SSC Update ~ May 17, 2006

Table of Contents
Direct From DC - Jared's Update
Take Action - Tell Congress to Raise Fuel Economy Standards
Introducing your 2006 - 2007 Executive Committee
Paid Campus Organizing Fellowships
Registration opens for the SSC's 15th Anniversary Shindig
Be a Leader in the SSC

Direct from DC - Jared's Update
Dear SSC Nation,

For the SSC, summer has special significance as the time of year when scores of new students discover the SSC (and themselves) by attending one of our life-changing training programs. To make it happen, this summer will feel like one big SSC roadtrip for us staff and many of you, our volunteer leaders.

I will never forget my first SSC summer; I was a student at the 2001 Vermont SPROG where I made some of my best friends and gained the skills and inspiration that transformed me from a cynic to an effective organizer. I then attended Shindig that August and my fate was sealed- I was an SSC’er. As David Bronstein recently wrote about his SPROG experience, “it bridges the gap between wanting to make a difference, and actually being able to make one.” Six years later I’m still hooked on the SSC for that very reason.

Indeed, this summer promises to be one of the most exciting and eventful in our history. In addition to our six summer trainings across the country, we’re partnering with Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire for our National Leadership Gathering (Shindig!) where we will celebrate our 15 year anniversary with an alumni reunion party, map out our strategic plans for the next year on the national level (led by our newly elected Executive Committee, and work with our partners in the Energy Action Coalition to train both our new full-time Campus Climate Challenge organizers and our volunteer Community Organizers for our most ambitious campaign ever. Oh and did I mention that we’ll be having an array of panels and speakers on the hottest topics in the movement? Invited speakers include former Vice President Al Gore, author Bill McKibben, and Winona LaDuke, in addition to many other movement leaders and leading Sierra Club staff and volunteers.

Teachers can get in on the act too. In fact, Kimball Union Academy in NH (the same place we’re holding our Shindig) is offering educator trainings in addition to their student trainings at the 2nd Annual E.E. Just Environmental Leadership Institute. So apply or register today. This is a summer of possibility and you’ll regret it if you let the chance slip away. SPROG. SHINDIG. EE JUST. All it takes is a mouse-click. Who knows, some years later you might be reminiscing in an SSC Update about how the summer of ‘06 changed your life?

Thanks for all you do,
Jared

Flailing at High Gas Prices
To assuage voter anger over mounting gas prices, Republican leaders in Congress offered Americans a paltry $100 rebate. To add insult to injury, the money was tied to drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

When voters balked at the bribe, talk turned to revoking the billions in subsidies Congress gave the oil industry last year. That went over like a lead zeppelin with Big Oil.

In truth, there's no quick fix for high gas prices. Instead, we need to cut our dependence on oil by making our cars and trucks go farther on a gallon of gas. New legislation sponsored by Rep. Boehlert (R-NY) and Markey (D-MA) would modernize fuel economy standards to start saving families money at the gas pump while cutting America's oil dependence.

Tell your representatives it's time to raise fuel economy standards!

Congratulations to the Newly Elected 2006 - 2007 Executive Committee
We are pleased to announce the winners of the election to the Sierra Student Coalition Executive Committee:

Andrew Nazdin	Erica Stout	Juan Martinez	Katherine McEachern
Nora Sharp	Rachel Ackoff	Shasha Shahidi	View the complete election results

This is the first year that SSC used "ranked choice voting" to elect its Executive Committee. RCV is an incredible election system that guarantees all voters fair representation. In this year's election, 95% of voters elected one of their top two choices using RCV. Special thanks go to FairVote for conducting the election. Getting your school or group to use RCV is a great way to make true democracy happen. Contact info (at) fairvote.org for help with this.

