It is wonderful to be home. It is wonderful to be at university of chicago. It is wonderful to be on the south side of chicago, and it is wonderful to be with these young people here. And what i want to do is just maybe speak very briefly at the top about why we are here, and then i want to spend most of the time that we are together hearing from these remarkable young people who are i think representative of some amazing young people who are in the audience as well. I was telling these guys that, it was a little over 30 years ago, that i came to chicago. I was 25 years old and i had gotten out of college filled with idealism and absolutely certain that summer i was going to change the world. But i had no idea how or where or what i was going to be doing. And so i worked first to pay off some student loans, and then i went to work at the city colleges of new york on their harlem campus with some students organizing. Then there were a group of churches on the south side who would come together to try to do with the steel plant that it close in the area, and the economic devastation that had been taking place, but also the racial tensions and turnover that was happening in these communities. So they had formed an organization. They hired me at what was called a community organizer. At that did not really know what that meant or how to do it, but i accepted the job. And for the next three years, i lived right here in hyde park but i worked for the south in communities like roseland and west pullman. Working class neighborhoods, many of which had changed rapidly from white to black in the late 60s, 70s. And full of wonderful people who were proud of their communities, proud of the steps they taken to try to move into the middle class but were also worried about their futures, a cousin some cases their kids are not doing as well as they had. In some cases these communities had been badly neglected for a very long time. The distribution of City Services were an equal. Schools were underfunded. There was a lack of opportunity. And for three years i tried to do something about it, and i am the first to acknowledge that it didnt set the world on fire, nor did i transform these communities in any significant way, although we did some good things. But it did change me. This community gave me a lot more than i was able to give in return. Because this community taught me that ordinary people, when working together, can do extraordinary things. This community taught me that everybody has a story to tell that is important. This experience taught me that beneath the surface differences of people, that there were common hopes and Common Dreams and common aspirations, common values that stitched us together as americans. And so even though i come after three years, left for law school, the lessons that had been taught to me here as organizer are the ones that stayed with me. And effectively gave me the foundation for my subsequent political career and the themes that i would talk about as a state legislator, as a u. S. Senator, and ultimately as president of the United States. Now, i tell you that history because on the back end now of my presidency, now that it is completed, im spending a lot of time thinking about what is the most important thing i can do for my next job. And what im convinced of is that, although there are all kinds of issues that i care about and all kinds of issues that i intend to work on, the single most important thing i can do is to help in any way i can prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world. Because the one thing that im absolutely convinced of is that, yes, we confront a whole range of challenges from economic inequality and lack of opportunity to a criminal Justice System that too often is skewed in ways that are not productive, to Climate Change, the issues related to violence. All those problems are serious, they are daunting, but they are not insolvable. What is preventing us from tackling them and making more progress really has to do with our politics. It has to do with the fact that, because of things like political gerrymandering, our parties have moved further and further apart and its harder and harder to find Common Ground. Because of money in politics, special interest dominate the debates in washington in ways that dont match up with what the broad majority of the american people. Because of changes in the media, we now have a situation in which everybody is listening to people who already agree with them, and are further and further reinforcing their own realities to the neglect of a common reality that allows us to have a healthy debate and then try to find Common Ground and actually move solutions forward. And so, you know, when i said in 2004 that there were no red states or blue states, they are the United States of america, that was an aspirational comment, but i think its [laughing] and its one by the way i still believe in the sense that when you talk to individuals oneonone, people, theres a lot more that people have in common than divides them. But obviously its not true when it comes to our politics and our civic life. And maybe more pernicious is the fact that people just are not involved. They get cynical and they give up, and as a consequence with some of the loaves voting rates in any advance democracy and 80 low participation rates that translate into a for the gap between who is governing us and what we believe. The only folks are going to be able to solve the problem are going to be young people, the next generation. And i have been encouraged everywhere i go in the United States, but also Anyone Around the world, to see how sharp and astute and tolerant and thoughtful and entrepreneurial our young people