generation y volunteerism and civic action: engaging future leaders and entrepreneurs

Sean P. Bender

Director – Center for Community &

Learning Partnerships @ Wentworth

Institute of Technology

Generation Y Volunteerism & Civic

Action Engaging Future Leaders &

Entrepreneurs

who are you?

why are you here?

who am I?

why am I here?

…assumptions

We know what they say about…

When was Gen Y born?

1969-1990

1979-1984

1989-2009

What percentage of the

world’s population is Gen

Y?

25%

35%

45%

What is another name for

Gen Y?

Baby Boomers

Me Generation

Boomerang Generation

Gen Y’ers want most to

be…

Safe and Secure

Rich and Famous

Have a meaningful

philosophy of life

Gen Y’ers

Comparison Shop

Like nice things

Pay a premium for

experience

Gen Y’ers

Have low brand/business loyalty

Are somewhat brand loyal, but

not business loyal

Evangelically loyal to favorite

brands and businesses

The biggest difference

between Gen Y and other

Generations?

Willingness to spend $$$

Grew up with the web

Cynacism

The preferred method of

communication among Gen

Y’ers is….

E-mail

Instant Messenger

Mobile Device

Facebook/MySpace

True or False?

Gen Y’ers desire a sense of

place and belonging

True or False?

Gen Y’ers are heavily

swayed by advertising,

news, and “the media”

Other traits, features, facts, and

etc.

• Young workers born since about 1980, born of

Gen X parents

• Roughly 70 million Americans

• More Racially Diverse – 70% white – Less

homogeneous than parents

• They are not Kids – This is a coming of age

generation that is anxious to run the country

and leave its mark

Other traits, features, facts, and

etc.

• Strong Desire to be A Catalyst for

Change

• Internet, Cable, Globalization,

Environmentalism

• People Resemble Their Times More

Than Their Parents

• Keen to Status and Influence of Peers

Other traits, features, facts, and

etc.

• They want community – understood, accepted, respected and included, this includes peer-to-peernetworking• Self Esteem rests on how well they are regarded by their Social Group• Very Independent and want to run their own businesses – 44% of current MBA students want to be

“If we only have great companies we

will merely have a prosperous

society, not a great one. Economic

growth and power are the means,

not the definition of a great nation.”

~ Jim Collins

Their story is root of our success

An exciting new enterprise

Tactics

Why Eastern?, Why Willimantic?

“Success is not final, failure is not

fatal: it is the courage to continue

that counts.”

~ Winston Churchill

Websites

www.wit.edu/clp

www.urbanmechanics.org

www.SeanBender.com