Six Midwest Youth Climate Orgs Receive Funding for Critical Initiatives

The Will Steger foundation has been a key ally in building the youth climate moment across the Midwest. Since 2007 WSF has been actively working with partner organizations across the generational spectrum to support youth climate leadership across the region. This includes a robust network of youth organizations and a close relationship with the RE-AMP network, a coalition of over 120 environmental non-profit organizations and Foundations across the Midwest.

WSF has played a key role in connecting Midwest youth organizations with RE-AMP funding opportunities, specifically in regards to RE-AMP 'Allies' Funding through the Global Warming Strategic Action Fund. This includes outreach and engagement to strategic youth allies, mentorship on grant proposals, and facilitation of regional communication among Midwest youth applicants to foster a coordinated approach to the RE-AMP funding opportunity. The following is a list youth initiatives funded by RE-AMP in 2011. WSF is proud to support these vibrant initiatives and recognizes the critical role they play in the larger environmental movement.

Global Exchange: Green Economy Leadership Training, Detroit, MI

Global Exchange's Green Economy Leadership Training (GELT) program educates, engages and empowers youth to be active agents of change in building the necessary clean energy, green economy future. The program trains youth and community members in practical skills that will empower them to improve their communities, such as environmental justice, energy conservation, renewable energy, green building technology, water conservation, waste diversion (recycling and composting), urban agriculture and food security and urban forestry. Seizing the opportunity to begin a new era of organizing, the GELT program deploys community-based solutions that break from conventional thinking and puts the emphasis on empowering individuals and communities.

Little Village Environmental Justice Organization: Neighborhood Transit Access

Little Village environmental Justice Organization(LVEJO) has created the coalition 'Communities for a 31st Bus Route' to advocate for transit access for 6 different Chicago neighborhoods, including Little Village (noted as one of the top 6 most polluted areas in the Chicago Metro), and to serve a ridership of over 100,000 people, mostly low-income. Along with a dozen diverse partners, the transit access campaign engages local youth through LVEJO programming in leadership training, community outreach, and grassroots organizing. The campaign will target key legislators and seeks to save up to 500 tons of C02 per year.

Grand Aspirations: Our Power Campaign, Minneapolis/Iowa City

Grand Aspirations is expanding its Our Power campaign in South Minneapolis, MN and replicating it in Iowa City, IA. The campaign focuses on building diverse alliances in support of energy efficiency and clean energy at the neighborhood and city level and integrating implementation of energy efficiency and clean energy with movement building. Our Power unites local youth, community groups, and businesses from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in support of a clean energy economy. Local and national youth leaders will act as community energy leaders to engage 500 residents and 50 businesses in Minneapolis, and 125 residents and 10 businesses in Iowa City, in energy efficiency and clean energy measures.

Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group: Energy Service Corps Program

Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) is in the second year of its Energy Service Corps Program launched in partnership with Americorps. Through direct citizen outreach and partnerships with local institutions the program engages youth leadership at the University of Wisconsin Steven's Point and the University of Wisconsin Madison in reaching diverse constituencies with demonstrations, presentations, and home inspections that highlight the potential of efficiency to save energy, save the environment and save money. Student "Energy Efficiency Ambassadors' will encourage residents to conduct subsidized energy audits and home weatherization.

Minnesota Public Interest Research Group: Minnesota Youth Alignment

Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) seeks to engage it's statewide youth network in support of the following 3 key campaign areas funded by RE-AMP for member organizations in Minnesota. Solar Works for Minnesota: MPIRG will leverage it's relationships of three University of MN campuses to push to legislature for guaranteed pricing for public buildings that develop solar and other renewable energy resources. Defend Clean Energy Laws and Regulations: MPIRG will engage, educate and mobilize it's student network in defense of Minnesota's clean energy policy foundation. Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled: MPIRG will launch an education and advocacy campaign targeting Duluth Transit Authority and push for transit solutions that better serve the needs of student riders.

Illinois Student Environmental Coalition: Chicago Coal Campaign

Illinois Student Environmental Coalition seeks to continue its collaboration with the Chicago Clean Power Coalition(CCPC) to retire two existing coal plants in the city. The campaign is at a critical juncture and support from students is essential to advancing the work of the coalition. ISEC has been key to the CCPC movement over the past year and will continue to work with the Coalition to empower and engage it's state network of student leaders to effectively target the Mayor of Chicago and City Council.

