In order to solve some of New York State's problems, we can no longer rely just on politicians. Now it's time to rely on the younger generation. As our Lara Greenberg tells us, that was the theme of this year's We Live New York Summit.

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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Young people at the start of their careers have fear and anxiety, but also new ideas and adventurous attitudes. And that's what hundreds are trying to develop at the We Live New York summit at Cornell University.

"The reason that you have sustained this energy is because of the vital relationship that young professionals have to the future of the state of New York," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher.

The three day summit, hosted by We Live New York, Pipeline 4 Progress and 40 Below, focuses on teaching the youth to improve New York's future.

"We've gotten people from all over the state. You know, last night I talked to some people from the Capital Region, from the North Country. I know we also have some people who are coming up from New York City and also Long Island," said Pipeline 4 Progress Director Michael Fuller.

They have the opportunity to attend more than 30 different panels on everything from politics and entrepreneurship to culture and health. The people we've spoken with have said this has been a great opportunity for networking and honing in on their professional skills.

"I'm thinking potentially down the road, it would be great to get more involved in politics. And they were really informative and just told me straight up how you can make it happen and what you could do to get there," said Victoria Malane of Albany.

"A lot of young people my age just don't know this is an opportunity afforded to them. And they just don't know what's out there and they get stuck in a routine. So this kind of opens up their eyes a little bit," said Ade Coker, a Syracuse University graduate student.

And a little spark and youthful energy might be just what New York State needs to turn things around.

The conference wraps up Saturday afternoon.

To find out more, head to www.welivenysummit.com.