Advocating for reproductive rights and abortion access has been and will continue to be a pillar of grassroots organizing across the Alliance Network. Since the Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights set by Roe v. Wade and gave the authority to decide abortion rights to individual states in June 2022, many attacks on reproductive freedom have been introduced to heavily restrict or completely ban abortion access.

On Friday, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas with ties to the anti-abortion movement ruled against the longstanding FDA approval of the abortion drug, mifepristone. On the same day, in an effort to keep mifepristone on the market, a Washington state judge issued a decision banning the FDA from pulling the abortion drug. Shortly after, the Department of Justice stepped in and issued an appeal to the Texas ruling, arguing that the judge’s ruling is “unprecedented.” 

The Alliance Network stands in solidarity with young people across the country and demands their reproductive rights be defended through federal action. Read our statement here.

Reproductive Rights Organizing at the Local Level

New Era Colorado

This year, New Era is focusing on engaging its base of young people and campus leaders to regulate the deceptive practices of anti-abortion centers that lurk near college campuses throughout the state. Anti-abortion centers, also known as “fake clinics,” “crisis pregnancy centers,” and “anti-abortion counseling centers,” are anti-abortion nonprofits that present themselves as licensed family planning and/or reproductive healthcare clinics, but in reality, these centers exist to dissuade pregnant people from seeking an abortion. They use deceptive advertising to get those looking for abortion services in the door, then proceed to provide patients with biased counseling and inaccurate, unfounded information about abortion and contraception to delay and make it even more difficult to schedule an abortion.

Don’t let them fool you: anti-abortion centers don’t give Coloradans the reproductive care they need. Read more about New Era Colorado’s work through The Brazen project from policy manager Arianna Morales here.

New Hampshire Youth Movement

Youth organizers with New Hampshire Youth Movement (NHYM) are playing offense and defense this legislative session, working to pass bills and an amendment that guarantees abortion access in New Hampshire while actively pushing back on bills that would restrict abortion access.

Another bill NHYM is supporting is HB 88. This is a bill that would make it so that the state of New Hampshire cannot restrict abortion further than it already has. HB 88 won’t overturn the 24-week abortion ban in the state, but it would prohibit the state from further interfering with an individual’s right to abortion care.

Lastly, NHYM is supporting HB 224, a bill that would eliminate the criminal and civil penalties that are currently part of the 24-week abortion ban. This is a bipartisan bill, giving it a higher chance of passing.

NHYM is also opposing several bills being introduced in the state legislature. HB 562 would require a provider to receive “informed consent” from an individual seeking an abortion. This is just a roundabout way of enforcing intimidation and scare tactics to push people away from getting abortions. It would mandate false information about medical abortion and impose a 24 hour waiting period. These scare tactics and waiting periods are used as methods to urge people away from abortion care. HB 591, the second bill NHYM is opposing, would ban abortion at the detection of a fetal heartbeat. This bill would essentially impose a six- week abortion ban.

2023 is also a budget year for New Hampshire, so NHYM organizers are also advocating for a progressive state budget after an abortion ban was passed through last year’s state budget process.

For more on New Hampshire Youth Movement’s advocacy in their legislative session, check out their Weekly Bill Cheat Sheet, where you can find more information and sign in links for all of the abortion bills above.

Loud Light

Next Up

This year, Next Up is organizing with the Fair Shot for All coalition, a group championing an agenda that prioritizes racial, gender, and economic justice during the 2023 Oregon State Legislative Session. The coalition is currently collecting signatures and stories to support reproductive & gender justice for all. You can read more about the coalition’s 2023 agenda, sign the petition, and submit your stories here.

Ohio Student Association

Abortion access is one of the most important issues for students throughout Ohio, especially following the repeal of Roe v. Wade last summer. The Ohio Student Association (OSA) has officially endorsed the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom ballot measure, and is ready to shape their state’s future to ensure Ohio is on the right side of history when it comes to reproductive freedom. In order to appear on the ballot, OSA plans to collect at least 700,000 signatures from Ohio voters by July 5th. OSA chapters at four campuses across Ohio have already begun collecting signatures and more are set to begin in the coming weeks!

