TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama, through the VOTES Coalition, will host the Alabama Collegiate Summit Friday, March 11, from 6:30-9 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the UA School of Law.

The Alabama Collegiate Summit will provide a forum for a new generation of leaders to discuss their ideas and opinions on how to solve problems that face the state of Alabama.

The Collegiate Summit has the same intent and similar format as the annual Youth Summit, but with college, law and graduate students as well as young professionals from around the state in attendance. Several state government and industry leaders have been invited to serve as experts for the various commissions.

Delegates will be divided into commissions that will serve as interest groups to discuss the following issues:

• Alabama Constitution
• Economic Development
• Education
• Environment & Agriculture
• Health Care & Medicine
• Judicial and Prison Systems
• Taxation

Representatives from all four-year postsecondary educational institutions in the state, as well as young professionals under the age of 25 and out-of-state students with primary residence in Alabama, will be invited to discuss their concerns and create policy proposals for state and local officials in both executive and legislative branches. For more information on the Alabama Collegiate Summit visit http://bama.ua.edu/~votes/summit/.

The VOTES Coalition is a new student-led group that seeks to pursue non-partisan and bi-partisan projects and coordinate information sharing between student political groups. The Alabama Collegiate Summit is the first project of the Coalition.