Iowa launches site for young people
By WILLIAM SMITH
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If you’re familiar with the Internet, the break-out popularity of online social networks such as Facebook isn’t breaking news. Facebook, which launched in early 2004, now boasts more than 60 million active users.
Not to be left out of the loop, Iowa state officials unveiled a Web site last week — generationiowa.com — that will provide young Iowans a place to make friends and search for jobs at the same time.
“For the very first time, everything young Iowans want will be in one spot,” said Iowa Economic Development Director Mike Tramontina. “Young people will be able to connect to Iowa events, recreation, careers and each other.”
The site was launched as part of the Generation Iowa Commission’s meeting at Iowa State University on Feb. 8.
Brenda Wischmeier, director of marketing for the Greater Burlington Partnership, has spent the past couple days perusing the Web site. She wanted to see what kind of advantages the site will offer the 91 members of the Burlington-based young professionals group, Great River ConneXions.
“My first impression of it is it’s a lot like Facebook. It looks like a place where people can interact and blog,” she said.
Great River ConneXions, which claimed 91 members for 2007, seeks to attract young professionals in the Burlington area. The only requirement for membership is that members fall between 21 and 40 years old.
Wischmeier plans to list Great River ConneXions on the site’s database of young professional groups in the state and is excited about the increased state networking options the new site will provide for members.
“We’re going to encourage our members to go there and visit the Web site,” Wischmeier said.
Much like Facebook and MySpace, users can log on when they visit the site to check up on their extended network of friends.
The site, which boasts about 400 members, is also full of testimonials and everyday life stories from members about working and living in Iowa, news about upcoming job fairs and links to job postings at the Iowa Workforce Development Web site and smartcareermove.com.
Members also can provide personal information on their profiles, including their resume, their dream job and what they are into. The site also will allow members to create their own cartoony virtual work cubicle, which can be built in a corner office or a tree-house.
Those with digital cameras can submit photos and upload videos.
“We believe GenerationIowa.com will work to bridge Iowa’s information gap, create a positive, viral word-of mouth campaign about Iowa and reframe the way we look at our state in 2008,” said commission chairman Kyle Carson.
“This free site by young Iowans for young Iowans provides the perfect outlet for people to rant and rave about living, working and having fun in Iowa.”
The site’s genesis came from a recently released report by the commission on how the state should recruit and keep young people in Iowa. In the report, the commission urged the state to create a Web site that allows young Iowans to keep tabs on social events and career opportunities.
The report also found that a majority of young Iowans are actively involved in social networking Web sites and are more likely to search for information online.
Wischmeier doesn’t personally use sites such as Facebook, but she is confident that many of the Great River ConneXions members do.
Joann Schinstock, of the Mount Pleasant-area chamber alliance, said many of the Access Mount Pleasant young professionals use social networking sites as well.
“We have a lot of members on Facebook,” she said. “It’s a great tool to help our members meet other people.”
Mount Pleasant’s AMP group currently has about 120 members and is working with Great River ConneXions on a joint Web site that will be launched in the future.
Wischmeier said the new site will have a link to generationiowa.com.
“We are also going to put up our own testimonials on generationiowa.com,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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