are. A lot more sophisticated that i was at their age. And so the question then becomes, what are the ways in which we can create pathways for them to take leadership, for them to get involved . Are the ways in which we cannot bounce some of the barriers that are discouraging young people about the life of service . And if there are, i want to work with them to knock down those barriers, and to get this next generation just to accelerate their move towards leadership. Because if that happens i think we will be just fine. And i may end up being incredibly optimistic. So with that, what id like to do is to have our panelists here today each tell us a little bit about themselves. And what ive asked them ahead of time, i did give them the question ahead of time, i asked of them to describe for me what it is that they see among their peers that they think discourages voting participation, paying attention to some of the issues, getting involved. Do they have some immediate suggestions of the kinds of things that would get young people more involved and engaged and discover their voices. Once weve gone through the entire panel, then were just going to open it up and we will see how it works her. Hopefully it will be interesting. Ill find it interesting. Hopefully you will find it all right . So were going to start with kelsey. Thank you, mr. President. And did my own. Its an athlete honor to be here with you all. My name is kelsey, im a senior at loyola. Ive had the pleasure of being very involved on loyola was campus with a number of Different Things going on and looking for to graduating and less than two weeks, pursuing my masters in Higher Education and student affairs. My passion for working with College Students does stem from the ability to work with activist and work with Community Engagement and we understand that College Students during a transformative time is the opportunity for students to learn about these important issues and really find their voice, understand that we cant get discouraged when something doesnt go our way immediately but being able to work towards that end, golf. Fantastic. Okay. [applause] good morning everyone. My name is ramuel. I grew up in milwaukee wisconsin. Wisconsin. On the u. S. Army veteran. I major in sociology with a minor in legal studies at Roosevelt University. Yeah. I work currently on a Research Assistant at Roosevelt University focusing on communitybased Collaborative Research projects. We worked on projects ranging from landlord tenant issues the Youth Leadership programs and currently we are working on a project about the day labor market in chicago, the city of chicago. Its a pleasure to be here, mr. President. Fantastic. [applause] good morning. Im tiffany. I was raised on the southside of chicago in a low income household. I tried twitter valedictorian from the academy in the top ten from Kenwood Academy. [applause] broncos in the house. I graduate number one from Chicago State University with my bachelors in chemistry. [applause] and i graduation chicago state a second time with my doctorate in pharmacy. [applause] thank you. I have currently been a Community Pharmacy manager on the southside of chicago, and for the past three years, and ive also author of a book, the guy to Elementary School high school and undergraduate success. [applause] okay. Im max and you can see what it made me follow now. [laughing] i have been involved in Civic Engagement and civic life. University of chicago to the institute of politics which has been an absent blessing and a fantastic resource all of us. The summer after my first year here they gave stipends so that i think the number 16 of us could go to des moines for the summer of 2015 to either work with certain press agencies or with campaigns. I think that was a really eyeopening experience, be with the campaign directly and f are you can move in the old by moving one vote in the caucus. Ill have more time on this link. Ive been involved on campus with Syrian Government and college republicans. [applause] hello, everyone. My name is ayanna watkins. Im the baby of the panel. Im currently a senior at Kenwood Academy high school. [cheers and applause] and throughout my High School Career ive been involved in numerous student organizations, multiple sports teams, et cetera cetera. And outside of high school ive been involved in a lot of committee based organizations to volunteer my time with the youth as well, and in the fall i will be attending college in dallas texas with the multiple scholarships in my name, and also an entrepreneur, i would say, with my own clothing line. Okay. [applause] peace and love, you all. My name is harish patel, and i live on the north side of chicago. I arrived as a proud immigrant rented of the age of 14 with my mom and sister from india. And i attended Public Schools and it went to university of illinois chicago. [cheers and applause] both for my undergraduate study and from masters in planning and policy. After graduating i did become an organizer with somebody in the audience i want to point out, a mentor of mine. That sort of let me to run for office and most recently now i work for new america, new america chicago. On the Deputy Director and chicago were so to do what were doing today. We infuse new ideas and new voices into Public Policy conversations so im really looking forward to this. Thanks, harish. [applause] well, as you can see we have an Extraordinary Group here of sharp young people. But you also noticed the kind avoided my question. [laughing] but thats good because it keys up the next segment, and look, in the president ial election, you have may be half of your peers voting. In midterm elections, about a third of your peers vote. I suspect that