, we're talking to each other immediately.
We're getting organized immediately.
There are coalitions forming across different sectors, topics, locations, and that kind of coalition building, especially in digital platforms, is really exciting to me because those often have in-person outcomes.
So it's not just that we're posting an infographic or we're making a group chat online.
That's actively turning into results.
There are young people organizing who are meeting in group chats who I then work with to create policy in states like Maryland.
So as we start to think about where we're showing up, that to me is really exciting.
All right.
Sophia, go for it.
I really want to take that and run with it.
My segue into in-person events, I do event coordination, and in my community, I am always, always, always looking for in-person events.
And something about, you know, growing up as a digital native, we really, over the course of like the last 10 or so years, we've really had a very big migration to moving online to create communities online.
Incredible work.
It's another dimension to being able to access communities from across the world.
But our young people are losing touch with one another and like being able to meet one-on-one in person is something that people are so like very much craving.
And so in my free time, I'm just always looking to see what types of events are happening.
And I mean, with everything that's happened in LA over the last year or so, I mean, from the fires to immigration, and it's so, so it brings me a lot of joy to see how people have come together to share space,
Whether that be to host braiding parties for your hair or dance parties or craft nights or make your own bouquets and being able to share space together and have that dialogue and connect on a one-to-one basis, because it's something that I think a lot more people are searching for, now that we're finding that some of these online spaces are no longer for us or they're changing,
because our digital landscape is really rapidly moving with AI, and so the ways that people are kind of rejecting modernity and embracing tradition is really exciting to see.
Yes, I did do that.
No, I think that's so fair though because I mean There's a reason why we even have this event today, right?
I mean, you know, we have been running at Made by Us this Youth 250 initiative since the beginning of 2024.
And this is our first in-person convening of a bunch of the partners, the allies, the young people.
We have a lot of our Youth 250 Bureau members here in attendance, which is really exciting.
And I think that so frequently, as kind of you were touching on Arielle and as well, Sophia, as we see that, like, it's so easy to just exist online.
It is, I mean, you look at, you know, especially now with AI, but also you're looking at social media and how much we are increasingly living these digital lives and the ability to come together in person, whether it's as Shania was mentioning,
Of actually bringing young people across the city together to share, you know, what are the issues that are connecting them to organize around, or, as Ariel was mentioning, like the ability to learn nationally what's happening and how we can engage folks on the ground from something that you know older generations might sometimes criticize us for you know.
Oh, you're just posting, you're not going in person, but I think we're really seeing, especially post-pandemic, a change and more and more young people turning out in person.
Yeah, I just want to add really quickly to something that you said around like AI, and I think that this is really interesting because this is one of like the Gen Z kind of turning points right now, which is like, okay, new system, we're getting it.
Navigating Power Dynamics00:07:14
unidentified
What do we do?
And I have been so thrilled that the reaction has been like not take it at face value right, like yes, I don't know if if y'all saw that there was an ad that a company put out in the Super Bowl around.
It's an ad for a digital doorbell and you can see what's happening outside of your door, and during that ad they were talking about finding lost dogs, but in order to do that, they turned on every AI system in the neighborhood in order to identify right, and so the reaction that a lot of young people in my network had was, well, hold on.
I don't know how comfortable I feel with this, and I think that is is the core of what I'm getting at, and whether it's it's in personal and in-person spaces, and particularly like leadership spaces, or it's in community gatherings, like young people are saying, like hold on, wait a second, let's think about how we want to do this, because I don't feel good about that, and I think that, to me, is kind of why we're here today, that they're like, I don't feel good about that and I want to change it and it doesn't have to be this way.
No, I think that's also just a perfect segue to my next question for all of you, and I think a kind of big part of youth 250, of all of our work at MADE BY US, has always been focused on this idea that, you know, many of our traditional institutions do not welcome young people into their doors, let alone into their leadership, and that, you know, when MADE BY US launched back in 2019, was a real goal, was that museums and cultural institutions.
They are the caretakers of our country's history, our country's legacy and yet where we're young people and actually helping guide where that work went.
So what I wanted to hear from each of you, in your different vantage points, is a, how have you all, as young people leading incredible work, been navigating that tension between yourself and the older leaders, whether or not they're willing Let you in to welcome yourself and the young people you work with?
And also, if there's any, like, what are the exciting things that maybe haven't like hit the news, but like, what are young people building that you're seeing and are like, that is something we need more of.
Anyone?
Arielle, you looked excited.
No, no, I want to hear Shania's answer first.
I'm too excited.
Oh, I think in Philadelphia, a very spoiled city when it comes to our young people, because I don't face that here.
