ISU political science students got a firsthand look into Iowa’s future during a presentation on Iowa’s Strategic Plan for the year 2010.

David Oman, chairman for the Iowa Strategic Planning Council, presented the state’s new strategic plan to students in the political science department. The presentation was also shown over the Iowa Communications Network.

During the presentation Thursday Oman discussed several components of the state’s new plan, focusing on its efforts to increase the number of young people in the state.

“We don’t have enough young people to replenish our population,” he said. “We’ve got to grow Iowa’s population — it’s critical.”

Oman said state officials are looking at several different initiatives to make Iowa more attractive to young people. Some of these include creating more recreational venues, raising the minimum wage and passing laws to help ensure a clean environment.

While the state is focusing on keeping its young people close to home, Oman said the doors also need to be opened for new Iowans, whether they are from different parts of the United States or the world. He said Iowa has brought in immigrants when the state was facing a population crisis during the early 1900s.

“We have the capacity to have more people,” he said. “What we’re saying is, let’s do it again, let’s bring them here.”

Charlie Johnson, sophomore in political science, said he thinks the new initiatives are a step in the right direction, but they will take a lot of work.

“I think that they’re looking at some very good things to keep young people here, but they didn’t really have any definitive ways that they were going to do it,” he said. “That’s the biggest challenge.”

Johnson also said he liked the idea of brining immigrants into the state.

“I think it’s great that we give them an opportunity,” he said. “I see it as something America has always been known for, and it really improves the quality of life in the long run.”