Category: Blog

This past summer I was fortunate enough to intern at the White House. I met some of the most incredible individuals from diverse backgrounds and I was able to see some of the inner-workings of federal government. It was truly a privilege. Before my time in Washington, however, I volunteered with a nonprofit organization that… Continue reading How Generation Citizen Got Me to The White House

As my apartment started stirring this morning, I asked a question I knew the answer to with feigned innocence. “Who’s voting today?” Both roommates—who have consistently ranted about “systems of oppression” with scorn—responded predictably. One roommate yelled from the coffee pot, “I forgot to register when I moved!” while the other yelled from the bathroom,… Continue reading New Yorkers Better Not Complain

Cambridge, MA: This Saturday, November 1st, Microsoft’s N.E.R.D. Center (1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge) will host a “Civic Tech Challenge” that includes a daytime hackathon (9am-5pm) and an evening reception (5:30pm-8:00pm) honoring local innovator Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital Partners. Proceeds from the event benefit Generation Citizen (dev-generation-citizen.pantheon.io/), an action civics nonprofit that provides an action-based civics education program to over… Continue reading The Civic Tech Challenge to Honor Jeff Bussgang and Celebrate Civic Innovation Saturday, November 1st at Microsoft.

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter” – Winston Churchill   Unfortunately, in the context of modern society, Winston Churchill could not be more right. A lack of political awareness is now an epidemic problem. According to Pew Research Center more Americans can identify Peyton Manning (69 percent) than… Continue reading We Hold the Reins

“Corruption.” “The energy crisis.” “Unemployment.” ”Terrorism.”   It was the third class of our 8-week political theory and civics class to high school students in Islamabad, and our students were identifying potential focus issues to work on. My co-teacher Nyma and I had already talked extensively about the purpose of the program and what we… Continue reading After the Protest Ends

I had never heard the phrase “civic engagement” until my sophomore year of college, and even then it was completely by accident; sitting in my Power and Politics in America class, half listening to the professor half reading the latest POLITICO article, I notice that my professor had stepped away from the podium to make… Continue reading Civic Engagement: What’s in a Word?

September marked the conclusion of the 69th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in which dignitaries (and their entourages) descended on New York City to discuss the pressing issues facing our world today. Predictably, statements calling for peace in war-torn regions and demanding international collaboration to address problems that know no borders grabbed… Continue reading What the U.N. General Assembly Meant for the “Ordinary” Citizen

Check out the Elfenworks Foundation press release here! _________________________________________________________________________________ Burlingame, CA (PRWEB) September 30, 2014 The Elfenworks Foundation, an organization that works for hope in America by fostering creative and technology solutions that advance change, will honor three entrepreneurs who are reshaping communities at the 8th Annual In Harmony with Hope Awards at the Kohl… Continue reading GC Executive Director Scott Warren Receives In Harmony With Hope Award

Though it’s officially autumn, the 80-degree temperatures in New York City this past weekend prove that the warm weather isn’t ready to leave us just yet. This, in addition to the latest report of a police officer using force against an unarmed, African-American man, seems to put us in an Indian summer of discontent that… Continue reading Democracy Doesn’t Have a Minimum Age Requirement