Young people make a difference in the Corridor by hatching bright ideas
By Nicole Riehl
The Gazette
Page 1A
August 15, 2006
Watch free movies on Saturday nights on a giant outdoor screen on the University of Iowa Pentacrest.
Check your e-mail in some Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids parks using free wireless Internet.
Volunteer 10 hours of your time for a concert ticket.
These initiatives — the Saturday Night Free Movie Series, the cFree Wireless Project and the 10,000 Hours Show — share a common thread: All three ideas were hatched and carried out by young people.
The list of young people’s contributions to the Corridor is long. Young people say the projects succeed because community leaders are open to their ideas.
‘‘You don’t have to know anyone special or spend years paying your dues to get involved at the highest levels in the community,’’ said Andy Stoll, 26, of Iowa City. ‘‘Community leaders (treat me) as a peer, as opposed to a young kid. The respect is mutual.’’ Stoll helped found the James Gang, a 4-year-old non-profit that takes on collaborative community projects. The group has roughly 250 volunteers, most between ages 16 and 40. One endeavor is the Saturday Night Free Movie Series. Stoll pitched the idea to Josh Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Schamberger pointed him to Iowa City businessman Mark Ginsberg, who had also suggested outdoor movies. In 48 hours, they worked out the details.
Four movies were shown last year; this year, it’s 16.
‘‘(If young people are willing) to put some time and effort into it — not just say, ‘Here’s an idea,’ and walk away — I’m willing to invest in that,’’ said Ginsberg, 48.
The James Gang is also behind the 10,000 Hours Show. Since 2004, 10K has enlisted 6,755 volunteers who put in 71,704 hours of service and brought in well-known artists: Cake, Ben Folds and Guster. It has grown from Iowa City to statewide, and now 10K is working to expand to other Midwest college towns.
‘‘It was a really ambitious idea, probably tougher than they thought,’’ said Tyler Lechtenberg, 24, 10K’s executive director, ‘‘but this is a place where you can get stuff done. There’s a support network of interested older folks who can help financially and with advising.’’ Another success story is the cFree Wireless Project.
Paul Burns, a young Iowa City lawyer, read about free wireless Internet in outdoor public spaces of Austin, Texas. He took the idea to a meeting of Creative Economy, a group that meets quarterly in the Corridor to brainstorm community improvements.
From there, cFree began as an Iowa City project and grew to include Cedar Rapids and Coralville. It launched in March, and the hope is to expand to other cities.
‘‘It turned into the largest, free, public wireless network in the state,’’ Stoll said. ‘‘The average age of the board of directors was probably about 27.’’ In Cedar Rapids, young professionals are working to revitalize the downtown.
Tyler Olson, 30, served on a ‘‘creative council’’ housing team through the Cedar Rapids Downtown District. Last year, the team brought developers, investors, government officials and residents together to discuss downtown housing.
He’s also involved with New Bohemia, a group working to create an arts-and-entertainment district on Third Street SE, south of Eighth Avenue.
‘‘Participating in these different groups, you learn leadership skills and you learn people skills that you can take to your professional life,’’ Olson said.
Access Iowa is another group engaging young people in the Corridor. The group was founded in 1999 to attract and retain young professionals. It now has more than 200 members. Last year, Access Iowa members pushed for the change in Cedar Rapids’ form of government.
They also mentor children, hold candidate forums, coordinate a charity golf tournament and encourage young people to serve on boards for non-profit organizations.
‘‘Access Iowa is why I’m here,’’ said Charity Tyler, 31, of Cedar Rapids, a native of Oklahoma. ‘‘I was able to meet people (who are) looking for ways to get involved.’’
The Cedar Rapids Jaycees are making a difference, too. The group, for people ages 21 to 39, raised $30,000 for charity through its Uptown Friday Nights concert series this year. The Jaycees also took senior citizens to a Kernels game and organized an Easter egg hunt for specialneeds children. ‘‘That connection with your community and your friends and giving back really makes you feel like you belong here,’’ said Jaycee Casey Heim, 26, of Cedar Rapids.
• Contact the writer: (319) 398-8310 or nicole.riehl@gazettecommunications.com | 
