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WHY 20s 30s

Seattle Works strives to create the opportunities and social networks essential for creating meaningful impact in society while also developing the skills needed for a lifetime of community engagement.

Seattle Works' fundamental belief is that people in their 20s and 30s actively seek opportunities to get involved but often in ways that are different from previous generations.

We are a generation that grew up post-Kennedy, Watergate, King Jr., Vietnam (for the most part) and any world war. We were born after the peak of the civil rights and feminist movements but in time for the serious threat of nuclear proliferation. We were witness to the economic turmoil of the 80s and came of age in the dot com expansion and contraction. We entered early adulthood in an economic environment punctuated by ballooning salaries and astronomical personal debt.

We value choice and individualism. We read Choose Your Own Adventure books as children. We played with Cabbage Patch Dolls, of which no two are alike, and Transformers, which could change shape and function based on our mood. We grew up using technology that gives us unprecedented amounts of information, opinions and points of view. We customize jeans, shoes and cars specifically to our personal desires. The websites or web logs we create can be read by anyone in the world, giving us, as individuals, the largest audience of any generation before us.

To many of us, there is not one grand cause; there are thousands of causes – from our own backyards to the backyards of those living across the globe. We have had exposure and access to opportunities to affect our world and we expect to be able to customize that world to meet our needs.

Most of all, we are a generation that was taught action speaks louder than words. We are unfazed by revolution, expect change and embrace the opportunities to do things differently. Despite common perceptions, we recognize that many of the decisions being made in our community will most greatly affect our generation and our children—and we want to help define this vision for the future.

Seattle Works' goal is to harness and enhance the energy, creativity, diversity and integrity that characterizes individuals in their 20s and 30s to create positive impact on our community.