With help from DU’s chapter of the Roosevelt Institute, students have the opportunity to engage with local Colorado leaders who can bring real change to Denver communities.

The Roosevelt Institute is a massive, non-partisan think tank with chapters at colleges across the nation.

On Thursday, Nov. 3 in the Reiman Theatre of Margery Reed Hall, three Colorado politicians will be present, including City Councilman Paul Kashmann, member of the Colorado Senate Irene Aguilar and former Gubernatorial Chief of Staff Roxanne White. Together, the leaders will open up a conversation about the political system, plans for the upcoming years and the importance of student voting.

Paul Kashmann, City Councilman for Denver’s District Six, has lived in Denver’s Virginia Village for 40 years and works on the day-to-day issues of his constituents. He heads the City Council Sidewalks Working Group, which is dedicated to improving pedestrian infrastructure while also minimizing the costs of the efforts.

Senator Irena Aguilar, M.D. serves as a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate. She has extensive experience in the medical field and focuses on healthcare.

Roxanne White served as Chief of Staff for Governor John Hickenlooper from 2009 to 2014. White also focuses on healthcare. Along with her time in public office, White is a trained social worker and an ordained minister. She now runs the Nurse-Family Partnership, a non-profit program that offers aid to at-risk first-time mothers and other families.

In Colorado, the Roosevelt Institute and its chapters have received large support from both the Mayor’s Office of Denver, along with the Governor’s Office of Colorado.

The institute primarily focuses on engaging young people with public policy in order to better their communities. Their website describes their goal by saying: “A lot of organizations teach young people how to campaign—we’re about learning how to govern.”

Though the presidential election is clearly a tremendous issue, it’s important for constituents, especially students, to understand the political climate in their local community. This event, hosted by the Roosevelt Institute, is an opportunity for DU students to engage with local Denver leaders.