Facing History Alumnus David Burstein

Executive Director and co-founder of "18 in 08," David Burstein exemplifies what he tells the thousands of young people he meets in his travels across the country., "find something you are passionate about and get involved."

At age 19, David has already co-founded a youth film festival - now the largest in the U.S, started a nonprofit to get youth engaged in the political process, and directed a film called "18 in 08" which features interviews with dozens of some of the most influential politicians, scholars and activists of our time. David didn't actually know the people in the film beforehand; he simply started making calls. Sometimes it took years before he heard back from them, but his persistence has paid off.

What started as the film, "18 in 08"  has evolved into a national peer to peer campaign to inspire young people to overcome apathy and skepticism and become engaged and involved in the political process-in the 2008 election and beyond. The film is widely distributed in schools across the U.S. and in the curriculum in over 30 states.

It was instilled in David early on that one person can make a difference. It was in his Facing History class in high school that he realized that not only is being involved important, to not be involved - to be a bystander - can have devastating results. The lessons of the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement have inspired him to recognize the importance of being aware that our choices matter and that we have an obligation to do something when we see injustice.

The Facing History course encouraged him to reflect more deeply about the world around him and how people see their responsibilities toward others. David says,

"This idea that somehow we don't have a responsibility if we're not intimately involved- is a notion that we need to change. The younger generation is one that is starting to change that and say that ‘where we see injustices, we want to right them.' To me that is very encouraging and very inspiring."