Don’t forget to collaborate with existing groups

via Democrat and Chronicle, June 18,2011

Written by Todd Clausen

It seems that being a young professional is trendy these days.

Nonprofits, colleges, professional organizations, businesses and others have all formed groups to cater to the audience, many of which have formed within the past year.

Writers & Books, the Center for Disability Rights and the Humane Society Lollypop Farm have joined the likes of R.E.A.L. for Planned Parenthood, Eastman Young Professionals, and Next Gen Rochester with groups for young people.

Many of those groups try to engage like-minded young professionals by bringing them together for after-work socials and volunteer activities, and to help them transition in a new job or introduce a transplant to the area.

And more of these groups are coming.

The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is planning one, and recently the Foundation for Unity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Service in Irondequoit (FUELS Irondequoit) hosted its first event.

FUELS formed to help those from Irondequoit in the early stages of their careers with networking, volunteerism and social support. It’s similar to the Rochester Young Professionals, but just a different geography.

ABVI’s group is still in development. That group plans to develop ways to assist the blind or visually impaired with career and professional development opportunities, while also helping the 100-year-old ABVI-Goodwill increase awareness among young people of its mission.

Maria Thomas is president of RocCity Coalition, a group that attempts to bring all the groups and their estimated 6,000 members together.

“We are heading toward 40 young professional groups in Rochester and people say, ‘Aren’t you in competition?'” she told members of the Rochester City Council recently. “What we are finding is that we really are not. We are in collaboration with each other. Every new young professional group that is created gets young people involved in another way.”

She’s right. Young professionals tend to join more than one group. And if you want to start a group and people are interested in joining, it’s another way for more young people to become involved, stay connected and try to curtail the exodus of young talent from our area.

Then again, what happens when you get more and more groups? People start scheduling similar events on the same days at the same times.

Confusion can set in among those in the community. For instance, what really is the different between RYP and EYP?

Then the groups start to compete for new members and resources, even if unintentionally.

But if young people are to truly have a unified voice in the community, they shouldn’t just slap YP on the end of some name, create a Facebook page and call it a day.

They should come together under the leadership of the RocCity Coalition, and other established groups, to collaborate on projects and advance their issues with local leaders.