18 in '08
18 in ’08 is a non-profit, nonpartisan peer to peer youth voter engagement and mobilization organization. It was co-founded in 2007 by David D. Burstein, who is the current executive director, and his parents. 18 in ‘08 is the first national youth voter organization to be run by someone under 21.[1]
Purpose
18 in '08 promotes civic engagement among young people, specifically the 18- to 24-year-old age group. The organization emphasizes not just registration, but actual involvement in the political process.[1]
Current activities
For the 2008 presidential election, 18 in ’08 is planning a 50 college tour and political dialogues with candidates and elected officials on the state and federal level focused exclusively on youth issues.[2] On June 30, 2008 18 in ’08 announced the debut of its celebrity PSA series,[3] releasing the first two pieces on MySpace featuring Olivia Wilde[4] and Peter Sarsgaard.[4] The cast of the documentary film "American Teen" will be among future PSA stars.
The Film
The organization began as a documentary film also called 18 in ’08. The film features leading politicians and public figures including: Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Sam Brownback, Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Robert Byrd, Democratic Strategist James Carville, General Wesley Clark, Senator Chris Dodd, Former ABC News Anchor Sam Donaldson, Academy Award Winning Actor Richard Dreyfuss, Presidential Advisor David Gergen, Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator John Kerry, Congressman John Lewis, Senator Joe Lieberman, Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, Human Rights Leader Samantha Power, Congressman Adam Putnam, Former Kennedy Advisor Ted Sorensen, Former MTV News Correspondent Gideon Yago, Historian Howard Zinn, as well as students from across the country.[5]
Accomplishments
18 in '08 has screened its documentary film over 400 times since June 2007, and has also registered over 21,000 voters.[1]
Affiliated organizations
18 in ’08 has partnerships with organizations including The National Constitution Center, Mobilize.org, Declare Yourself, Why Tuesday?, Generation Engage, SAVE, and Project Vote Smart.[1]
Media coverage
18 in ’08 has been featured on the ABC Evening News,[6] C-SPAN,[7] CNN,[8] NPR,[9] Fox News,[10][11] and in The New York Times,[12] The Boston Globe,[13] The Philadelphia Inquirer,[14] The Village Voice,[15] The Huffington Post,[16] and The Politico.[17]
References
- Generation18. 18in08.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Generation18. 18in08.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Olivia Wilde and Peter Sarsgaard Star in New Public Service Announcements Encouraging.... Reuters. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- 18 in 08 op Myspace. Myspace.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Landmark Documentary Film from 19-Year-Old Director Becomes Available on DVD. Reuters. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Energizing the Youth Vote: '18 in '08' | Video – ABC News. Abcnews.go.com (July 23, 2007). Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Q&A: David Burstein. Q-and-a.org (February 17, 2008). Retrieved on December 1, 2014.
- David Burstein on CNN Newsroom. YouTube. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Trying to Pin Down the Elusive Youth Vote. NPR. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Fox News Video News | Breaking Video News Updates | Latest News Videos. Foxnews.com (October 1, 2006). Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- David Burstein interviewed by Geraldo Rivera. YouTube (December 27, 2007). Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Carr, David. (2008-03-17) More Than a Sound Bite, This Clip Has Some Teeth – New York Times. Nytimes.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Could young adults make a difference in the election? Just roll David Burstein's film.. The Boston Globe (January 21, 2008). Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- Clancy, Michael. (2007-12-19) Talking the Youth Vote with the Director of '18 in '08' – New York News – Runnin' Scared Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- David D. Burstein: Young Voters Win in Iowa. Huffingtonpost (January 6, 2008). Retrieved on October 19, 2011.
- The making of '18 in '08' – David D. Burstein. Politico.Com. Retrieved on October 19, 2011.