Generation Citizen was founded in the Fall of 2008 by two students at Brown University, Scott Warren and Anna Ninan.
Prior to college, Scott lived throughout Africa and Latin America as a “Foreign Service Brat”, as his father worked for the State Department. While living in Kenya as 15 year old, Scott had the opportunity to observe the first truly democratic elections in Kenyan history.
Through watching thousands of rural Kenyans
proudly cast their votes, he recognized the power
of the democratic process, as a concept that could
unite individuals in a pursuit for a common justice.
At Brown University, Scott was the National Student Director of STAND, the Student Division of the Genocide Intervention Network. Through STAND, Scott recognized that he had learned about the political process through participating in the process: advocating to elected officials, mobilizing others, and getting media attention. At the same time, not enough students were receiving this organic political education. Thus, two principles framed the basis of the founding of Generation Citizen
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The most effective way to encourage student civic engagement stems from an action-oriented platform. Young people learn best about the political process through engaging in it.
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The majority of secondary students across the country have not developed the skills or mindset to become involved and engaged in their community. This largely stems from a lack of opportunity to participate in the political process.
Using the work of Brown University student volunteers, Generation Citizen operated in 4 schools in the fall of 2008, and expanded to 6 schools and 8 classes in the spring of 2009, working with over 100 students in 8 classrooms. The concept immediately demonstrated promise: students became motivated by the materials, and teachers recognized the value of the program in their classrooms.
In the fall of 2009, after receiving initial support from generous individuals and family foundations, Generation Citizen expanded and opened a Boston office, working with fifteen classrooms in its pilot year as it forged connections in the city. The organization formally incorporated as a non-profit in February 2010, adding staff and a board. Scott received a prestigious Echoing Green Fellowship in June 2010, recognizing the organization as one of the twenty most promising social entrepreneurial ventures in the world. In the 2010-2011 school year, Generation Citizen began working with a handful of classes in New York City, and in July 2011, GC opened a New York headquarters. This year, Generation Citizen will serve 4,000 students across its three cities.