New Era’s been organizing for a long time, and a lot has changed. Young people know that registering to vote alone won’t save us. Political progress at the local level is key to delivering on Youth Agenda policies at the state level. That’s why, in 2023, we launched a new organizing model for our organizers to become truly rooted in the community they serve. 

We organize year-round in regional hubs, including Boulder, the Denver metro, Northern, and Southern Colorado. Here are some spotlights on the progress we’ve made at the city level:

• Boulder: Since 2023, we’ve been a part of a coalition to compel local officials to raise the minimum wage by 15% each year to achieve the self-sufficiency standard in Boulder County. Thanks to the power of community, we succeeded and the increase went into effect for unincorporated parts of the county in January 2024! What’s next here? We’re keeping the pressure on the Boulder City Council to raise the wage by 2025. 
• Denver Metro: Though we’ve had a presence in the Denver-metro area for years, we’re working on expanding our outreach in Aurora and in third spaces beyond campuses. One of our biggest current priorities amid changing federal policies is supporting our immigrant communities. Plus, stay tuned for news about how we’re working on economic and housing justice in Denver and Aurora. 
• Fort Collins: Until 2024, students and young people across Fort Collins lived under the restrictive “U Plus 2” housing policy, which prevented them from living with their chosen families and roommates they needed to afford living in the city. Thanks to our team’s work organizing on campus and at the Capitol, we helped pass a bill in 2024 that overturned the limits on how many unrelated people could live together. We’re excited to evolve our housing work in Fort Collins as we identify other barriers that prevent young people from affording housing.
• Colorado Springs: Southern Colorado is one of our newest organizing hubs, and it has quickly become one of our strongest. Now that we’ve planted roots in the community, it’s become clear: Young people are hungry for change, and we’re continuing to build our base to make it happen together. It’s time to show the rest of the state the Springs isn’t a conservative monolith.

Through engaging more with local issues and integrating our staff into communities, we’re hoping to expand our base to reflect the diversity and priorities of young people across the state.

By meeting young people wherever they are. That means we:

• Are all over universities, community college campuses, high schools, and young people’s shared spaces across Colorado.
• Frequent all your favorite and values-aligned local businesses, whether it’s an ice cream shop, brewery, concert venue, or music festival.
• Can be found at major summer events across the state like Cinco de Mayo, Pride, Juneteenth, the Chile and Frijoles Festival, the Underground Music Showcase, a farmers’ market, or a neighborhood block party.
• Always want more ideas and local partners to expand our reach! Want to bring us to your school or business? Get in touch @ info@neweracolorado.org.

We know that young people care more about issues than partisan politics, so we center the issues that matter most to young people in our work. Our exploration of local issues and young people’s political priorities will always be reinforced by our work to register and turn out young voters. We will continue educating voters and connecting them with the resources they need to vote in all elections.

The young people we engage — our peers — stay involved with us year-round, beyond major elections, to keep fighting for a better Colorado.