Where it all began
Power Shift all started with the first ever summit in Washington DC in 2007. It was the first even youth climate summit in the US, and it saw 6000 young people converge in the nation’s capital.
Valida Prentice was one of those who attended – here’s what it meant for her.
Power Shift 2007 (perhaps most specifically seeing Van Jones speak for the first time) led to a self-realization unparalleled in its importance in my 25 years of life. It was empowering to see the growing movement of youth climate activists from around the country who had poured into the University of Maryland campus. It was moving to see the growing empowerment of these youth sharing skills and building knowledge with one another.
But for me, attending Power Shift was like going to the eye doctor to get my first pair of glasses and finally being able to see all the leaves on a tree. This experience came just months before I graduated from university as I was seeking clarity in how to proceed with my professional life. With the new lenses, I suddenly had an enhanced vision of my future: I did not need to choose a single path to continue working on public health, climate change or education; rather I found these passions coalesced. Here’s what I wrote about my first Power Shift just days after it ended in 2007:
Through Power Shift I’ve become empowered by a shift of ideas. Three passions of mine – to fight climate change, to improve public health in urban areas and to reduce the achievement gap, and hopefully thereby reduce other socioeconomic disparities, in America’s educational system – have been rearranged so that they now interlock. These passions make more sense together, and thus I now make more sense to myself.
Be part of Power Shift 2011 in Brisbane and join the worldwide movement – click here to buy your ticket.
