A new campaign aiming to help decrease youth unemployment and student-loan debt launched a few weeks ago. Led by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), the Fix Young America campaign seeks to answer: how do we overcome the twin epidemics of youth unemployment and underemployment?
The campaign is asking supporters to help fund the movement, but also says it is serving as the beginning of the conversation of solving the economic conditions facing American youth. Taking inspiration from Occupy Wall Street and various protests/uprisings around the world, the YEC hopes to start a solutions-based movement to get the attention of the everyone – the government, academia, private organizations and all citizens – to create a entrepreneurial revolution.
Going full force, the organization will spearhead a 10-city bus tour, a crowdfunding campaign, a mainstream media campaign, and the debut of the official Fix Young America book, a compilation of essays written by America’s most brilliant intellectuals, nonprofit founders, philanthropists, educators, politicians, and entrepreneurs championing youth entrepreneurship.
The solutions they are calling for include:
- Student loan forgiveness for young entrepreneurs
- Passing a crowdfunding bill
- Supporting franchise ownership for veterans & youth
- Ways to create new “Silicon Valleys” throughout the U.S.
- Best practices for colleges to graduate more entrepreneurs
- Expanding Self-Employment Assistance (SEA)
- Increasing young founders’ access to capital
- Teaching entrepreneurship to ALL young Americans, including at-risk youth.
We’ve written about and believe the solution to our economy problems can be found in small business and entrepreneurship. This movement has made big waves in media and could make a big impact on our future. What do you think about this solution?