With unions playing such a huge role in shifting the power to the 2 million workers and families they represent, it is great to have them on board and working with Power Shift to solve climate change.

So a big thank you to the ACTU for your support. Let’s make Power Shift the biggest and best event it can be!

With a focus on teaching green courses and academics, staff and students involved in greening both our community and our educations, the University of Western Sydney is in our geographical and environmental hearts.

The University of Western Sydney is a outstanding centre of learning, research and culture in the community. They have been busy developing sustainable partnerships with local organisations, residents, government, industry and business. This great cooperation boosts and strengthens both the University and the community through sharing and improving knowledge, making an awesome contribution to making life better in Western Sydney.

Not only that, UWS has an Office of University Engagement. How many universities even try to engage with the community, let alone have a whole department for it? With education so important for our community, it’s really great to see UWS being so inclusive.

Remember to register for Power Shift, and we look forward to seeing you at UWS in July!

For those of you that are attending another conference by one of AYCC’s member groups (ASEN’s SoS conference and/or SONA’s RE:HAB Congress), you’re able to claim an either further discount – 20% off of the regular ticket price! We’d definitely encourage you to take advantage of this offer if you’re heading along to both.

There will also be buses transporting delegates from SoS in Melbourne to Power Shift in Sydney between Friday 10th and Saturday 11th of July. If you’re attending both conferences and would like to hop on one of these buses, be sure to shoot us an email at info [at] youthclimatecoalition.org. More information on this will be posted closer to the date.

Click here to sign and help us reach our goal of 1,000 new names by Friday 22nd.

Power Shift is building into a massive, Australia-wide, youth movement and will be an amazing event involving thousands of youth. But thousands more will sign the youth climate petition calling for renewable energy, green-collar jobs and a safe climate future. By signing on you will be supporting a Power Shift to a clean energy future. So sign on and invite your mates to do the same – let’s create a Power Shift!

Online organising is a fantastic way to spread the word, get more people involved, and build momentum – and in the case of Power Shift it’s worked.

Since last Tuesday, the Power Shift Facebook group has grown from just over 1,600 people to 3,647 (as of this minute, but it’s still going up)! This is an amazing effort, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed…

Amanda McKenzie and Anna Rose, AYCC Co-Directors, went to Canberra yesterday to give testimony at the Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy – expressing the views of the youth climate movement. At 10:44am, during a break in proceeding, Senator Louise Pratt took some time out to write on our Wall (check it out here):

MESSAGE FROM SENATOR LOUISE PRATT

“Congratulations to Amanda McKenzie and Anna Rose for the great job giving evidence at the Senate Select Committee on Climate Change Policy today.

They argued powerfully and eloquently for the need for a strong response to climate change.

Their evidence also highlighted that younger and future generations of Australia and the world will pay a high price if the can’t tackle this problem.

Your work – and the work of everyone involved in Power Shift and Australian Youth Climate Coalition is an important force in creating a political mandate for action.

It’s a growing mobilising force on climate change that Canberra must recognise.

Thank you for coming to give evidence – and to all those that came along to support them.

Warm regards,

Senator Louise Pratt”

Your hard work is paying off – the momentum and movement is growing and together, we are “creating a political mandate for action.” Our voices are being heard, so keep them shouting out loud!

Power Shift is fast approaching and to celebrate – and officially launch this momentous event – we’ve decided to hold launch parties, just for you, all around Australia!!!

There’ll be fundraising launch parties in Sydney and Melbourne, a dinner/fundraiser in Brisbane and possibly an event in Tassie, and we’ll keep you posted on what’s happening as things progress. We’d also like to encourage you all to host your own parties, fundraisers, bake sales, movie nights, BBQ’s – or vegie-Q’s – or anything else you can think of to have some fun, raise some awareness and help bring yourself along to Power Shift in July!

Of the parties WE’RE organising, currently, the details are:

Melbourne

Where: Eurotrash

When: Thursday, May 7th, 8pm

More info: $10 cover charge (for the awesome venue and to help raise funds), the theme is ‘Everyday Superheroes’ so dress up in your best and brightest, and for more information you can contact Sejla (sejla (at) youthclimatecoalition.org).

Sydney

* Sydney will have a training day for school students and then a launch party at night time. Details of the training day will be posted on this site in the next few days. As for the party…

Where: The Workshop, Newtown

When: Saturday, June 6th, 8pm

More info: $10 cover charge, places are limited and invites will be sent to Sydney-siders on our mailing list so sign up if you’re not on there already. For more info, hit up Sara at sara (at) youthclimatecoalition.org

Brisbane

Our Brissie mates are planning on hosting a dinner/fundraiser akin to the one that got flooded out last month, but with less water! The details are still being finalised, but we will post more info on here as we get it.

When: Thursday, May 9th.

More info: Dinner with friends, more to come.

Your Place

Where: wherever you decide

When: between the 7th-10th of May

More info: Do whatever you like, but let us know so we can help you get people there and have a great time! Shoot of an email to info (at) youthclimatecoalition.org or give your friendly local recruiter a call.