ICYMI: 3 Ways to Protect Abortion Access (and more!)

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the protections set by Roe v. Wade threatens the lives of millions who will seek an abortion, especially Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people working to make ends meet. Here’s how we can keep fighting back:

• Call your senator and demand they take action to protect abortion access
• Support abortion funds and reproductive justice orgs
• Support Alliance Network orgs doing reproductive justice work

After the Supreme Court decision last year, we highlighted stories from the network about how the threat to abortion rights could mobilize young voters and explained how abortion access impacts mental health. 

Together, we can continue to put pressure on our elected officials to side with the majority of Americans who believe that abortion access is a human right. We won’t stop until every person, regardless of race, class, or zip code, is guaranteed that right. Let us not forget that young people will continue to be an influential voting bloc at the ballot box in 2024 and beyond. Call your senator, support youth organizers, and donate to abortion funds. This fight is far from over, but we are stronger together. Let’s keep fighting back.

Join us in celebrating a year of success where youth organizers faced historical odds against them yet continued to build community, strengthen our movement, and transform the electoral landscape. 

Highlights from Our 2022 Report

One of the Alliance Network’s most significant challenges this year was returning to traditional on-the-ground organizing after adapting to adjusted tactics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even while navigating this challenge, the Alliance Network built one of the country’s most effective youth-led civic engagement movements. 

Let’s take a look at 2022 by the numbers. 

Youth Organizing Made Headlines

Starting this year with new leadership, a strategic plan, and a midterm election on the horizon, it was imperative to continue building relationships with the press and media to strengthen the argument that youth organizing is the key to the youth vote. Here are just some of our biggest hits from the press recognizing the Alliance Network’s local youth-led organizing as essential to significant historical moments at the national level:

Building Strong and Sustainable Organizations

Network Program Retreat – In June, we hosted the Alliance Network Program Retreat in New Mexico to bring together senior staff from the network who are hard at work leading local youth vote efforts. Staff, whose roles primarily focus on on-the-ground electoral and issue organizing in their communities, came together in-person to strengthen their 2022 program plans ahead of election season. Topics ranged from how to set realistic field goals and how to run a digital ad program to how to level up your communications strategy.

Alliance Network Cohort Spaces – The Alliance cohorts provide a space for

communications, program, operations, data, and development peers to build community, work through challenges, learn from one another, and be trained by experts. In 2022, the Alliance hosted more than 30 different cohort events, trainings, and workshops for network staff to attend and learn from. Here are just a few examples of the trainings and sessions offered last year:

• The Communications Cohort hosted a press and media panel of journalists and producers to teach communications staffers the most effective tactics for pitching stories and building relationships with the press.
• The Program Cohort discussed upcoming election plans, such as how to keep canvassers safe in the field, assess risk, and support field teams to succeed in meeting their goals.
• The Development Cohort talked about event planning. Network organizations presented their most successful fundraising events including happy hours, astrology and cocktail workshops, cookie classes, and annual celebrations. Putting the fun in fundraising.
• The Operations Cohort reviewed and discussed topics such as business insurance, brought in outside legal counsel to go over employment law basics, and worked with our Finance and Development departments to go over budgeting and fundraising.
• The Data Cohort hosted a VAN Audit workshop where teams from across the network came and worked through a set of record-cleaning and organizing steps on their EveryAction and VAN committees to improve their data infrastructure and have their databases better reflect their organizing.

Monthly Member Competition – At the Alliance, grassroots and sustainable funding is our jam. The network Monthly Member Competition made a return for an eighth year, and of course, the network killed it! This program encourages the growth of monthly donor programs, which results in a sustainable source of funding that organizations can count on. Network organizations gained monthly dollars and unlocked grants from the Alliance for reaching important benchmarks and being standouts in parts of the competition.

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These successes would not have been possible without the efforts of youth organizers, staff, Board members, and a wide range of supporters, partners, and friends. Together, we will continue to build a world in which young people have the power to effect change and create a better future where we can all thrive.

Stay connected with the Alliance Network by joining one of our email lists, and following us on social media. 

