About 70 young professionals and college students attended a Citizens League event Tuesday night and will form action groups to deal with problems in education, poverty and financial literacy.

The action groups -- self-led by the young Citizens League members -- will now identify public policy issues and develop plans to make changes.

This gives younger members a chance to build leadership skills, said Sean Kershaw, executive director of the nonpartisan Citizens League. Experienced mentors will help with the process.

Two similar action groups were formed in 2007: A Public Leadership Action Group connected area nonprofits with young Twin Cities leaders looking for substantive volunteer opportunities, and an Energy and Environment Action Group identified the causes and problems of increased storm water runoff in urban areas, and came up with a plan to ease the problem.

Comcast helps fund the action groups.