Since the emergence of the youth climate movement in 2004 with the Energy Action Coalition, our country has been experiencing a paradigm shift. All across the nation, diverse voices are beginning to rise to the climate challenge, and they are all calling for action. At this moment our generation has the opportunity to offer a bold new vision of our energy future.

From February 8 to February 10, 2008, young people from across the state of Texas will converge at the University of Texas at Austin for the largest youth climate conference ever held in Texas. Over the course of three days, the hundreds of young people coming to Austin will be engaged by speakers, workshops, and panels addressing the many aspects of climate change, meet in regional and state groups to network for future actions, hear political candidates discuss their positions on climate change, and lobby congress for climate change legislation. They will engage, share with, and inspire one another with a vision for the future; a vision focused on our potential to overcome the energy challenges of the 21st century and build new sustainable and just societies and clean energy economies. Through our training and networking opportunities, we will empower our generation to make this vision a reality.We are all in this together, one generation, united with a single vision: building a better world for future generations.

Coming from all corners of the state and representing all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and ideologies, the voice of our generation is clear: Now is the time for action. Now is the time for boldness.

Goals

The Re-Energize Texas Summit will:

• Empower, engage and inspire 300 young people in Texas to take action to address global warming with trainings, speakers and a coordinated statewide action.
• Strengthen the movement for real climate solutions, in a coordinated and effective manner.
• Unify the youth climate movement with one voice and one vision for shifting our nation into a new energy future.
• Connect youth with local community leaders and strengthen bonds between the youth climate movement and the environmental justice movement.
• Elevate the prophetic and morally compelling voices of America’s youth into the national debate about global warming and our energy future.
• Frame the global warming and energy debate as an opportunity to strengthen our economy and reestablish our state and our nation as global leaders in technology and energy production.

Conference Agenda and Conference Components

• Keynotes: Attendees will be energizedby leaders of the climate movement such as Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Dr Camille Parmesan, Jim Hightower, Peter Illyn and Ted Glick
• Workshops and Trainings: Conference attendees will learn best practices for organizing from Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology, and others. The training sessions will include: how to making your campus climate neutral, energy and environmental justice, latest science of global warming, event planning, recruitment, communications and media how tos, effective lobbying strategies, leadership development skills, coalition-building techniques, and how to approach meetings with decision-makers.
• Speakers: Diverse speakers will enlighten youth about the connections between Climate and Faith, International Security and Climate Change, Combating Climate Change and Job Creation, Improving Global Health Care by Fighting Climate Change, and many more presentations that will help build our movement and add new perspectives.
• Regional Breakouts: After splitting into geographically-based groups, youth will identify upcoming regional opportunities to realize tangible progress and plan coordinated campaigns and events. These will help establish supporting networks in centers like Houston, Dallas, and Central Texas.
• Rally to Re-Energize: Youth will be energized by a rally at which administrators from leading universities will tout their transitions towards climate neutrality and demonstrate the capacity of youth to create meaningful change.
• Movie Screenings: Youth will learn more about the issue while having a laugh by attending a screening at the legendary Alamo Drafthouse Theatre. At the event we will also provide youth with toolkits and resources which will enable them to host film series’ on their own campuses.
• Youth Climate Digital Video: A central component of the lead up into and for the documentation of the conference, digital media trained youthwill record their individual and shared stories to a broader audience.
• 2008 and Beyond: Candidates for US Senate will speak about their plans to combat climate change, giving students the opportunity to begin lobbying in anticipation of the November elections. In addition, a member of the Voter Registrar of Texas will be on hand to deputize all conference attendees so they can return to their campuses and register their peers to vote.
• Poetry Slam: A free, public poetry slam will see popular Austin poets perform for a crowd of over 150 participants and local citizens alike.