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Friday, March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people while also examining the discrimination that trans folks face daily. This year especially, we have seen an influx in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills brought to legislature nationwide. As more of these hateful bills arise, the Alliance Network continues to fight against the attacks on trans youth and their freedoms.

While we know it can be tiring facing off against hate, young people continue to show determination and resilience. To honor the contributions of trans people, and the youth organizers opposing these bills face-to-face with legislators determined to prohibit the rights and freedoms of the trans community, we want to show some extra love to the Alliance Network orgs doing this work in their state legislative sessions this year. 

Trans Advocacy in the Alliance Network

MNYC organizers are working to show that young people in their state want Minnesota to be a place of healing, and a place where anyone can be themselves, safely and authentically. MNYC is submitting a letter of support along with over 1500 petition signatures to the Chief Author in the Minnesota Senate to help shape the conversation and demonstrate the power of Minnesota youth.

Meanwhile, Montana is facing a heavy slate of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills this legislative session. Here are just a few of the discriminatory bills Forward Montana organizers are actively opposing:

SB 99– a bill that would prohibit gender-affirming medical care for minors and prevent public employees from supporting a minor’s social transition. 

HB 359–Representative Braxton Mitchell’s bill to ban minors from attending drag shows. 

HB 361, a bill that would allow students to misgender and dead-name other students with no disciplinary repercussions.

This month, New Hampshire Youth Movement (NHYM) has opposed some of the most harmful bills for trans youth they’ve seen hit the State House this year. 

If passed, HB 10 would allow parents to object to a broad range of LGBTQ+ materials in public schools, and require teachers to immediately notify parents or guardians if their child desires to use new pronouns or a new name in class. 

HB 619 would ban gender-affirming care for minors, ban teaching of gender identity in public schools, and would re-legalize conversion therapy by changing its legal definition.

HB 417– this bill would designate gender affirming care for minors as “abuse” under New Hampshire state law. 

SB 272 would force schools into a surveillance and reporting role–it requires teachers to notify parents or guardians if their child joins a club, sees a counselor, or modifies their gender expression. 

HB 2263, another bill Loud Light is actively opposing, would allow individuals who receive gender-affirming health care to sue the physician who provided the care and revoke medical licenses of physicians who provide medically necessary, life-saving care to Kansas youth.

SB 180 – Legally defines “biological sex” in terms related to the ability to procreate, and excludes transgender and intersex individuals from the ability to access sex-segregated spaces such as bathrooms, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and more.

Loud Light organizers are continuing the fight to allow trans youth in Kansas the freedom to be who they are by hosting statewide virtual phone banks to protect trans rights with their community partners. 

Other Alliance Network orgs working on transgender and LGBTQ+ issues in their legislative sessions are Engage Miami and Virginia Student Power Network.

Engage Miami just sent some of their team down to Tallahassee to participate in their Dade Days event which allows young people in Miami-Dade county to meet and bring their needs directly to their state’s decision-makers. This week they attended hearings, spoke with legislators, and worked with partners to fight for equity in education, reproductive rights, gun safety, voting rights, renter protections, and protection of trans and queer youth.

Virginia Student Power Network (VSPN) also did some trans advocacy work before the Virginia legislative session wrapped up in February. VSPN strongly opposed HB1387, which would amend a section of the Code of Virginia that would prevent transgender student athletes in K-12 schools and higher education institutions from participating in team sports based on their gender identity.

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If you’re looking for ways to support Alliance Network organizations doing trans advocacy this year, see what Minnesota Youth Collective, Forward Montana, New Hampshire Youth Movement, Loud Light, Engage Miami, and Virginia Student Power Network are up to on social media!

Student debt is once again proving to be a hot-button issue for young people in this country. This week the US Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Biden’s blocked federal student loan forgiveness plan.

