Look around your community. Have you seen some changes that have piqued your interest? Chances are if you’ve seen a new sign, a cleaner road or even some new marketing about how cool your city is, it came from a group of people charged with making change.

A lot of young adults are looking for opportunities to network with other professionals and beef up a slim resume. They are also looking to use their degrees and passion to help others make lasting change.

Well, there’s a group for that.

It’s called the Young Gamechangers. And they are literally changing the game for several communities in Georgia.

GeorgiaForward is the nonprofit that created and funds the Young Gamechangers.

Last year they set their sights on the rural Middle Georgia community of Dublin.

So I drove to Dublin to see what’s happened in the year since the Gamechangers came to town.

In order to get into Dublin you have to exit off I-16 and then drive and drive.

It’s a rather grey, non-descript ride, filled with rural landscapes and lots of open space. Truck stops and small gas stations dot the landscape.

But suddenly a high rise begins to emerge in the distance. And then a little city pops up.

This is Dublin.

Sitting on the front steps of city hall on this sunny late morning is Rebecca McWilliam, director of tourism for visit Dublin, GA. Up until a few years ago, she called the big lights, big city of Las Vegas home.

Now it’s Dublin, where she gets to enjoy her love of history.

“Little known fact, Dr. MLK, Jr, at the age of 15 gave his first public speech here in Dublin at First African Baptist Church. There’s also a lot of beautiful architecture. We have a downtown walking tour with 50 sites on them. And we are also home to GA’s best pizza according to USA Today and Paula Deen,” she says with pride.

McWilliam was a member of the team of Gamechangers, which came from all over the state to take that tour, eat that pizza and talk to political leaders. Mayor Phil Best was the first to welcome them.

“It’s no different than a house or a business or a city, if you walk thru it every day, you miss some things you might improve on, and to get that fresh look and some new ideas and some constructive criticism, we’ve always been appreciative of that if it makes us a better place”, he says.

After six months of trips to Dublin to brainstorm in small groups, listen to experts talk and write plans, the group unveiled their game plan for Dublin’s 21st century success at a special event held at the historic Theatre Dublin.

People from all over the community were invited to come for the big reveal.

McWilliam says the mayor and city council liked what they heard and actually voted to put money behind some solutions.

“The city of Dublin approved funding a $60 thousand master plan for the development of state bicycle route 40 which runs right through Laurens county through our downtown to the Oconee river. As part of that plan we are developing a Riverwalk and bike trail along the Oconee river which is amazing,” she says.

Amazing, because their ideas weren’t just heard, but actually valued she says.

“It was just so refreshing to see 30 people from across the state with really brilliant ideas. We all collaborated together, we were all emailing back and forth and at the end of the day we were all working towards one goal and that was to make people’s lives in Dublin better.”

The next stop for the Young Gamechangers is Douglasville in Douglas County.

Tags: Leah Fleming, Young Gamechangers, GeorgiaForward, Dublin, Douglas County