 

In October, I attended Midwest Power Shift, which lived up to the hype of being an epic and unprecedented gathering. Over 400 Midwest youth climate activists converged in Cleveland, Ohio for trainings and actions to move toward a clean and just energy future. The conference was evidence that our generation in these “fly over states” is serious when it comes to stopping dirty energy, getting corporate money out of our democracy and building a green economy where it matters most--the heartland.

Where does the power of effective organizing begin? Is it born in the seed of a brilliant idea? Does come from the voice of our loudest leaders? How is it that a small group of committed citizens can indeed change the world? Marshall Ganz would argue that the power is born in the 'Story of Self'.

Marshall Ganz, Lecturer in Public Policy, entered Harvard College in the fall of 1960. In 1964, a year before graduating, he left to volunteer as a civil rights organizer in Mississippi. In 1965, he joined Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, where he worked for the next 16 years before becoming a trainer and organizer for political campaigns, unions and nonprofit groups. He is credited for Barack Obama's winning 2008 presidential campaign, strategic campaign planning for Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Brown, Alan Cranston, and Tom Bradley, and with devising the successful grassroots model used by many including the renowned New Organizing Institute. In contrast to the once-dominant approaches to grassroots movement-building stressing resource mobilization and political process, Ganz emphasizes the power of the social movement participants themselves, whose values, intentions, and narratives ('story of self') are at the heart of effective organizing.

Each one of us has a story, about how we made the choice we did, to commit to the passions we care most about. And when we share this story with others, as it relates to our shared cause, it has the power to connect. It is this connectedness, the bind of shared values and understanding, that allows us to build an organizing team. When we have a strong team we build capacity. Add to this strategic timelines and tactics and we can absolutely create a movement that will change the world. This spring, the New Organizing Institute, in the spirit of Marshall Ganz, will join forces with the Energy Action Movement to do just this - and grow the already vibrant youth climate movement at Power Shift 2011, the largest youth climate summit in US history.

My story travels a winding path over the Rocky Mountains of Montana, through the deep north woods of Minnesota, and out across the windswept tundra of the Canadian Arctic. I didn't set out to be an organizer in the youth climate movement, nor would I have imagined this work as a future career. But I have always had a commitment to justice. After many years in the wilderness, felt the need to re-engage with my human community in repair of the world. In 2007 I joined Will Steger and a team of six mushers on a three-month dogsled expedition to Baffin Island, in the far northern corner of arctic Canada. Our route took us up frozen rivers to remote villages, through mountains valleys beneath the tongues of receding glaciers, out across the frozen ocean, and through the heart of polar bear country. Looking back at it now, that was where I made my choice.

When the opportunity came to join the Will Steger Foundation team to develop our youth programs and engage young people in leadership on climate change solutions, I chose to accept. I left my life in the wilderness and returned to the human community to engage in the passions I care about - empowering young people to realize their potential a change makers, adding my energy to the organizing team that is working hard for a just and clean energy future.

A generational groundswell of climate activism is sweeping the globe. Thousands of young people across the country will come together in Washington DC, April 15-18, for Power Shift 2011, to fuel the movement for a clean and just energy future. Over the course of four days participants will take part in trainings, workshops, panels, and actions; hear from leaders in the environmental movement; and learn how to take these lessons back to their communities. Participants can engage in three campaigns:

• Catalyzing the Clean Energy Economy - Building the ground force for clean tech growth and job creation.
• Campus Climate Challenge 2.0 - Transforming higher education into the innovation hub for a clean energy society.
Beyond Dirty Energy - Campaign to fight for the rights of every community to have access to clean air and water, healthy food and an EPA that’s allowed to do its job.

And will have the opportunity to participate in the Clean Economy Canvass, Non-Violent Direct Action Training, massive youth Lobby Day on the US Capitol, and huge grassroots training facilitated in partnership with the Energy Action Coalition and the New Organizing Institute. Participants will also have the opportunity to breakout by state for strategic planning on local movement-building and next steps.

What is the goal of Power Shift? "Plain and Simple" you will read on the website, "Power Shift 2011 is a mission to recruit 10,000 youth leaders from every walk of life to be on the front lines in the fight for a clean energy future." But it doesn't end there. Power Shift is not only about getting more boots on the ground, it's about transforming the people wearing those boots so that they can walk the way to a just and sustainable future - through their choice to commit, the relationships they build, the teams they organize, and the actions they take. Power Shift is about empowering effective organizers who will return to their communities energized and ready to grow this movement, in the vision of Marshall Ganz, Cesar Chaves, and leaders of non-violent movements throughout history. Their own story is the seed. Power Shift is the catalyst to grow it.