Youth Agenda

We’re committed to fighting to make the tenets of the Youth Agenda policy platform a reality. Guided by abolitionist, anti-racist principles, the Youth Agenda applies an intersectional approach to driving equitable change. 

For the New Era Colorado, the Youth Agenda is a measure to hold ourselves and our leaders accountable. The policy platform aligns our organization with young people’s vision of the world and helps us evaluate how elected officials are holding up against young people’s demands. We will use the Youth Agenda to decide how we push for change on the issues that matter the most to young people. 

Through policymaking, organizing, and civic engagement, we will lead and support advocacy efforts on: 

• Climate Justice: We will protect our environment and dismantle racist policies that disproportionately impact the health and well-being of Black, Indigenous, Latine and Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. 
• Reproductive Rights: We will cement a person’s ability to make autonomous decisions for their reproductive health and create a culture for reproductive care free, from fear or stigma and surrounded by dignity and support, in Colorado.  
• Higher Education & Student Debt: We will make attending post-secondary learning more accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their income, race, ethnicity, gender, or citizenship status. 
• Economic Justice: We will make it possible for everyone to have financial stability, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, citizenship, or income. We believe corporations should pay what they owe to build a strong social infrastructure to meet everyone’s basic needs. 
• Democracy Reform: We will make sure that everyone can participate in our democratic processes. We will reform systems so that the needs of all people are represented and advocate for policies that improve voting access for young people, especially young Black, Indigenous, Latine/Hispanic, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Coloradans.

If we’re not taking a forward stance on an issue, we’ll support the work of our partners. This could mean using our organizing power and mobilizing force to support policies and campaigns in alignment with the Youth Agenda or educating young people about the intersectional nature and impacts of these issues. 

• Health Care & Mental Health 
• Education 
• LGBTQ Rights and Gender Expression
• Immigrant Rights 
• Criminal Justice

Need a version of the platform to take into the field? Download it here!

In 2021, we embarked on a listening tour to connect with young people across Colorado and hear the issues they care about, values they hold, and their unique vision of the world. We asked over one thousand people across the state: What does youth power mean to you? What are your experiences and what do you care about? What barriers do you face and where do you want to see progress? 

Throughout our 1200-plus conversations with young people in Colorado, with over a quarter of respondents identifying as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color, we heard a lot about: 

• A shared vision of the world where everyone is treated equally and resources are abundant. 
• Cultivating power that young people feel heard and can find a community where they can drive change.
• Expanding how young people engage with government bodies to better participate in political processes to drive change, especially on the local level.
• Break down barriers that prevent people from participating in democracy and create more resources for young people to learn how to effectively lead progress. 

The issues, priorities, and concerns we heard led to the creation of the Youth Agenda policy platform to provide young advocates with an anti-racist framework to drive the progress we want to see.