Paid Campus Organizing Fellowships Available
The Sierra Student Coalition is looking to support talented student organizers to implement our Building Environmental Campus Community (BECC) campaign during the Fall ‘06 semester on select campuses nationwide. BECC organizers will work with existing environmental groups, or start a new group, to conduct a hard-hitting campaign for clean energy on campus, using either the Campus Climate Challenge or the Cool Cities campaign model. As a BECC organizer, you will have the opportunity to attend an advanced training, led by top Sierra Club and SSC staff. The training will provide you with skills to win victories on your campus and in your community by honing your ability to plan strategic campaigns, outreach to the media, and turn out hundreds of students to campus events.
Fellowships are intended for students currently enrolled in college and require a commitment of 10-15 hours per week for the duration of a semester. Four to eight $1,500 scholarships are available for exceptional applicants. The deadline for application for the Fall 2006 semester is May 30, 2006.
Learn more and download the BECC application.

Upcoming Events from the SSC and our Progressive Allies
a. Alumni Reunion and National Leadership Gathering at the SSC's 2006 Shindig
Celebrating 15 years of student organizing for a just and sustainable future
August 4-11, 2006 at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, NH

All SSC leaders are invited to this year's Shindig, which promises to be one of the biggest and best we've ever had. The week will start off with an Alumni reunion, where SSCers from years past will join former staff and the current generation of activists to reflect on the history of the student environmental movement and discuss its current course.

Shindig will also provide a space for the SSC's leaders to gather and build community among students working for change across the country. Organizational meetings will focus on how to most effectively implement our priority campaign, the Campus Climate Challenge. This year's shindig will include trainings intended for SSC Community and Campus Organizers. These workshops will highlight best organizing practices, teaching participants how to make significant, concrete changes in their communities. The Executive Committee, Trainings Committee, Conservation Committee and Environmental Justice Committee will meet to evaluate the past year’s activities and create a plan of action for the next year.

Here’s a sampling of the workshops and panels that will occur over the week:

• Meeting the Challenge - How to Run a Successful Campus Climate Challenge Campaign at Your School
• Reclaiming our Future: Revitalizing our Energy Systems, Jobs and Economy
• The Moral Imperative of Stopping Climate Destabilization
• Separate But Not Equal: Environmental Justice and the Environmental Movement
• The Environmental Movement: Where Does it go From Here?

Last Call to fill out the Environmental Justice Survey

The Sierra Student Coalition is conducting an anti-oppression organizational needs assessment in order to move towards the goal of becoming a more inclusive and diverse organization. This survey will be used by the SSC's Environmental Justice Committee to evaluate the current policies, practices, and makeup of the SSC. Because the accuracy of this data depends on the number of people who complete this survey, the Environmental Justice Committee would like to ask you to please take some time within the next few days to take the time to fill out these few short questions and provide feedback. Your participation is absolutely vital for us to receive, and will benefit our mission within the SSC. There are only a few days left before we begin our huge task of compiling the results and your input will definitely make a difference.
Take the Environmental Justice Survey

National and Local Leadership Opportunities Available

Thank you to everyone who applied to be a SSC leader in the first round of applications last month! We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and the next round of applications for local and national leadership positions are due on June 1, 2006. To apply, download the applications from our Leadership Applications website. Read on to learn about local leadership opportunities available to SSC members. National committee openings are listed on our Leadership Applications website. Remember, everyone needs to apply, even those who currently serve in a position.

Group Affiliation
The Sierra Student Coalition is a national organization consisting of a network of local groups that run campaigns on high school and college campuses. These campaigns usually follow the issue focus and campaign model of the SSC’s national priority campaign. Groups are requested to submit a formal affiliation request by June 1, 2006 so that the office has complete and current contact information for each affiliate. This is a new process for the SSC and we appreciate your help as we build the organization.
Download the Group Affiliation Request.

Campus Organizer
The primary job of the Campus Organizer is to be responsible for creating or maintaining an effective Sierra Student Coalition group to run campaigns on a high school or college campus. Campaigns should be driven by the Organizer’s group and ideally be a part of the SSC’s national priority campaign. No previous experience is required and all local group leaders are strongly encouraged to apply.

Community Organizer
The primary job of the Community Organizer is to bring together leaders from multiple campus groups in close geographic proximity to work on community-wide environmental organizing efforts. Community Organizers are responsible for maintaining communication between all Sierra Student Coalition groups in his/her community. A community organizer position will become available when there are at least two registered and active campus groups in the area.