And many of our young people do not.
Of course, like when issues arise and things like that, we have natural, you know, push and pull from, you know, maybe institutions.
But in terms of general engagement, in my experience, and especially since the office has been stood up, there's been a consistent platform for young people to utilize and uplift their voice and be empowered to do so.
In fact, I got an email on my way here.
It's like, Shania, you said you were going to make sure we had like 10 people to be on a Philadelphia Police Department's advisory board.
So there's so many opportunities for young people to get engaged.
But I think sometimes because in other places that may be similarly cities that are similarly situated, young people are not always provided the opportunity.
So if there's young people that are coming here, a lot of times they're so used to fighting for the opportunity that once the opportunity is presented, they also don't necessarily know how to show up in leadership positions.
And I think being able to find two more leadership development opportunities for young people so that when you get in a space that does welcome youth voice and youth participation and collaboration, we have like the brightest and the sharpest young people to meet the moment.
But one of the things you said that people may not know about is that I'm really proud that two weeks ago I organized 150 young leaders from various institutions in Philadelphia.
And we had a student and young adult leadership day at City Hall.
And so we went to City Council chambers.
We introduced two resolutions and it was just like a big fun day of reception of just engaging young people around 250 and how they see themselves in America's birthday.
So 250 birthday.
Well with that I'm moving to Philadelphia.
Please go.
Please go.
I'm tired of fighting.
So I'm always here.
We're so awesome.
And I know as a good leader, you're not giving yourself enough credit, but I do think also a lot of it has to do with yourself and others that have done such a great job of building that ecosystem that enables young people to thrive.
So thank you for everything you do.
Thank you.
Arielle, what about you?
Just Samson.
Thanks everybody.
So I'll touch on the tension part first before the building part.
I had this, when people asked me, like, what was it like to be like a youth organizer?
This is one of the stories I tell.
So I was leading a coalition of young people to lobby on a bill on gun violence prevention.
This was a few years ago.
And I took a meeting on Capitol Hill with a senator that I knew was not particularly friendly to the cause.
And normally when you have a meeting with a staffer, you go into their office, you sit down at a table, you talk about the bill, and then they ask you questions.
This staffer did not offer us, like literally did not offer to invite us into the office.
And we took our meetings standing out in the hallway.
So I had to like kind of stand there and present.
And then we went around and we did our talking points.
But we were standing in the middle of a hallway of a building when there was a conference room right next door.
And so, when I think about the way that young people are treated as we show up in policy conversations, that's one of the stories that I often tell because it's so stark in how people can overlook young people and young voices.
And one of the things that I learned from that is during that meeting, we actually realized that we knew more about the bill than the person that we were meeting with.
So, that to say, do not wait your turn.
And that to me is one of the most exciting things.
Yeah, yeah.
That to me is one of the most exciting things when I think about young people in these processes and what we're building: is like we are getting some of that recognition because of amazing young people who are showing up and who are doing the work.
And sometimes, I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I get there and I'm like, you're the one leading this?
Yeah.
And so, through that, I've learned like we don't have to wait our turn.
Like, we don't have to sit and like, you know, go through the particular steps.
I feel right now, like, we're in a moment of crisis in our country.
And when there's a crisis, when the house is on fire, you don't stop to think about the fire.
You just focus on putting it out.
And that, to me, is where I think young people are right now.
We're ready, we're moving.
There are, I think, too many examples that come to my mind, but just a story of not waiting your turn in terms of interacting with folks who hold positions of power.
When the House is on Fire00:13:55
unidentified
1,000%, plus one, everything you just shared.
And I think for me, not to have my made by us hat on, but I think what's particularly important with what you were just sharing in context of this moment, right?
We are hitting the 250th anniversary of the United States.
And I think it's pretty easy from our vantage point to be able to look back and say, like, they did the right thing.
You know, they started this revolution, blah, Here we are today, right?
But like, it was a treasonous act to say all men are created equal.
It was a treasonous act to say, hey, you know, we think people deserve to be treated differently.
And as we said before, right, not to say our funders were perfect by any means, but I think when looking at any meaningful change that has happened in our country's history, it has not been within the framework of the existing institutions.
It has required, especially young people, putting themselves on the line, heading out, whether it's in legislative bodies and protests and doing the tangible work that they needed to do in order to make sure that that change is possible.
So I think that to me is with what you're sharing is like we are in this moment.
The house is on fire and we need to do everything we can in our own worlds.
At the same time, I think it's easy with what we were talking about earlier with hope, right?
Like it's easy to look around and say, oh my gosh, the house is on fire.
