About The Bus Project
The Bus Project is a non-profit organization that aims to empower the next generation of leaders in Oregon. The organization is affiliated with Next Up, which focuses on developing bold leaders, achieving systems change, and mobilizing young voters. The Bus Project has been active for over a decade and has made significant contributions to the political landscape of Oregon.
The Bus Project was founded in 2002 by Jefferson Smith, who was then a law student at Lewis & Clark College. Smith's vision was to create an organization that would engage young people in politics and encourage them to become active citizens. The name "Bus" comes from the fact that the organization started out as a mobile voter registration bus that traveled around Oregon.
Over the years, The Bus Project has evolved into much more than just a voter registration drive. Today, it is an influential force in Oregon politics and has played a key role in shaping public policy on issues such as education funding, environmental protection, and healthcare reform.
One of the key ways that The Bus Project achieves its goals is by training young people to become effective advocates for change. Through its leadership development programs, The Bus Project provides participants with the skills they need to organize campaigns, build coalitions, and communicate effectively with policymakers.
Another important aspect of The Bus Project's work is its focus on voter engagement. In recent years, there has been growing concern about low voter turnout among young people in Oregon and across the country. To address this issue, The Bus Project runs innovative campaigns aimed at mobilizing young voters and making it easier for them to participate in elections.
For example, during the 2018 midterm elections, The Bus Project launched an initiative called "Vote By Mail Party." This campaign involved hosting events where volunteers helped young people register to vote by mail while also providing food and entertainment. By making voting fun and accessible for young people through initiatives like this one ,The bus project hopes to increase youth participation rates at all levels of government.
In addition to its work on leadership development and voter engagement ,The bus project also plays an important role in advocating for progressive policies at both state-levels . For example ,the group played a key role in passing legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions through clean energy initiatives .
Overall ,The bus project is an innovative non-profit organization that is making significant contributions towards building strong communities across oregon .Through its focus on leadership development,voter engagement,and advocacy,the group continues working towards creating positive social change within our society .