If you’re just now catching up on the latest in federal student debt forgiveness, here’s a quick refresher on what’s happening: 

• On Wednesday, August 24th, 2022, President Biden announced his plans for canceling student debt. The program included $20,000 of federal student loan forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for non-recipients. 
• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (led by six Republican-led states) has issued an injunction that is currently blocking the student loan forgiveness program from being carried out. Many applicants who have already been approved still have yet to see a dollar of forgiveness through Biden’s plan. 
• In response to this injunction, the student loan payment pause will extend until the U.S. Department of Education is permitted to implement the debt relief program or the litigation is resolved–payments will restart 60 days later. Suppose the debt relief program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30th. In that case, payments will resume 60 days after that. 

For any questions you may have, or actions you can take now, check out these resources from our friends and allies at Student Debt Crisis Center and the Student Borrower Protection Center.

People’s Rally for Student Debt Cancellation

On Tuesday, February 28th, hundreds of student debt activists from across the country gathered outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The Alliance team joined around 30 students from Ohio Student Association at the Supreme Court to rally in support of Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20K in federal student loan debt.

Check out highlights from the rally on the Alliance Twitter!

Student Debt Work in the Alliance Network

Student loan borrowers hold $1.7 trillion in student loan debt in this country. This is a student debt crisis. While we continue fighting for debt relief, we must remember that the fight does not end here. We need a massive reset and sweeping reform to ensure our young people are not buried under unconquerable debt that holds them back simply because they chose to seek higher education. This means transforming the student loan program to mitigate future student debt and making public colleges and universities free and accessible to all students. 

Advocating for education debt relief has been a pillar of Alliance Affiliate, Ohio Student Association’s work since day one. Some of their recent efforts include a roundtable with Sherrod Brown where members shared their student debt stories, and traveling to DC to take on roles in the “Pick Up the Pen, Joe!” protest in the spring of 2022! 

In addition to their work around debt relief, OSA has been advocating to help build a vehicle for people impacted by the crumbling public education system so they can get the power to transform that system to fit their needs. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they petitioned and won a refund of housing and meal plan costs for the Spring 2020 semester for their Central State University chapter and an extra $1,000 from the CARES Act. Some of their other education work includes working with Honesty for Ohio Education to hold testimony workshops that empower young people to advocate for a fair and honest presentation of history and concepts in school in the state legislature. 

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Stay up-to-date with the rest of the Alliance Network’s fight for economic justice by joining our email list! Select your Alliance Squad today to receive email updates tailored to the issues you care about the most. 

Young people turned out in big numbers across the country for the midterm elections. Now, youth organizers in the Alliance Network plan to finish the job by holding elected officials accountable to young people. 

Alliance Network organizers are deep into their legislative sessions, and we’re excited to share what they’ve been up to! We asked Alliance staff members to share what legislative work in the network they’re most excited about Here is what they had to say…

Virginia Student Power Network

Chicago Votes

Chicago Votes also helped pass legislation that requires every person leaving the prison system receive civic education classes. In 2021, this program was expanded to require that the Department of Juvenile Justice provide a civics education workshop to youth leaving the system.

The Washington Bus

The Work on the Inside

The Alliance staff provides youth organizers and senior leadership staff in the network with the opportunity to build community with other Alliance Network staffers in our cohort spaces. To kick off the year, we gathered the Communications Cohort, Data Cohort, and the Program Cohort to talk about navigating their legislative sessions. Attendees shared how they’re navigating the legislative session, teams completed a narrative building exercise, and we shared resources for rapid-response work and data tracking!

Stay tuned for more updates from us on the work happening across the network and behind-the-scenes at the Alliance. Want to receive these updates via email? Join the Alliance Allies list today and get the inside scoop on how we’re supporting our network this year through strategic planning and capacity building. 

Happy Black History Month, or as we like to call it, Black Futures Month!

Young Black people have always been at the forefront of social change in our nation. And the Black youth leaders in the Alliance Network are no different. From expanding voting access, to protecting abortion access, to fighting for economic justice in their communities, the young Black leaders in our network are paving the way to a brighter future every single day.

To celebrate Black history and Black futures, we asked Black leaders in the Alliance Network to share with us who inspires them and what legacy they want to leave behind for future generations. 

Take a look at what they all had to say 👇🏽

Karanja Matory, Mississippi Votes

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

For my legacy, I just want to be able to add to the work that’s already been done and make a better Mississippi. The work I’m doing now is setting me up to help lead and develop the next group of young folks that’ll be able to add to what I envision which is change and more progressive mindset people to be on the forefront for  Mississippi. 

