Change.org presents Obama Transition Team with its Ideas for Change in America

There are four days until the Inauguration, and the country is alight with excitement, not just about the arrival of Barack Obama in the White House but also for the beginning of a new era of civic engagement.

We\'ve tapped into this energy with our Ideas for Change in America, and today we held a press event at the National Press Club in Washington DC to announce the winners of the competition. The 10 winning ideas reflect the diverse interests of the millions of people calling for change across the country, and include ideas for securing universal heath care, LGBT rights, and sustainable green energy. All winning ideas can be viewed at www.change.org/ideas.

The winning ideas were accepted on behalf of the Presidential Transition Team by Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media and the person who oversees our second-favorite website, Change.gov. Macon then addressed the attendees of the event, which included nonprofit leaders and grassroots activists, and spoke about the importance the administration will place on citizen-driven efforts like Ideas for Change.

With almost 8,000 ideas, more than 600,000 votes, and more than 175,000 participants, the Ideas for Change initiative has shown the widespread interest across the country in renewed civic participation and direct engagement in policymaking. And this is just the beginning. Starting next week, each winning idea will be paired up with a sponsoring nonprofit, which will begin a national campaign to translate each into actual policy. We\'ll be documenting the process here at Change.org, so look out for more from us soon.

As the nation gears up for next week\'s inauguration — and a potentially record turnout to watch it unfold in Washington — our bloggers are busy assessing George Bush\'s legacy, anticipating Barack Obama\'s future, and reacting to the actions of a swiftly moving Congress: