Arlington. Despite the laments of pundits every four years, young Americans are not apathetic about politics. Yes, we turn out to the polls in lower numbers than our older counterparts and, yes, we test poorly on civic aptitude tests. But these are indications not of general apathy, but of more complex dynamics within our political system.

Though most young people are admittedly skeptical about politics, we are absolutely inter- ested in effecting change; 18-24-year-olds volunteer at a rate almost 10 percent higher than our elders; we engage in consumer activism at much higher rates, despite our lack of market muscle. In fact, young Americans today outperform older age groups in almost every form of civic participation other than voter turnout.

The problem that faces young people in our current political system is one of access, not of interest. More than half of 18-24-year-olds in Virginia have no college experience and thus lack the basic tools of engagement that college campuses provide. Nearly 70 percent of this "forgotten half" are working professionals, often taking on multiple jobs and a faltering economy while raising families of their own.

Access to substantive, sustained political discourse is not much easier for those young people on college campuses. Though they enjoy basic infrastructure, like e-mail, Internet, and classrooms for open discourse, students are still virtually ignored by those candidates who seek to represent them. As anyone involved in this past election cycle can attest, today's campaign professionals see little value in direct youth-voter mobilization. In 12 of the 18 U.S. Senate races in 2004, campaigns spent an average of 8 percent on get-out-the-vote efforts. Of that 8 percent, less than 1 percent was aimed directly at young voters. The youth vote, while receiving ample lip-service from all political parties, is rarely more than the target of mass-marketed celebrity appeals.

SO HOW CAN we change this trend? How can we convince young people that political participation is a worthwhile agent of change? And how can we convince candidates that the youth voting bloc merits their attention?

This summer, a non-partisan organization called Generation Engage launched its operations in Virginia and has begun actively involving young adults, especially those without college experience, in the ongoing political discourse. The basic strategy of the organization is to build civic engagement from the ground up, beginning in local communities. Just as labor unions and community organizations have provided for older generations, Generation Engage allows young Americans to find political relevance through a national organization that is their own.

Let us recall the most important lessons of the 2004 election. Informed voters, it turned out, were produced on the front lines of locally based social networks and grassroots organizations that communicate with us in our communities, our places of worship, and our homes. For all the technological advances and multitude of media avenues into the home, nothing turned out voters like a handshake.

It is exactly this grassroots social network of actively involved young people that Generation Engage is building here in Virginia.

SEVERAL WEEKS ago, I joined more than 300 Richmonders at the Hyperlink Cafe to welcome Martin Luther King, III, and the candidates for Governor. The event was hosted by Generation Engage and marked an important occasion in the fight for youth civic engagement. As King told us that evening, "The full civic potential of Virginia's communities will remain unrealized until young people make politics a crusade."

In the subsequent weeks, young people from throughout the Richmond community have responded by joining the Generation Engage network and offering their ideas and their time to this effort. Generation Engage volunteers are partnering with the Richmond Midnight Basketball League this fall to bring civic engagement courses to their league workshops. The two organizations have even partnered to host a joint basketball tournament/voter registration drive.

In and outside of Richmond, young Virginians are turning to the Generation Engage Network to express themselves through art. Just last week, Ralph Lauren Polo announced plans to exhibit the politically-conscious work of young Virginian artists at its stores in Washington, D.C. A culture of youth civic participation and community involvement is budding in Richmond.

We know that responsible, engaged citizens are not born overnight; they are cultivated over time through substantive engagement on political issues that have personal impacts on their lives. This is why Generation Engage is measuring the civic health of Richmond over the long-term. Come Election Day this November, we will see how young Virginians are responding to our calls for their participation. But no matter how well they perform, the process of engagement will have only just begun.