Jay Beck, MOVE Texas

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I want my legacy to be having fostered connection through kindness, understanding, and humor. I’m working towards my legacy by inspiring actions rooted in solidarity and continuing to lead with joy in the face of challenges and hardships.

Carmel Pryor, Alliance for Youth Action

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I believe in the power of art, media, and technology to be a catalyst in tackling the social injustice issues of our time. And I want my legacy to reflect the creativity and skills I use in communications and artmaking to move Black people, particularly queer Black youth, towards liberation. 

Briyana Joseph, Engage Miami

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

When I become an ancestor I hope people say, “Bri, was for the community and she wasn’t afraid to get in good trouble.”  The work I’m doing now to build that legacy looks like having conversations with young people on college campuses to register them to vote, inform them about their local elections, and help them develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence around local civics so that they can organize their communities around the issues they care about. Outside of working with Engage Miami, I am on the board of an organization that is fighting for housing justice in Miami-Dade County and South Florida, which is the issue most near and dear to my heart.

Lyla Brown, Forward Montana

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I hope that when people think of me, they think of someone that would show up no matter what with warmth, intention, and care. I want to live in a world where Black women are not expected to show up and be ready to fight every day of their lives, but in a world that values the softness and strength that we bring with us every day.

Eliana Reed, Alliance for Youth Action

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I do this work because I want a world where everyone knows how easy it is to be a piece of the puzzle that is changemaking. Whether your action is small or big, it takes all of us to make the change we want to see, and the longer I’ve been doing this work the more I’ve seen people actually believe that. I want people to remember me as a friend, a sister, a daughter, or a colleague who was a piece of the puzzle that made our world better.

Earlier this week, President Biden addressed the nation with a second State of the Union speech since taking office in 2020. If you missed out on the speech, the Alliance team reacted on social media all evening long with our SOTU BINGO and live tweets. Catch up on our social channels now!

During this year’s State of the Union address, Biden celebrated creating new jobs, passing a slate of bipartisan legislation, and seeing falling inflation rates. Among other things, Biden also promised to veto any abortion bans passed by Congress, highlighted the importance of fighting to keep our democracy strong, and shared plans to rebuild America’s middle class. But the biggest takeaway from the President’s address was that America has the tools to be better, we just need to finish the job.

It’s a tale as old as time. Youth organizers have always been the backbone of progress in this country, and 2023 is already shaping up to be a big year for change at the local and state levels. The Alliance Network isn’t sleeping on this opportunity, we’re here to finish the job. 

On the heels of President Biden’s State of the Union address, we wanted to share a glimpse of what issue organizing will look like on the ground in a big year for legislation and state budgeting. Here’s how Alliance youth organizers are creating progressive people power at the local and state levels to get the job done and change their communities.

Jump To…

Democracy & Voting Rights

Reproductive Rights & Abortion Access

Economic Justice

Engaging in State Budgets

Democracy & Voting Rights

Mississippi Votes

Mississippi Votes and their partners are working to pass legislation that would reinstate the ballot initiative process with more detailed language around the number of congressional districts, and number of signatures required to petition an initiative. 

They’re also working on passing legislation that would allow for Electronic Absentee Voting for college students. This would give students the accessibility to cast their vote on laptops or computers, essentially creating the space to vote anywhere on campus with internet access. 

Detroit Action 

Organizers at Detroit Action are working to identify a number of upgrades to Michigan’s automatic voter registration law, created by PTV18. Some of these upgrades include pre-registration of 16-year-olds via Automatic Voter Registration (AVR), tribal AVR that would allow Michigan’s American Indian nations to opt-in collectively to a process for AVR of their citizens, and upgrades to the DMV process to maximize registration rates among eligible voters. 

Loud Light

Over in Kansas, Loud Light has grown into the lead advocate on voting rights in their state. This year, they’re leading coalition calls, creating talking points, lobbying for and against bills, and organizing testimonies at the Legislature. 

