By Boston Cochrane
We are super excited to finally be able to launch this website for public use. It’s been in the works for months now. After many hours of research, web design, and coordination, it is finally here! Read on for a sneak peak at the site and some commentary on the design of this resource.
The Maine Youth Political Portal has its origins in an observed gap in civic education. The idea was to make a resource that was comprehensive and low-commitment. We understand that young Mainers are busy with education, family responsibilities, and work. Committing to hours of an online course may not be feasible for many of this demographic. And so Maine Youth Political Portal was born, a website that acts as a library of resources, information, and connections: a launchpad, if you will, for young Mainers interested in running for office to find their footing and network with mentors.
More over, we wanted to make this resource accessible anywhere you are at any time. For this reason, we deigned this site to be usable on mobile phones! We wanted the Portal to adapt to your phone screen while maintaining its design and functionality. It was a difficult task, but one that was crucial to the site’s purpose.
The Portal is primarily made up of the Candidate Builder page. This page is the heart and soul of the site. It is a compilation of information on elected office positions, sources of assistance, curriculum, and connections to endorsements and mentors. As I said, it is a campaign launchpad of the sorts.
We are excited for this resource, made by young Mainers, to be used by young Mainers to kindle their interest in running for office and kickstart their electoral campaign efforts. The Maine Youth Political Portal will launch on Friday, October 11th. Check it out and let us know what you think!