Every year LeadMN focuses on four campaigns that students are interested in and areas that students want to see change in. Below are the four campaigns LeadMN will be focusing on for the 2018-19 year. Contact the designated person if you are interested in getting involved.
Affordability Campaign
In the 21st century, a college degree is the greatest way to improve an individual’s economic mobility. While scholarships and grants can lessen the burden of college costs, college is still not an affordable option for everyone. Many students continue to be crushed by student loan debt, or discouraged from ever applying to college because of the cost. Over the coming year, join LeadMN in advocating at the state and federal level for innovative ways to address the cost of college and ensure that all students have access to an affordable education.
If you would like more information or to get involved contact LeadMN Director of Government Relations Matt Gutsch at mgutsch@leadmn.org.
Equity and Inclusion Campaign
Hungry for Change – Addressing Food Insecurity on Our Campuses
This year LeadMN will be tackling one of the greatest obstacles plaguing our students: food insecurity. Our students often find them selves skipping classes because they have had no food to eat and are unable to focus in school. Many do not know where their next meal will come from, as they do not have access to healthy or affordable food. We believe that no student should have to face these challenges. National data from the Wisconsin Hope Lab reveals that 2 out of every 3 community college students are facing hunger on campus. Research also shows that food insecurity is correlated to lower grades in college. This is especially problematic considering students of color and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be food insecure.
If you would like more information or to get involved contact LeadMN Manager of Equity & Inclusion May Yang at myang@leadmn.org.
Get Out the Vote Campaign
One of the core tenets of LeadMN's mission is civic engagement. For students, this can mean many things, from leadership roles, to volunteering, to reading the news. The most basic element of civic engagement, is of course voting. We believe that one of the best ways for students to have their voices heard is on the ballot. Our GOTV campaigns, which correspond with major elections here in Minnesota, center on getting students registered, pledged, and informed about voting. We want to make voting second nature to students, in hopes that their participation on Election Day will be the first step in making them more engaged and involved in their communities.
The GOTV campaign starts by getting as many students around Minnesota as possible to pledge to vote in November. Students involved in LeadMN, including our Governing Council, Platform Committee, student senate presidents, and interns, will all help out with this process. Our goal for the upcoming 2018 election is to get 15,000 students pledged to vote across Minnesota. We also want to get 3,000 students registered to vote. We want to make the voting process as easy and fun as possible, so we will be looking for ways to break down barriers that some students might have to voting, as well as create a fun and festive atmosphere at schools in the days and weeks leading up to November 6, 2018 – Election Day.
If you would like more information or to get involved contact LeadMN Outreach Coordinator Raisa Elhadi at relhadi@leadmn.org.
Transfer Pathways Campaign
Made possible by a generous grant from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, LeadMN will examine Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ (Minnesota State) Transfer Pathways program. Mandated by the legislature in 2014, Transfer Pathways is a series of articulation agreements across the Minnesota State system impacting 25 to 30 of its most popular baccalaureate programs. Transfer Pathways was designed to make transfer between two and four-year institutions less complex, costly, and confusing.
This two year endeavor will see the creation of a website dedicated to tracking campus-level progress implanting Transfer Pathways, the establishment of an independent ombudsman to advocate on behalf of students navigating the program, and a report to the legislature detailing findings and offering necessary recommendations.
LeadMN’s hope is that by thoroughly combing through Transfer Pathways its mission of simplifying the transfer experience is achieved, improved upon, and transfer students come out ahead.
If you would like more information or to get involved contact LeadMN Policy Manager Marco Lanz at mlanz@leadmn.org.