Featured Idea: National Youth Policy and Innovation Council

Jeremy Goldberg is a serial social entrepreneur based in Washington D.C. who focuses particularly on using sports to inspire young people around the world to participate in solutions to shared social problems. He is the founder of Global Youth Partnership for Africa. Read his full Idea for Change in America here.

Idea: Creation of a "Obama-Biden National Youth Policy Council."  The National Youth Policy Council would be focused into a domestic affairs and foreign affairs.  Specifically, each of these areas would focus on issues important to America's Youth and could include: education, employment, environment, entrepreneurship, diplomacy and development.

Where does the idea come from: The idea comes from the realization that youth representation in the upcoming Administration would be unprecedented in the U.S..  In many countries around the world, Government's have a "National Youth Policy Council" with youth representatives rising in their universities and careers, but here in the United States one does not formally exist under any Presidential Administration (to my knowledge).

The Obama-Biden NYPC could add value to areas critically important to America's social and economic development.  Specifically, it could leverage and engage the more than millions of young people who participated in the grassroots effort to elect Obama/Biden (through Facebook, MySpace, MyBarakObama.com), GOTV, and voter registration.  With the two-fold approach to domestic and international agendas, the youth could be at the cutting edge of the policies today that will impact their future and future generations.

What Role Could the Obama Admin Have in the Project: The Obama Administration could have a key role in consulting with, sharing ideas  and mentoring the members of the youth council in their efforts to effect change.  Additionally, showcasing to the world and serving as a dynamic example that America is supporting its youth.

Why Should This Be A Priority: The present state and future of our economy is the reason why.  The job market, as we know it today, is very difficult and unemployment remains high.  It is increasingly difficult for college graduates and even those completing graduate and professional degrees to find jobs in Fields like business, banking and law.  Also, as we know, many high-school graduates are unable to attend college because they are unable to afford the rising tuition or even the application fees.  As a result, this very important part of the youth population remains idle and stagnant. These individuals could add significant value to the development of our economy in key sectors such as banking, law, medical, education, environment, international affairs, and security.

Essentially, in response to these challenges, the youth policy council could focus on supporting entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship inside and outside of the classroom.  There could be specific focus in areas such as new technologies and alternative energy. This could signal to the country's youth a renewed commitment to education and potentially lead to jobs and scholarships, but primarily more youth with more money in their pocket.

Founded in 2003, The Global Youth Partnership for Africa is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering understanding, appreciation, and respect between young American and African leaders: tomorrow's global decision-makers. GYPA's catalytic programs offer the unique opportunity for American and African youth to engage directly with one another in grassroots development projects, cultural exchanges, and peace-building efforts.