Youth Group

New England Journal of Higher Education, The, Summer 2005

When the Portland, Maine-based Libra Foundation created the Libra Future Fund (LFF) to support a range of startup businesses and community enrichment projects conceived by Mainers between the ages of 18 and 25, a key priority was to assemble a board of directors. Who might be appointed to such a body? Business leaders? College presidents?

Wait a minute, the idea behind LFF was to capitalize on the creativity of Maine's young people and combat nagging out-migration by increasing the number of professional opportunities available to young Mainers, right? So, the fund's founders asked, why not choose directors from among the very same young people that the initiative was meant to support?

Now, every member of the LFF board is under age 30. The twentysomethings may not be as potent as Business Roundtable types. But they are presumably in tune with what makes Maine attractive, or not so attractive, to young people. And when they need advice, they have a network of more seasoned advisors they can turn to.

"It could be argued that the relative inexperience of our board is a little bit risky, but actually it's been a blessing. We're able to relate to the candidates because we're their age. We understand the same limitations and possibilities," says Robie Anson, the 24-year-old Bowdoin College biology grad who heads the fund.

This spring, Anson announced the first round of fund grants, ranging from about $2,500 to $5,000. Among recipients: Pete Morse, 24, will convert a farmhouse in Freeport, Maine, into a recording studio. Augustine Sedgewick, 25, will run resume-writing workshops for homeless people in Portland. Bryan Weber, 25, will examine the technical, economic and legal aspects of extending high-speed Internet service to rural Maine. Jeremy Usher, 24, and a group of partners, will create internships for a new digital design firm in Damariscotta.