LEVI STRAUSS & CO ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOTING GAP

Levi Strauss & Co.,  Lyft, and Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios (MTVE) have announced the launch of the Community College Commitment – a new nonpartisan initiative aimed at closing the voting gap between community college students and those at four-year universities.

“As a pioneer in youth voter engagement, MTV has spent decades working alongside our partners to get young people to the polls, having contributed to record-breaking youth turnout in recent elections”

Community colleges – whose students accounted for roughly one-third of U.S. postsecondary students in 2020 – saw a national voting rate nearly 10 percentage points lower than four-year universities in the last presidential election. The participating companies aim to close this gap by turning out 500,000 new community college voters by 2028.

Community colleges represent more than 10 million students and are traditionally more diverse than four-year colleges and universities. Among the undergraduate student population, community colleges account for 39% of all Black students, 48% of all Hispanic students, 34% of all AAPI students, and 52% of all Native American students.

In collaboration with nonpartisan nonprofit partner organizations such as the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition and the American Association of Community Colleges, the founding companies will center their efforts on educating and motivating community college students to vote by focusing on increasing voter registration and turnout. The Community College Commitment includes initial activations of the founding companies such as:

On-Campus Activation Series: LS&Co., Lyft, and MTVE will host activations timed to National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week, and Vote Early Day on community college campuses across the country. Campuses will be announced at a later date. Activations could include direct grantmaking, in-kind donations, voter engagement events, giveaways, and more.

Community College Concert Competition: A new nonpartisan voter registration and GOTV competition will be launched on community college campuses across the United States. Participating community colleges that host qualified registration drives or voter education events will be entered to win a live, on-campus concert on Vote Early Day (October 29, 2024) featuring a well-known, surprise music artist, whose name will be announced in the coming months. The competition and concert is a collaboration with Levi’s®, MTVE, Good Trouble Collaborative, the Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, and Amplifier. Learn more about the Community College Concert Competition here.

“At Levi Strauss & Co., we’re committed to driving a culture of civic engagement among our employees, our consumers, and in our communities, because democracy works best when every American has the opportunity to make their voice heard through their vote,” said Michelle Gass, CEO and President of Levi Strauss & Co. “With the launch of the Community College Commitment, we’re proud to lead the business community’s effort to close the community college voting gap and make it easier for young voters to participate in every election.”

“As a pioneer in youth voter engagement, MTV has spent decades working alongside our partners to get young people to the polls, having contributed to record-breaking youth turnout in recent elections,” said Chris McCarthy, President and CEO, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and Office of the CEO, Paramount Global. “We spearheaded Vote Early Day and now we’re opening the next frontier in civic engagement by investing in community colleges to close the voting gap between students at four-year and two-year schools – because where one goes to school shouldn’t determine whether their voice is heard.”

“At Lyft, we believe that everyone’s voice – and vote – deserves to be heard, and transportation should never be a barrier to access the polls,” said Kristin Sverchek, President of Lyft. “We are proud to support efforts to close the voting gap for community college students and look forward to ensuring that voters nationwide can access the polls this year.”

“Community colleges are a vital onramp for millions of Americans into career opportunities and a brighter future,” said SLSV Coalition Co-Founder and Executive Director Clarissa Unger. “By addressing barriers and supporting nonpartisan student voter engagement, we can ensure community colleges are onramps into our democracy as well, helping millions of traditionally underrepresented citizens make their voices heard in our elections.”

“As uniquely American institutions serving more than 10 million students annually, the nation’s community colleges provide an amazing opportunity to advance civic engagement and promote the importance of exercising our privilege to vote,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. “We are proud to provide resources to colleges to encourage active participation in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts but know that community colleges can benefit from targeted programs aimed at increasing voter registration and participation. We are happy to work with Levi Strauss & Company to bring together quintessential American brands to specifically focus efforts on raising the awareness of and participation in the democratic process of voting.”

“ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is proud to partner with more than 250 community colleges around the country and we are excited to amplify and support the essential work of community colleges dedicated to registering and turning out voters with the power of healthy competition and music,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

“The 2024 election will determine the direction of our nation for generations to come. Including a larger percentage of young and diverse voices in our democracy is critical in order to support equal and just outcomes for everyone and to ensure opportunities for students to use their voices to shape their future,” added Laurie Spivak, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Good Trouble Collaborative.

The Community College Commitment is rallying the business community to join in this effort to close the community college voting gap by directing a portion of their respective organizations’ 2024 voting efforts toward community colleges. To learn more about the initiative and to take part, visit communitycollegecommitment.com.