Project 2059
By: Travis Huntington
We all start with an idea. Who are we? Where are we? What do we want? How are we going to get it? So marks the era of human evolution spanning several ages, continents and life ways. One hundred and fifty years later, Oregon celebrates its past, its present and, with Project 2059, its future. How do we celebrate the future? By reaching out to the next tangible thing. Our youth.
Have we done our job as a community to raise productive, wise and functional prodigy? Perhaps. Regardless, they’re out there. Walking the streets, attending our schools, patronizing local businesses and learning how to overcome issues they have been given as a condition of citizenship.
Given that change is on the rise, it makes sense to engage those who will usher in the results of our work now, while there’s still room for them to help make decisions. Project 2059 began with a series of assumptions: the youth of Oregon have something to say. They care about their future, and given the opportunity, they would collaborate in creating a vision for what Oregon should look like in the future, and would come up with some ideas for what needs to be done to ensure that the future that they envision can be realized.
With that notion the youth visioning portion of Project 2059 began with a series of questions.
* Who are the youth of Oregon?
* What do these young people think are the most important issues facing their communities, and Oregon as a whole?
* Do they feel empowered, that their voice matters, that their voice has weight on issues that pertain to them or their future?
Stay tuned: Later this week we will have “Notes from the Road” an account of Travis’ travels around the state talking to youth about the future of Oregon and what is important to them.
About: Travis is the key program architect for Project 2059.His roles in Project 2059 include:Core Team Orientation & Planning & Steering, Strategic Communications planning and execution, Peer Community Development, Earned media, Youth facilitator, Media mentor, Executive media producer, Media spokesperson
