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New Hampshire is a great state in which to live, ranking very highly in terms of health, safety, low taxes, personal income, and livability. Most individuals who attend college here or visit from another state recall positive experiences vacationing or exploring New Hampshire. They also want to stay or return here later in life. But currently, only about half of the state’s college graduates actually do stay.

The goal of Stay Work Play NH is to expose more young people to the advantages of remaining in or returning to New Hampshire. The overall effort builds off the work of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) and partnering organizations that established the 55% Initiative in 2007. This effort set a goal of encouraging at least 55% of the new graduates to stay compared to approximately 50% who currently stay.

Stay Work Play NH, Inc. (SWP NH) was established as a nonprofit organization in April 2009 to further the 55% Initiative, support and advance several recommendations made by the Governor’s Task Force on Young Worker Retention in the spring of 2009, and serve as an independent organization to run a website and associated marketing effort geared at providing comprehensive information on what New Hampshire can offer to the 20-30 year old demographic in terms of staying, working, and playing here.