At New Era, there’s no such thing as off years. 2023 was no different. This year alone, we fought to turn Youth Agenda priorities into political realities. Just a few examples: During the legislative session, we worked with COLOR to pass SB23-190, a landmark bill that regulates the deceptive advertising practices of anti-abortion centers to limit their ability to prey on people who are young, low-income, or from immigrant communities. We launched our new regional hub model with permanent lead organizers in five regions across the state — Boulder, Denver, Northern, Southern, and Western. Polle ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2023 CONTACT: Camila Navarrette, Communications Director Camila@NewEraColorado.org (323-423-5898) PRESS RELEASE: Recent SCOTUS Rulings Place Young People’s Education and Futures in Jeopardy DENVER, CO – This week, the Supreme Court issued a series of devastating opinions, two of which seriously threaten young people’s financial and educational futures. In the 6-3 Biden v. Nebraska decision released by the Supreme Court today, President Biden’s student debt proposal that would have canceled up to $20,000 for some student loan borrowers has been str ..read more

By Molly Stawinoga, Communications Coordinator Ahead of the June 6 runoff election for Denver’s mayor, we found ourselves gripped by a (silly yet strategic) idea: What if we asked candidates Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough increasingly spicy questions as they munched on increasingly spicy hot wings? In “Hot Ones” fashion, we put their tastebuds and plans for Denver to the test. If you want to catch all of New Era Action Fund, Cobalt, COLOR Latina, and ONE Colorado’s forum shenanigans, check out our video of the forum, listen to City Cast Denver’s recording, or read the full Q+A transcript.  ..read more

We hear (and talk) a lot about the rising cost of living in Colorado. When creating the Youth Agenda, creating a more just economy was one of young people’s top priorities. From rent control to land grants, young people support a range of policies to create more affordable, sustainable, and safe places for people to live. With policy ideas like rent control being tested by the lawmakers during the 2023 legislative session, we asked ourselves: what does renting look like for young people across the state? How much of their income are young folks spending on rent? What can these numbers tell us ..read more

By Arianna Morales, Policy Manager  The Brazen Project started as a leadership development program across Colorado college campuses to facilitate student-to-student conversations about abortion. Through talking about abortion care boldly and without shame, students channeled their passion for bodily autonomy into cultural change. Time and time again, I saw people break through their discomfort to find their voice around a topic that was once taboo and turn into advocates. Looking back, I, too, turned into a different type of advocate. My comfort was challenged right away by the braze ..read more

Phew! What a year!  With 2022 in our rear view mirror, we’re reflecting on the highs (there were many) and the lows (there were many) we experienced throughout the year. Throughout it all, we remained dedicated making change on the Youth Agenda and mobilizing young voters ahead of the 2022 midterm election. The hard work paid off: young people turned out this year—for our communities and our futures. Nationally, young voters posted the second highest midterm turnout in the last 30 years and Colorado was no exception: 39 percent of young Coloradans voted, making up one of ev ..read more

By Evaristo Gomez, Boulder Youth Agenda Organizer Organizing is not for the faint of heart. It can be discouraging trying to engage with young people who are apathetic or angry, but the impact we can make is what brings us back to this demanding work. We advocate for people; we empower people. By telling people about the tools at their disposal, we give people hope in ways they often can’t dream of in other parts of the country. This is especially true for abortion care and reproductive rights.  The Reproductive Health Equity Act Young people see abortion rights as key to establishing bod ..read more

As you may have heard, New Era has just released a new strategic plan! We have so many exciting shifts that are taking place as an organization, including: deepening and sharpening our electoral work to become more targeted and localized, engaging in more policymaking on the Youth Agenda, and expanding our leadership development program across the state. This is a volunteer position that acts as a strategic advisor to staff, maintains strong governance practices, and organizational and financial oversight. We are especially interested in new board members with expertise in human resources, fi ..read more

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new strategic plan and a whole new brand to go with it! You can check out the full strategic plan right here. A lot has changed since we were founded in 2006—a time when everyone was busy ranking their top friends on MySpace and the most viral video of the year was “Evolution of Dance” (yikes). Besides us leaving that webpage-era behind for the TikTok age, we’ve also seen huge political transformation over the last 16 years and our strategic plan reflects the current paradigm. With expansions in election access and voter registration, we need to sh ..read more

Every year, thousands of Coloradans have their diplomas or transcripts withheld by their higher education institutions. When this happens, many folks experience a double bind: they owe a debt, yet are unable to move forward with their education or careers until a debt is paid, thereby limiting their ability to pay off the original debt. They are trapped in a vicious cycle. Students and graduates who are able to pay will do so, however for those who cannot afford to pay, providing their transcript at the earliest opportunity puts them in a better position to repay their debts later on. This pra ..read more