Veteran reporter Judy Woodruff speaks at
the National Press Club about today's youth

What are 42 million young people between the ages of 16 and 25 thinking about the issues of the day?

Veteran reporter Judy Woodruff traveled by RV across the country to talk to young people about the hopes, dreams, worries and aspirations of their generation. Over 500 young people were interviewed from all geographic regions of the country and represented the diversity of America.

Here are some of the findings which were unveiled by Woodruff and Scott Keeter, Associate Director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, at The National Press Club on Monday, January 8th for WETA Leadership Circle donors and other special guests:

• They are the most diverse generation in American history: one in every five of them has a parent born outside the United States.
• They are an immigrant population with one in every 8 born outside the United States.
• 17% are Hispanic; 14% are Black; 4% are Asian and another percentage are of mixed race.
• They are a very tolerant generation.
• Born at the end of the Cold War, they have grown up in a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
• Their parents have given them, whenever possible, much of what they have wanted from video games to the latest sneakers.
• They have grown up defined by technology — from computers and the Internet, using social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, to cell phones, text messaging, and e-mails. They are never without their laptop, cell phone or I-pod.

From the left - Scott Keeter, Judy Woodruff, Sharon Percy Rockefeller—President and Chief Executive Officer, WETA, and Rebecca W. Rimel—President and CEO, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Generation Next was generously funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Annie E. Casey Foundation. For more information about Generation Next, visit their web site.