The Millennial Trains Project (MTP) announced July 28 that 25 young global leaders would participate in its 2014 train journey across America. The participants will travel from Portland, Ore., to New York with stops in Seattle, Whitefish, Mont., St. Paul-Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago from Aug. 7 – 17.
The Millennial Trains Project re-purposes transcontinental train travel as a platform for 21st century leadership development, community engagement, and national inspiration. Its annual 10-day train journeys empower aspirational, civic-minded young leaders with resources and mentorship to launch projects that address national and global challenges in localities across the United States. On board the Millennial Train, a dedicated caravan of railcars that serve a mobile innovation and education community, leaders in public policy, media, government, transportation and design provide mentorship to participants. In each city where the train stops, participants meet with local leaders, explore innovation clusters, and advance their individual projects.
This year, twenty participants from the U.S. earned their place on board projects focused on issues ranging from small business, to environmental stewardship, sustainability, art, higher education, urbanism, design, race relations and disaster preparedness. The Class of 2014 also includes five young leaders from Yemen, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia and Columbia who were selected to participate through the U.S. Department of State Fulbright-Millennial Trains Project partnership.
“We believe that journeys build leaders,” said Patrick Dowd, CEO and founder of the Millennial Trains Project. “MTP provides an unparalleled opportunity for emerging innovators to test out their ideas on a national scale, broaden their perspective, and change the world through travel.”
