On Tuesday, March 9th, the UCR School of Public Policy (SPP) will host a talk by second-year public policy major Vivek Kakar on “Planting Seeds and Lifting Voices: Establishing the Roosevelt Network at UCR.” This event is part of the SPP Student Spotlight Series.

Kakar, who is the Founding Executive Director, will present on the journey of establishing the UCR chapter of the Roosevelt Network and the implications of involving youth voices in key policy discussions.

According to their website, the Roosevelt Network “trains, develops, and supports emerging progressive policymakers, researchers, and advocates on campuses and in cities across the US, focusing on communities historically denied political power.”

“The Roosevelt Network at UC Riverside is a new opportunity for all UCR students to experience policy research and writing while working hand-in-hand with members at other chapters across the nation to participate in a large scale discussion about policy solutions to the problems we face,” said Kakar. “We are so excited to be partnering with the UCR School of Public Policy to offer our students even more hands-on opportunities to craft solutions for our region and for the world.”

Andrea Rayas, a senior public policy major said, “Now that The Roosevelt Network at UC Riverside has been established, I am thrilled to learn of Vivek’s future plans. This is going to be a great opportunity for public policy students to engage in the policy world, where they can grow to become future leaders.”

This event is open to the general public. Attendees must register to attend. Registrants will receive an email in advance of the event with a link to join. 

This event is part of the UCR School of Public Policy Student Spotlight Series, which features the policy-related work of UCR public policy students. During the shelter-in-place order for California, all events are being held online. For more information, visit spp.ucr.edu/events.