About Us

The Young People's Alliance was founded by Sam Hiner and Mick Tobin when they were high school students. They jumped into advocacy after coming up with state legislation to stop legislative power grabs. While they were able to contribute to existing advocacy initiatives, like ending child marriage and protecting teens on the road, they found that policy affecting young people was often being made by adults, without input from those who it would effect.

Sam and Mick realized the danger of this lack of youth power. Young people are becoming increasingly disengaged with a political system that does not address issues affecting them, posing a risk to our democracy. Sam and Mick started the Young People's Alliance to change this narrative, giving young people a real voice in the political process and encouraging long-lasting civic engagement.

Our teams on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures, and across 26 campuses work to empower young people in politics. We engage and mobilize students through voter registration and mobilization events, hosting community events to connect students to the political world, and advocating for youth issues on campus. We also advocate for legislators and other civil society leaders to include young people's perspectives in the policymaking process.