New Online Grassroots Training Guides Help Young Americans Make Their Voices Heard

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Mar 01, 2012, 02:33 ET

Generation Opportunity Releases Full Series of Online Grassroots Training Guides in Spanish

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Generation Opportunity – a rapidly growing organization with over two million Facebook fans that is mobilizing young adults through a strategy based on social media and ground operations – has added to its popular online "Grassroots Training Guide Series" with the release of three new editions: "How to Be an Effective In-Studio TV Guest," "How to Write a Blog," and "How to Write a Press Release." The group has also expanded the accessibility of its online training by posting the entire training series in Spanish.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110805/DC48058LOGO)

"Young Americans have made it abundantly clear that elected officials in Washington consistently fail to listen to their concerns, and have little understanding, compassion, or empathy for how the poor economy is directly impacting their lives and delaying their dreams and careers. Based on the feedback we have received at the grassroots level and through social media, young adults are intensely interested in further organizing their friends, working together to make their voices heard, and having an impact both locally and nationally," said Paul T. Conway, president of Generation Opportunity and former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "Our guides are concise and to the point, addressing what people tell us they can use immediately to organize and to communicate to larger audiences of their friends and the general public, as well as to elected officials and opinion leaders. These guides are additional tools we have made available to help young Americans ensure they are a substantive part of the democratic process – and we know they are being used, having already been accessed and used by thousands of Americans."

Generation Opportunity continues to make available communications platforms that provide tools to young Americans eager to learn more about major national issues, become more engaged and civically involved, and organize their friends to work toward solutions on issues such as jobs and unemployment, federal debt and spending, energy, American competitiveness, and more.

Generation Opportunity's site already makes it possible for young Americans to share their personal experiences, organize local events, and take action. It serves as a repeat destination for those who are interested in making a difference.

Users on http://generationopportunity.org/ currently have the ability to:

Download three brand-new training guides to learn how to:
- Write a catchy press release that will garner attention.
- Blog – either starting one's own blog or joining an active blog.
- Be an effective TV guest.
Download previously released training guides to learn how to:
- Be an effective participant at a town hall meeting.
- Write an effective and compelling letter to the editor.
- Organize a successful local event.
- Be an effective and thought-provoking radio call-in guest.
- Be an effective in-studio radio guest.
- Organize on and beyond campus.
Access Spanish-language versions at http://generationopportunity.org/guia-de-capacitacion/

Users can also use http://generationopportunity.org/ to:

Register to Vote and obtain information on voting deadlines in their states.
Learn questions to ask elected officials.
Join the rapidly expanding Facebook community of over two million fans.
Share their stories, relating how unemployment and the lack of jobs are impacting them.
Organize a Local Event.
Research policy issues and get details about potential solutions.

Generation Opportunity commissioned a poll with the polling company, inc./WomanTrend (April 16 – 22, 2011, +/- 4% margin of error) and select highlighted results for all young Americans ages 18-29 appear below:

Millennials: Washington is Out of Touch

Only 31% of those 18-29 approve of Obama's handling of youth unemployment.
69% say political leaders do NOT reflect the interests of young Americans.
56% believe the wrong leadership is in Washington and 61% will vote on a candidate's record, not charisma.
57% said they will learn more about the policy positions of Presidential candidates in the 2012 election than they did in 2008.
54% believe America is on the wrong track, only 24% believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction.

Millennials: Dreams Delayed by the Poor Economy

77% of respondents (18-29) are delaying major life changes due to economic restraints.
- 44% delay buying a home;
- 28% delay saving for retirement;
- 27% delay paying off student loans or other debt;
- 27% delay going back to school/getting more education or training;
- 26% delay changing jobs/cities;
- 23% delay starting a family;
- 18% delay getting married.

ABOUT GENERATION OPPORTUNITY

Generation Opportunity is a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c)(4) organization that seeks to engage everyone from young adults, to early career professionals, college students, young mothers and fathers, construction workers, current service men and women, veterans, entrepreneurs and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow.

Generation Opportunity operates on a strategy that combines advanced social media tactics with proven field tactics to reach Americans 18-29. The organization's social media platforms – "Being American" on Facebook and "The Constitution" on Facebook – have amassed a total fan base of more than two million. Both pages post links to relevant articles and reports from sources ranging from the federal General Accountability Office (GAO), to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Brookings Institution, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and The Heritage Foundation.

Read about Generation Opportunity here; visit "Being American by GO" on Facebook here and "The Constitution by GO" on Facebook here.

For our Spanish-language page – Generacion Oportunidad – click here.

CONTACT:
Matthew Faraci
202-997-1636
EMAIL

SOURCE Generation Opportunity