USF St. Petersburg’s environmentally focused campus organizations are seeking funds for a trip to Pittsburgh to attend the Power Shift conference, a project of the Energy Action Coalition.
Every two years, the conference invites students from universities across the country to discuss “the movement to fight fracking, divest from fossil fuels, build a clean energy future and stop the climate crisis.”
Power Shift began in 2007 as a national youth climate summit that has hosted political leaders including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson.
More than 10,000 people attended the last conference in 2009. The 2013 conference, held Oct. 18 to 21, is expected to match it.
If funding is achieved for the conference, USFSP students in attendance would interact with keynote speakers and discuss green options for various campuses.
“This is really an opportunity for a lot of the students to get their feet wet and see what the movement is all about so that when they come back, they’re empowered to go and make and rebuild connections,” said Lauren Reilly, who is planning the trip.
Twenty-seven USFSP students attended the last Power Shift conference, thanks to a $4,000 donation from the Sierra Club.
Students involved with the Student Green Energy Fund, the Gardening Club and the Science Club each requested and received funding from student government for 20 students to attend the trip. Cost per student for entry to the conference is $80. Each club secured enough money to finance lodging and travel, as well as $36 of spending money per day for each student.
“Clubs show how much interest there is and what need there is,” Alyssa Winston, assistant director of Sustainable Initiatives, said. “We even have a lot of people who aren’t environmental science majors going.”
For food, public transportation and other various expenses, the organizations agreed to fundraise. Planned fundraisers included an Oct. 3 Tavern event with $1 beer purchase proceeds, raffles and buy-in games. The event raised $182.50 with more than 30 attendees.
“It’s always a good idea to have extra funding and I don’t want to ask for extra funding that we don’t really need if we didn’t have a fundraiser,” Reilly said. “We wanted to meet student government halfway.”
The next fundraiser is a sidewalk sale at the St. Pete Indie Market on Oct. 12. Combined talents from different students in the clubs, from jewelry crafters to planters, have made it easier to fundraise.
“The key to having a successful fundraiser is assessing the kind of talents you have in your group,” Reilly said.
Students anticipate bringing “green” ideas back to implement in their various organizations at USFSP.
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