On February 29, 2020, MAP Founder and President Steven Olikara joined Up to Us to give a keynote speech at their leadership training sessions in Oakland, CA. Up to Us is a national initiative in partnership with the Peter G Peterson Foundation, which raises awareness of the United States’ fiscal and economic challenges — particularly the national debt.

Up to Us operates as a campaign competition where student leaders across the country form teams to design and execute non-partisan awareness campaigns to educate their campus community about fiscal challenges, including the national debt, retirement security, and bipartisan gridlock.

College students from all over the nation were in attendance at the leadership training where Olikara spoke about the postpartisan work that MAP has done on a national level. He highlighted how post-partisanship is the way to ignite real change in Washington, DC. Olikara also spoke about the use of fiscal policy as a tool to solve the next generation’s problems of climate change, retirement security, and public investments. He emphasized the need to inspire legislators to make decisions with the younger generation in mind.

Olikara concluded with a question and answer session where he highlighted the role of post-partisanship in activating young leaders and focusing on issues of the future.