Founded in 1998, the National Youth Rights Association ("NYRA") is America's largest youth rights organization. NYRA is truly youth-led, with most of its 9,000+ members, its president and a majority of its board of directors being high school or college students.

Here is some of what's on NYRA's very large plate:

Voting Rights

Millions of high school students, work, pay taxes and want the right to vote. So why should we lower the voting age to 16?

Teens will be most effected by issues like education and environment, but have no voice that counts.

16 is a BETTER age to start voting than 18. 16 year olds are more tied to their communities (living at home with their parents). Many 18 year olds are moving to brand new communities to which they have no ties and feel less of a vested interest. Teens who start voting early are more likely to vote for life.

The movement to lower the voting age is growing worldwide. Austria has already lowered its voting age to 16. England and Scotland are seriously considering it.



In the U.S., supporters of a lower voting age include Michael Moore, Dennis Kucinich, and John B. Anderson (1980 Independent Presidential candidate).

NYRA's teen members are doing more than just talk about lowering the voting age. Last year, NYRA's Southeast Florida chapter produced the following commercial, which aired on Washington DC area cable.

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For more on the voting age issues and arguments, visit NYRA's Voting Age Page.

Drinking Age

Old enough to fight, but not to drink? NYRA strives to lower the drinking age to 18. NYRA works with organizations such as Choose Responsibility to support a sane and sensible alternative

to the present 21-year old requirement, which (1) does not reduce driving deaths and (2) puts the U.S. at odds with almost the entire world (only Indonesia, Palau and Mongolia have a drinking age as high as 21).

For more on drinking age issues, visit NYRA's Drinking Age Page.

Curfews

Civil liberty organizations like the ACLU have long opposed curfews, arguing that they are both unconstitutional and ineffective in reducing juvenile crime. Now, NYRA's Southeast Florida chapter is stepping up to challenge West Palm Beach's curfew. NYRA has hired an attorney to file a lawsuit arguing that the city's curfew is unconstitutional.

For more on curfew issues in general, go to NYRA's Curfew Page.

How you can help:

Unlike many civil rights movements, the youth rights movement has few major funding sources. It operates off of the donations of its members. Given that most are under age 21, it has limited resources. NYRA is having its annual NYRAthon fundraiser. If you would like to help out, go to NYRA's Donation Page. If you are an organization who would like to work with NYRA on a key youth rights related issue, please go to our Contact Page.