Hey Y’all! My name is Edward Porter and I am a Lead Campus Organizer here in Georgia focusing my work at University of Georgia in Athens. I’ve been organizing with Rise since 2020, starting as a Black the Vote participant, then a student fellow, and now leading my own team as a Lead Campus Organizer.
This past month, Rise was honored to co-host two climate-focused Rise Universities with our #YouthWave partner, Climate Power, at University of Georgia and at North Carolina Central University, training 200+ students on how to be civically engaged in their communities and exercising their right to vote this November!
Rise University attendees at North Carolina Central University.
Why climate-focused? A recent poll from Beacon Research found that 40% of voters under 35 said they will only for for a candidate that prioritizes climate action. On top of that, a late 2023 poll conducted by CIRCLE found that youth who selected climate as a top issue were 20 points more likely than youth who did not choose climate to say they’ll vote in 2024.
Our climate-focused Rise Universities aim to:
- Ignite a passion in students who may not have engaged in advocacy before through a climate-focused lens
- Clearly illustrate the power our votes have to help address climate change
Rise University attendees at University of Georgia.
At our Rise Universities, we emphasized the urgent need to address climate change and its effects on our community. Students were encouraged to engage with local legislators and inquire about specific actions and policies being implemented, rather than accepting vague commitments. We examined how climate change intersects with other issues, such as wildlife conservation and seasonal changes affecting animal populations. We also looked at the impact of industrial activities and new construction projects on green spaces and local vegetation, discussing how these developments can detract from the environment and affect the sustainability of our campus. We also delved into the relationship between climate power and gentrification, examining how reconstruction efforts, while potentially beneficial, can sometimes harm local communities and the environment.
We’ll continue hosting more Rise Universities across the country through Election Day to hit our goal of training 4,250 young people, collaborating with other #YouthWave partners and focusing on the issues that young people care about most.
Rise University attendees at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