This is horrible.
To make sure that you're holding on and what you can tangibly do in your communities.
Sophia, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.
Yeah, taking that from you and just kind of acknowledging the founding of this country, being able to stand for these rights as an act of revolution.
Yesterday, a couple of us went to the Museum of the American Revolution and we had a delightful time.
We got to see their special exhibit, which focuses on the Constitution and incredible, incredible work.
Just really quick shout out to the whole team that put that together.
But it got me thinking because in the museum field, I think there are so many barriers for young people to become involved, specifically because these are older systems.
These are people who are in leadership and don't necessarily see the value or perhaps see the advantages of being able to have youth voices in their decision-making process.
And because they are so rooted in these Almost antiquated ways of being able to do their business, they lose out on the opportunities to invite younger folks in.
And in the work that I've been doing with U250 Bureau and just in the work that I've been able to see the Made by Us team as part of Civics in the last five years, but for me, most recently the last three, it has been such an incredible delight to see institutions turning the needle on that.
And really, really, you see them making an effort to include young voices in their decision-making, whether that's at an advisory board level, at a board level, or engaging community members, whether that's teaching artists, educators, community leaders, and bringing their voices in to help shape not only the experiences that they're having there at their institution, but also shape the cultural expectations of what these institutions stand for.
You know, a lot of people tend to think, oh, this space is not for me.
This event is not for me.
I wasn't invited.
And as a young person, if that invitation is not there, we're not going to show up.
There needs to be a clear effort from these institutions, inviting younger people in and making it clear that these spaces are for them.
They're not exclusive spaces.
They're not spaces that are inaccessible.
They need to be accessible.
And when, you know, as you were saying earlier, you know, being able to invite people in, they'll rise to the occasion.
And we see so many youth being eager to answer that call and show up and participate because they see that, oh, my voice is being heard and it's being valued.
I get to have a space here.
And that really is going to be the changing point for our institutions to be able to solidify truth in history as we move forward.
Awesome.
No, I think with what you're just sharing, Sophia, one of the biggest tension points and kind of opportunities that we see at Made by Us is oftentimes as young people, you know, you'll kind of be seen as an older adult as like they don't know anything, but they're still knocking on our door.
They still want to, you know, have access.
They want to have opportunity.
And I think so much of it is the need for that kind of two-way learning, right?
That the older leaders need to learn what does it take to work with young people in a way that values their lived experience, brings them to the table, but also like the young people needing to learn, you know, as Shania, I think you had mentioned, right, that like for you, so much of it is like we understand the local institutions.
And because you understand the local institutions, you know, you're able to make the most of it.
And I think so often that tends to also be a missing piece of not just the older adults not knowing the best way to work with young people, but sometimes the young people not knowing the best ways to work with the institutions.
And I think that tends to be a great opportunity for growth.
We're going to ask one more question of the panel before I would love to get one or two QA from the audience.
So put your thinking caps on.
If anything comes to mind, I'll be grabbing one or two from y'all.
But a big goal of us, right?
So we've kind of gotten the generational snapshot.
Here we are, a bunch of young people leading incredible work at the US 250F.
If you could give one action, one piece of advice for the young people in this room to take forward, or also for the older leaders who are listening to take forth from our conversation today, what would that action be?
And so off with you, Shania.
Don't be afraid to start the conversation.
I meet a lot of young people who have great ideas and/or they have questions and they're afraid to ask them because maybe they think it's not the brightest idea, but a lot of times it's a solution that maybe the person you're talking to didn't think of or didn't strategize.
Even how I got here today is I was working with a workforce development organization and they're at the time their chief advancement officer reached out and connected me.
He's like, I know Shaniah, she's doing great work and I know the leaders here at Made by Us doing great work.
I want you to connect.
And just always thinking of those opportunities that worlds wouldn't collide, but seeking those opportunities.
So that's my piece of advice on what.
And I also think not being afraid to convene organizations or people that you normally wouldn't interface with, people that you might absolutely not agree with, but you may be centered and aligned.
Like, you don't have to be 100% alike to be aligned.
And I think that's something that we miss as young leaders.
Can we just, yeah.
Ariel?
I'll share two things.
The first one, to me, and this is something I've struggled with, is a mindset shift.
And the idea is that it's around patriotism.
Patriotism is not reserved for one party.
It is not reserved for one person.
It is not reserved for one mindset.
Being a patriot means that you care about what happens in your country.
And so I've struggled kind of with this term of like, well, if something's happening and I don't agree with it, then like, right, like, how do I navigate that?
But knowing that caring about your country and the idea of being a patriot is not reserved for one person.