Loud Light is also continuing with lawsuits against voter suppression bills. This year, they plan to push back against a bill that would remove the ability for students to use student IDs to vote.

MOVE Texas

In 2021, Texans faced a power-hungry state leadership more focused on limiting the freedom to vote than working to be accountable to the people. In 2023, MOVE Texas is calling on the Texas Legislature to Get Sh*t Done and will organize young Texans to apply the pressure for electeds to pass policies that reflect their values and fight against policies that violate them.

The Washington Bus

Washington has a fresh slate of voting rights legislation this session that our friends at The Washington Bus are fighting for. SB 5208 would make online voter registration accessible to people without drivers licenses, SB 5112 contains several enhancements to the state’s automatic voter registration won in 2018. HB 1755 would expand the Democracy Voucher Program to allow everyday people to have political power by strengthening their voice and providing every eligible Washingtonian with vouchers to give to the candidate(s) of their choice in their district. 

Reproductive Rights & Abortion Access

New Era Colorado

In 2023, the New Era Colorado team will be engaging their base young people and campus leaders to build youth advocacy power around their The Brazen Project work that includes introducing legislation to regulate anti-abortion centers and their deceptive practices including false advertising.

Economic Justice

Next Up

Next Up is a part of the 2023 Fair Shot for All coalition, a group working to champion an agenda that prioritizes racial, gender, and economic justice during the 2023 Oregon State Legislative Session. Their priorities include Indigenous language justice, reproductive & gender justice, and creating stable homes for Oregon families. 

Minnesota Youth Collective

Youth organizers in Minnesota are working on housing policy on the state level this year. Minnesota Youth Collective is working in coalition to draft a policy around a statewide tenant bill of rights. They’re also working to strengthen the St. Paul rent control efforts as the city government continues to try and weaken them.

Engaging in State Budgets

2023 is a budget year for many of our network states. Here’s how some Alliance organizers plan on engaging with their state’s budget process:

Leaders Igniting Transformation 

Black and Brown youth organizers in Wisconsin will be engaging with the state budget process to ensure they have a voice in the decision making, especially around higher education funding. LIT also plans on hosting another Lobby Day in connection to the budget process to support equitable funding for k-12 public schools and affordability and accessibility of higher education.

Engage Miami

Engage Miami is building power with the Young People Policy Priorities Platform, kicking off this month! This is a budgetary campaign that will have a big focus on reimagining libraries in Miami.

Ohio Student Association 

Ohio youth organizers have a huge slate of higher education-related priorities for this year’s state budget process including restructuring the Ohio College Opportunity Grant so it can be used for expenses beyond tuition and fees, stopping schools from withholding transcripts to leverage payment of fees, and getting the Ohio Attorney General out of the business of collecting student debt.

New Hampshire Youth Movement

This year, New Hampshire Youth Movement will mobilize members to advocate for a progressive state budget. The state’s original abortion ban was passed through the last state budget so youth involvement in this year’s budget will be critical for protecting abortion access and other progressive policies.

NHYM is also focusing on growing their base to educate young people about the legislative process and mobilizing them to civically engage by supporting or opposing bills via sign-ins, testimonies, and outreach to elected officials. 

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Stay connected with the Alliance because we’ve got plenty more to come in areas like affordable housing, LGBTQ+ advocacy, climate justice, marijuana decriminalization, ending policing in schools, Indigenous and tribal advocacy, and restorative justice. Stay connected with the Alliance via email by using this form to choose your Alliance Squad. And, of course, make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

The youth vote was essential to many progressive wins we saw in the midterms, so we’ll be tuning in to ensure that President Biden is aligned with the issues and values we voted for in 2022. While we have seen some success thus far into Biden’s term, a lot still needs to be addressed before we head back into another general election year. Tonight, young voters will be eagerly waiting to hear Biden’s vision for addressing issues important to us as we enter the second half of his presidential term. 

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Here are some of the issues Alliance Network youth organizers work on 365 days a year that  we hope Biden will address tonight: 

• Voting rights
• Abortion access
• Economic justice
• Restorative justice
• Policing
• Student debt
• Climate action

Don’t forget to tune into the Alliance’s digital platforms later this week for a more in-depth look into the Alliance Network’s local organizing work across the country this year.

