Interest groups are an important factor in a political system. By offering organizations and/or associations membership, they help individuals discover, organize and act according to their beliefs. Additionally, interest groups provide a means for citizens to express their concerns to administrators and policy makers (Liberal Arts ITS, 2012). There are thousands of different interest groups you can join, including the National Education Association, the NEA, and Greenpeace. The NEA aims to prepare students for success in public schools. They are the voice of education professionals and inspire students to thrive in a diverse and interdependent world (NEA, 2012). Greenpeace, founded in 1971, is an environmental organization that, through its action and communication, exposes global environmental problems. They aspire to create a cleaner and safer planet for the general good of humanity (Greenpeace, 2012). These two interest groups have key areas of focus, use specific methods to achieve their goals, and have influenced legislation or public policy. The National Education Association has six guiding principles which include equality of opportunity, just society, democracy, professionalism, partnership and collective action. . These key focus areas champion the work of the NEA and define its mission as an association. Equal opportunity focuses on public education as a gateway to opportunity and that all students, regardless of race, gender, or age, have a civil right to an education quality. This is the principle I agree with the most because of my deep beliefs regarding citizens' rights. I believe that every citizen should have equal rights and therefore equal opportunities in education. As a student, I have seen many unfair situations happening middle of paper...... that have a positive influence on the world. Because of their goals, methods, and past legislative actions, I would be proud to become a member of the National Education Foundation and Greenpeace. Remember, if the 313,000,000 Americans begin to make small, positive changes by participating in society, the effects can extend globally (US Census Bureau). Works Cited National Education Association (January 24, 2012). Great public schools for every student. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/Greenpeace (January 23, 2012). What we do. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (January 23, 2012). Interest groups. Retrieved from http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/5_printable.htmlU.S. Census Bureau (January 27, 2012). US and world population clocks. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html