United Way Alternative Spring Break sponsored by Deloitte

Louisiana, United Way, hurricane recovery - and our generation. Being a young person myself, one who often seeks to give back to the community and be a global citizen, I am looking forward to Alternative Spring Break tremendously. It is a chance to show what our generation can do.

Our world is changing. We have born witness to these changes. From the growth of technology and communications, to significant structural changes in the economy, we have been part of a new phenomenon. With the growth in access to information through the internet, young people are getting involved in their community and philanthropy in new ways, choosing issues that matter to them, and using social networking sites and other technology to share what they are passionate about with their friends & family. What's considered "their" community is rapidly changing as we realize how interconnected and interdependent our world is. While the issues surrounding hurricane recovery in Louisiana may seem very specific, they undoubtedly are similar to challenges faced by any community coping with a natural disaster, anywhere in the world.

I can't stress enough how inspiring I think it is that hundreds of young people are going to learn hands-on how they can make a difference in Southwest Louisiana during spring break. Our generation - the "MTV" generation - gets a bad wrap for lots of things. But when I think of my friends, I think of amazing, caring, giving people - people who are investing their young careers in programs like Teach for America, hosting philanthropic events, participating in AIDS walks, going on volunteer vacations and alternative spring breaks, creating their own solutions to social problems, encouraging their peers to go out and vote, and coming up with new, creative, entrepreneurial ideas to engage our generation in philanthropy.

What do you think about our generation? How are we defined - and by whom?