Organizing Is Key to Our Future

Over the past two weeks, our YOI Fellows put their trainings and newly gained skills to use, calling and texting 30,380 potential voters across Long Island to inform them of the August primary!

YOI Fellow Joshua Chan (he/him) shared his thoughts on the significance of youth being civically engaged: “I joined the YOI program because I think as young people, as a person of Generation Z, as youth—Organizing is going to be key to our future. You know, things like climate change, health care, inflation, we have to organize around these issues. And the only way to get these things done is if we ignite the flame in other people that are my age and people of my generation.”

“That’s why what we do at the Youth Organizing Institute, like getting people out to vote and know about the August 23rd primary, is so important,” he said. “It’s been amazing to call people and let them know that, Oh, there’s a primary coming up, just wanted to let you know that polls will be open from 6am to 9pm. And it’s just been great because people are like, Oh, wow, I didn’t know that, thank you for letting me know. If they didn’t know, they wouldn’t have gone to vote.”

“Knowing that I have singlehandedly helped someone get out to vote and become the change that they want to see in their community is so inspiring,” Joshua reflected on his experience speaking to voters as a young person. “Because we are the change, we’re going to be the future, and for generations beyond.”