Project 26 Pennsylvania is a nonpartisan, state-wide organization dedicated to promoting democracy by getting students involved in leadership and civic engagement.
Project 26 PA set up in the HUB Underground on April 9 with postcards for students to write to local members of Congress, Rep. Scott Perry and Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, about the recent surge of job cuts across the nation. This event was organized by Jon Perez, the Project 26 coordinator for the Dickinson and Gettysburg College campuses, as well as several student members.
The goal of this event was to get students to talk about what is important to them. According to surveys conducted by Project 26 PA, a lot of students feel like they are not being heard by the people who are supposed to represent them. Perez said that getting people involved through writing to their representatives is meant to “empower students and … make them be heard.” They want to “remind [politicians] who they represent,” he said.
Dickinson students wrote over 30 postcards during the event, which Project 26 PA mailed.
On social media, Project 26 PA has coined the phrase #FuturesOverFortunes to express its desire for politicians to prioritize the well-being of their constituents — particularly their young voters — over their own wealth or their billionaire friends.
Project 26 PA has been active on Dickinson’s campus since 2024 and has helped raise local voter registration by 161% since 2021, according to Perez. Thanks to this event, Project 26 now has more than the 20 student members required to become a campus club and will be submitting their constitution to the Student Senate so that they can be a more active force at Dickinson.
The goal of the Trump administration is to “instill chaos,” said Perez. The organizers of this event emphasized that now, more than ever, it is important to take back control of the narrative and make student voices heard.