Happy New Year, Alliance Fam! 

We are kicking off 2023 by taking a glimpse into our future here at the Alliance. We have so much in store for our youth organizers all across the network.

At the Alliance, we don’t believe in off-years. This year, Alliance Network Organizations are diving deep into their work at the local level. Now is the time to connect with and civically engage more young people, and hold the officials elected last year accountable now that they’re in office. 

Take a glimpse into what some of your favorite Alliance programs are going to look like this year!

This Year We’re Manifesting…

Strengthening Democracy 

The Alliance Network engages young people in democracy reform advocacy that varies across the network. The issues our network organize around include fair redistricting, expanding Vote By Mail (VBM), voting rights restoration, lowering the voting age, defending against anti-voter legislation, defending and expanding access to vote for college students, educating voters on recent changes, and election protection. 

While many Alliance Network organizations have won on these issues, there’s still plenty of work to be done across the network to ensure young people can thrive in a democracy that is done right. This year we’re calling on all the artists in our network to shine a light on how they’re advancing democracy in the communities through our first-ever Democracy Done Right zine!

Our new Advocacy Director, Kayla Rivera, will take the lead on a new democracy cohort pilot program that will support six network organizations- Chicago Votes, Forward Montana, New Era Colorado, Detroit Action, Engage Miami, and Mississippi Votes- in launching or advancing a democracy advocacy program. Within this program, the Alliance will provide capacity-building services to the cohort around organizing training, materials, and templates related to advocacy work, ongoing strategic consultation, campaign development support, and financial resources (as we can raise).

Who is able to access the ballot and how in 2024 will be determined in state legislative chambers across the country in 2023, and the Alliance is stepping up to ensure everyone is involved in our Democracy.

Want to learn more about how youth organizers are fighting to protect our democracy? Sign up to stay updated on the latest in democracy from the Alliance.

Investing in Political Homes for Young People

This year, we’re also excited to host an in-person network-wide conference to continue building the skills young leaders need to build youth power in their states! If you like seeing how we build youth power across the network, join the Alliance Allies email list! This year we’re sharing more exclusive updates via email on our Strategic Roadmap, and giving you more insight into our capacity building work happening behind-the-scenes.

Hear From the Network

We asked youth organizers in the Alliance Network what they are excited about this year. From passing progressive policies to reaching more young people, our network has some big plans for 2023. Check out what they said on our Instagram!

As always, we’re so grateful to have you along with us on this journey to grow the progressive power of young people across the country. We know that by investing in powerful young leaders and strengthening the capacity of their organizations, we’re changing our communities for the better. Here’s to building the most progressive and diverse leadership America has ever seen!

In case you missed it, the Alliance did a lot of awesome work this year! Here is a recap of everything that made this a year to remember.

Young people made the difference this year, and we can’t lose momentum. Growing the progressive people-power in our communities is a year-round job, and now is not the time to sit back. Join us to #PowerProgress for the future! Now through the end of 2022, your donation will be matched by our friends at Democratizing Philanthropy Project! 

Jump To…

Fueling Civic Engagement

• Civics Holidays
• Democracy Done Right Week of Action
• Youth FTW
• Democracy Debut
• 2022 Midterm Elections

Tackling Student Debt Crisis

• Dreams Not Debt Week of Action
• Student Debt Rally at the Dept. of Education
• Biden’s Student Debt Announcement

Deepening Network Engagement

• Youth Organizer Spotlights
• Network Program Retreat
• Monthly Membership Competition
• Embed Program

Making Headlines

• Polling
• Top Press Hits

Fueling Civic Engagement

Tackling the Student Debt Crisis

Deepening Network Engagement

Making Headlines

And after all of our work this year, we made a splash in the press! Check out some of our biggest press hits from 2022:

We are incredibly grateful to have you support us through all of these amazing moments from this last year. From everyone across the Alliance Network, we thank you! Let’s close out the year with a period of radical rest and recharge, and get ready to take on the excitement and challenges of the new year.

Onward!