1. Run for office yourself. Many others have whether in school, in community organizations and in formal representation as soon as you can vote
2.Be the force behind encouraging those to run for office whose determination and ideas you support.
3. Start your own organization.
4. Start your own petition.
5. Lead through examples and mentoring.
High School junior, Cecilia-Nan Ding, not yet even a U.S. citizen, established a Boston youth-run media corporation to educate teens about date-related violence and abuse. Her corporation has it's own TV show, all positions filled by high school students; a newsletter; has produced concerts; & plans theater and other educational but entertainment events.
Check out Cecilia-Nan's story in TPP and also react.com where Cecilia-Nan was a runner-up in their "Take Action Awards".
Other resources:
Running for Office or Starting a Petition? Check your offices of the Secretary
of State, state, local and federal election offices and county and township
election boards for information and qualifications for offices, candidacy
and petitions.
State
& Local Government Contacts
Federal Elections Commission
How
to Run For School Office
Check out the League
of Women Voters in Glen Ellyn, IL for a great "how-to run for office"
you can adapt.
And one-person's story: Take
A Chance. Run for Office
