Some students have run for public office in the past, but little success has been claimed by the younger generation when it comes to winning elections.
But the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, a nonpartisan public policy network at MSU, is trying to help young politicians get elected.
The institute is debuting a new program, Tomorrow's Political Leaders, that will provide an opportunity for undergraduate students and recent graduates to learn about running for public office. The two-week class is taught by politicians, professors and state practitioners, such as state department heads and lobbyists.
Brian McGrain, program manager at the institute, said Tomorrow's Political Leaders will teach participants more than just campaign strategies.
"We will be spending time on leadership development, the process of running, how you announce yourself, fund-raise, deal with the media, and also talking about what it's like to be in office and how you build your constituents," he said.
While the institute has offered classes in the past, this year's class will be the first directed specifically to college students.
"We thought maybe this was a niche that needs to be filled," he said. "They don't just want to participate in getting people elected, they want to be elected themselves."
Public administration and public policy senior Shaun Murray is enrolled in the May class and said he hopes to use it to network, should he decide to run for office.
"Some people have talked to me about running this November, but I've decided not to run yet," he said. "But at some point, I want to."
Murray said he thinks it is crucial that young people are involved in politics.
"We are probably the most affected people by the policies put forth by politicians," he said.
Tomorrow's Political Leaders is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek. The class begins May 14 and runs through May 28. This year's class already is full, but applications for next year's class will be available in the fall. The cost of the class is $200, but it can be waived in some circumstances.
While political theory and constitutional democracy senior Jeremy Dalpiaz never has taken a class such as Tomorrow's Political Leaders, he has run for public office. In November 2003, Dalpiaz ran for City Council in his hometown of Southgate - he lost by one vote.
"It was very encouraging to sit back, being 21 and in college, and to think that you earned the respect of 2,843 people," he said.
Dalpiaz said if he had taken a class before, it might have been helpful, but going out and doing it himself was an effective way to learn. He said he doesn't have any plans at the moment, but wants to run for office again because he feels it's important to have a young voice in politics.
"It's our future, why would we sit on the sideline?" he said.
