For interview availability contact Sujatha Jahagirdar  (323) 309 6120 or sujatha@studentpirgs.org

Youth Vote Leader Spokespersons

A Junior at the University of Arizona, Jason Donofrio is the leader of the non-partisan Arizona Student Vote Coalition, a statewide partnership to ensure massive turnout on Arizona campuses this fall.  In 2006, the coalition – endorsed by College Republicans, College Democrats, elected officials and a host of campus organizations - registered more than 4,000 young voters.



 

A  Senior at the University of California, Davis Ramneek Saini will spearhead one of the state’s largest campus voter registration drives this fall.  Using Facebook, text messaging and a cutting-edge voter registration tool, her goal is to ensure 80 percent of the campus shows up on Election Day.





A Junior at the University of Maryland, Lauren Kim is the Chair of the PIRG National Student Forum and has spent the past several years working to mobilize citizens and around climate change and healthcare issues.  This fall, she’ll spearhead a non partisan voter registration effort at the University of Maryland, College Park, pairing grassroots canvasses and phonebanks with an unprecedented campus text messaging and online registration campaign.



A  Junior at UCLA, Sarah Dobjensky is a recognized leader of the national youth vote movement and will be featured on Tuesdays ‘Power of the Youth Vote Panel.’  Sarah has led several non-partisan student registration drives on her campus and in the past several years that have mobilized thousands of her peers to vote.   Prior to her work with the New Voters Project, she worked to mobilize fellow students at UCLA around issues of college affordability.

A  Junior at the University of Indiana, Patrick aims to register 19,000 students on his campus to vote this fall.  His efforts will also include a concerted effort to educate fellow students about how to comply with Indiana’s new restrict voter ID law.





 

The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project Program Director, Sujatha Jahagirdar is a nationally recognized expert on the youth vote and has worked to mobilize young people and citizens in the democratic process for more than ten years. 

Schedule of Events

Youth Vote Leaders Press Availability

Date/Time: Monday, Aug. 25, 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Korbel 4F
Details: Press availability to kick off the DNCC 2008 youth events. Sarah Dobjensky, a Junior at UCLA and youth vote leader will represent the Student PIRGs.

DNC Youth Council Panel: “Power of the Youth Vote”

Date/Time: Tuesday Aug. 26, 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Wells Fargo Theater
Details: Panel of youth vote leaders to discuss 2008 youth vote trends, plans to turn out young voters in the fall. Sarah Dobjensky, a Junior at UCLA and youth vote leader will represent the Student PIRGs.

DNC Youth Council Youth Nation Watch Party

Date/Time: Wednesday, Aug. 27, 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM - VIP Reception; 4:00 PM– 8:00 PM - Watch Party
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Wells Fargo Theater
Details: Co-sponsored by the Student PIRGs New Voters Project and a host of youth vote organizations.

Progressive Future Dance Party and Youth Engagement Honor Roll Awards

Date/Time: Wednesday, Aug 27, 10 pm – 1 am (doors open at 9 pm)
Location: Beta NightClub - Denver’s hippest new dance club in LoDo at 19th & Blake St.
Details: A celebration of young progressive activists. RSVP by August 26th to rsvp@progressivefuture.org, or 303.573.5885 x319.   Partial Host Committee: Student PIRGs, Rock the Vote; the BUS Project, Energy Action Coalition, Hip-Hop Summit, United States Student Association, Campus Progress, QVisory, MoveOn.org Civic Action