if you ask a lot of young people about a wide range of issues, regardless of where they sit ideologically, they would say yeah, im very concerned about the economy, im very concerned about foreign policy, im very concerned about this or that or the other. But a lot of them feel as if their involvement would not make a difference. Its not worth their time. And, in fact, they are discouraged but feel disempowered. So all of you have already shown yourselves to be willing to get out there and be involved and to make a difference. And im curious as to what is it do you think that prompted you to get involved in some fashion . And also when you talk to your friends, what is it that you think is preventing them from doing so that might make a difference. We dont have to go in order. So if anybody wants to start, and i like that in you. [laughing] so although i am in high school, a lot of my peers, so im a senior so of course some of my peers were able to vote this year, but overall im grateful that i had the opportunity to take courses at Kenwood Academy, Kenwood Academy high school, that of all political science. We take africanamerican studies, et cetera, but not a lot of schools have that opportunity. So i would say awareness is something that holds a lot of our youth back from getting involved. Because im privileged so therefore i step up and i encourage others to get involved and to have a voice. But i think the youth feel like they dont have a voice. So that plays a huge factor as to why the results are the way they are, if that makes sense. It makes a lot of sense. You think as you are coming up, you know, social studies, civic education, what kids are getting in the classroom would make a difference . Do you think it would make more of a difference if young people have the opportunities to volunteer with organizations, to engage in Community Service . You know, what is it that you think would make the biggest difference in young people saying, you know what, if i volunteer for this organization i might make a difference in my community. Or if i participate on this issue. Somebody might hear my voice and might actually make a difference. What do you think would be most effective in encouraging people . So i feel like an order to encourage the youth, it involves to have a strong support system behind it, to bring the youth up. So for instance, in school we are taught social studies, but we tend to focus on the mathematics, science, english, you know, because thats what we are always brought on because it takes tests, exams, et cetera fix a social studies and civics, education tends to be pushed to the side. So i feel like it should be encouraged in the School Systems because majority of our youth are in school, of course. And then from there built outside programs. So you know, from there, you know [laughing] i agree with ayanna, because i went to kenwood. That was the kind of started me getting my foot in the door to wanting to expand and outside things. I think also funding afterschool programs and summer programs, because i had two to three jobs ever since eighth grade every summer. Because one, you make money, you know . So that was one, but also to what my resume, help make it my feet wet to allow me to see different opportunities, to see if i liked being a counselor, if i wanted to be a cheerleading coach, if i wanted to be a tutor. Suggest trying Different Things every summer help me to kind of voting as to what i want to do with the rest of my life. And afterschool programs, the funding for that, it helped keep the kids off the street, hopefully in chicago will have less violence so they left something to do. You are also enriching their lives. In school and afterschool and also in the summer. Fantastic, okay. Im sorry. Kelsey, didnt you work, was it in the bronx that you work during the summer and what prompted you to come up first of all, describe what the experience was, and then give us a sense of what inspired you to do Something Like that. So i was involved in a Conversion Program that since students on trips over spring break is over winter break. The spring break of my junior of college i was sent to the south bronx working in Elementary School but we took a group of ten students and were really there like and what you would think him to enrich their lives for the week that were there. Whats so unique about the way we run this program at loyola is we understand that private cell have to be welcomed into the Community Spirit we are not there to support that. We are there to learn from them to understand experiences that a students are having a really to understand just how wonderful segment of these young Elementary School kids are. Member the principal at Immaculate Conception which is a school we were at coming up to us at the end of it and said i hope you all realize that this is the only week out of your students get to think of it because it is too messy with just one teacher in the room. It took having a lot of us there to make sure they are able to do that. A very simple thing but goes to show the impact they can people connect and communities. You are going to Say Something and obviously your service in the military is an example of Public Service that i think thankfully everybody now appreciates. That wasnt always the case, but what i discovered obviously was that once our veterans take off the uniform, they leave service, sometimes people forget how much talent is there and the need to tap into the amazing young people that have served in our military so that they can work in the community and continue the leadership that they have shown while they were in the military. He to engage so many of the people from all over the country that we all sh