We are an organization of young people who, as Democrats, are committed to the preservation and perpetuation of the basic American principles of fairness, justice and equality. We work to protect individuals' personal freedom and privacy. We understand that Arkansas is one of the most beautiful places in the country and we intend to keep it that way. Central to each of these is our continued efforts to inspire in other young people an active interest inthe present and future of Arkansas, the U.S. and the world.

Our Membership

In order to be a member of YDArk, you must be under 36 and you must declare your affiliation with the Democratic Party - that's it! Our members share many common views, and we have healthy disagreements on a few, but we're all united in our youth and in our desire to see Democrats get elected to office to support our shared vision. If you're interested in joining YDArk, click here to sign up for our email list.

What We Do

Reading through this website should give you a pretty good idea of who we are and what we do. Whether it's meeting with presidential candidates, going to a Razorbacks game, throwing great parties, or organizing a bowling tournament for political staffers, there's always something fun going on!

Areas of Involvement

YDArk is focused on a number of key objectives:

Issues:
We identify issues of importance to our members and other young people and coordinate petition drives, rallies, letters to the editor campaigns, and other lobbying and public awareness efforts to draw attention to them. We hold issue forums and educational workshops, develop our own platform and resolutions, and make our positions known to state leaders and the general public.

Community and Public Service:
Young Dems actively participate in our communities. We conduct voter registration drives, Get Out The Vote campaigns, and work on community service projects.

Campaign Work:
We support Democratic candidates and initiative-related efforts by giving our time and energy to their campaigns. During election season, Young Dems can be found walking precincts, working phone banks, stuffing envelopes, doing miscellaneous other grunt-work, and managing campaigns or running for office themselves. Although the work of the campaign volunteer isn't always glamorous, it is crucial to a campaign's success, and it's a great opportunity to meet and bond with other Democrats. YDArk and many member clubs also endorse candidates and host fundraisers.

Skill Training and Development:
YDArk and club-sponsored trainings give you an opportunity to learn about campaign techniques, grass roots organizing tactics, the state party structure, and much more. But one of the best ways to acquire new skills is through practical experience, and there's a lot of it to be had with us. You'll learn how to plan and implement projects, tailor a message to your audience, motivate people, build coalitions, and more. Whatever your professional or personal goals may be, the skills you'll gain through your involvement in Young Dems will be invaluable.

'Senior' Party Activism:
Young people who haven't learned the ropes often feel unnecessarily intimidated by the state and local party structure. YDArk is a good place for young newcomers to Democratic politics to start learning about how the system works from folks their own age who've been involved in the Party for a while. By working together, we can also ensure that Party policies are youth-friendly and the State Party platform reflects our values.