It's not reserved for one party.
It's reserved for the people in this room who are showing up, taking time out of their day to rethink what we're doing.
So that mindset shift is the first thing.
The second thing, you are all so brilliant and so smart.
And I find that young people, and myself included, I often hesitate to act or to create something because it's not perfect, because it's not right.
Because I don't exactly know how is it going to play out and what is it going to do.
Or, you know, if I make this group chat of, you know, these organizers, like, what's going to happen?
Just do it.
Just start doing, just start creating.
Because chances are that you're reacting to something that really needs to be done or you're about to say something that really needs to be said.
And you second-guessing yourself isn't where we want you to be.
So just if you have an amazing idea in your mind or if you have an idea of formulating, like do it.
Start it.
Think about it.
Make it happen.
Love that.
Yes.
Heavy on the not second guessing yourself.
One for our youth.
Your voice matters.
Your voice is important.
Again, similarly to what Arielle's saying, I think that we need to understand that as a collective, Gen Z and even Gen Alpha, we are some of the most diverse people in the United States right now.
And we not only are so diverse in that, but we have so many identities.
And we need to take that space and claim those and really take ownership of our identities in these spaces.
Whether that's multi-hyphenate, I'm a Mexican-American.
And being able to own that, because right now there are attacks on identities, and being able to stand by that and bring your whole self into a space can transform the conversation, like you were saying.
And then secondly, for our leaders, for our older leaders, Please, I beg you, trust younger voices.
One story that I'd love to share: there was a meme from I think a year ago, and the hit song was Zara Larson.
I love you, Tired.
I'm so bad!
And now we're going to break into karaoke.
You have the mic right here.
We do.
Don't threaten me with a good time.
I created, you know, so being able to trust in your young people.
And when it comes to making a reference to a meme or being able to really think about the ways that youth are responding to media and to content, let your youth in your, whether that be a partnership, whether that be in your staff, trust them, trust their voices, because they're going to be able to know what is speaking to their generation.
And about that meme, I put together this meme, and it was about voter registration, and it had the dolphin jumping over the rainbow, and it was beautiful.
And my boss is like, are you sure about this?
This is kind of.
I don't get it.
And I said, trust me, don't worry.
It was the highest performing post that year.
So trust in your young leaders, trust in their voices.
They always have the best intention and they're going to rise to the occasion.
I love that.
So we have, you know, to convene unlikely allies, bring folks together in order to create the type of change you're looking for.
Don't be afraid to do the thing, even if it's not perfect.
I think, especially for young people in these types of spaces, it's hard to do that.
So thank you.
And then we also have like embrace your identity and also for the older leaders, listen to those young people.
Some incredible words of wisdom and action.
I want to take one or two questions from the audience.
So, anyone raise your hands?
Performance will not be included after this panel.
Karaoke after.
Hi, my name is Kanika.
Thank you guys so much for that conversation.
It's so resonant.
I think everyone in this room, by virtue of being here, has probably been like bludgeoned to death with the what's wrong with the kids discourse.
But I think simultaneously, it is really important to be self-critical and for those for that to come from within and from like a place of love and like deep understanding.
And I think every generation has their strengths.
I think for us, we are authentic, we have a lot of levity, we have deep empathy.
But I also know that we have some vices and I'm curious for you guys, are there blind spots?
Are there things that you see popping up in our generation that you think we could be more conscientious about?
Okay, can I just stop right here real quick?
Thank you for that question and I thank you for highlighting that needed to be asked.
I think a blind spot amongst our young people is while we know a lot, we don't know everything.
And sometimes when we're so passionate about things or a specific thing, I think our passion can come out and be received in a way that it wasn't intended.
And just taking a moment to like really lean on, again, what I talked about in a previous question, like leadership development, like passion, but also being polished and sharp.
Sometimes, like you said, when the house is on fire, you're not worried about like, oh, are my boots polished?
Like, firefighters are not saying like, you know, my pants ironed.
But their goal to put out the fire, but also like they went to the fire academy, right, to learn how to do the job.
And I think like that's what we have to learn.
Just being educated and making sure we're showing up and that our intentions are matching the outcome that we want so that it's well intended.
Also again, not that we always care about how we received, but that we're not missing moments because we aren't prepared again.
Thank you for the question.
I really would emphasize intergenerational communication.
I mean at the Japanese American National Museum we have a very.
We have a much older audience base and part of the work that we do at the Democracy Center is being able to engage younger folks in communication and just dialogue between those two groups.
I think oftentimes we are.
We're gonna leave this here for what we expect will be a brief session of the U.S. House.