Let's Get RISCC Going Again!

[Becca Rast]

Students and Youth of Rhode Island, 

I hope this email finds each of you in good health and with hope in your hearts. If you haven't already, I recommend that you check out www.350.org to see some really fantastic and inspiring photographs from Saturday's International Day of Climate Action.

This email let you know that we're hoping to have a conference call THIS THURSDAY October 29th at 9:15 pm. The purpose of the call is to breathe new life into the Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition (RISCC) that was formed during the Washington D.C. Powershift Event in 2007. This Coalition did really excellent work regarding RI's Global Warming Solutions Act and brought together students from URI, Providence College, Roger Williams, and Brown University. We are hoping to bring more students on board from more schools across Rhode Island to determine what the next steps for RISCC can and should be.  An impetus for this call was the amazing work that students are doing in MA right now: http://theleadershipcampaign.org/ - and a few of us at Brown really would like to see some statewide action start happening right here.  We know that other students in the state want this too.

The date and time are only suggestions so that we can get the ball rolling on this work - Please respond it the date works for you or not, and if a large amount of folks can't make it we can reschedule!

Here is the call in information and a proposed agenda for the Call:

Phone Number: (712) 451-6100
Access Code: 678393#

Date: 10/29/09
Time: 9:15 pm

Agenda For Meeting:
1) Introductions - Name, School, What we want to get out of this call
2) Synthesis of what folks want to get out of call - Main goal: Create an ask and campaign for RI state regarding climate change & clean energy
3) Brief history of Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition
4) Brief go-around of what's happening at schools/in community
5) Questions (via a facilitated dialogue)
      a) What do you want to see happen in RI?
      b) What do you feel is possible in RI?
      c) What should we do next?

We hope to get a GOAL out of this call so that we start to work together to take strong action on climate change in the state of RI.  We're hoping to keep the call under and hour and we ask that you come prepared to answer questions and TALK!  But also - we hope it can be fun, informative, and inclusive.  Now is the time to build up grassroots student power in Rhode Island!

Please RSVP (name and school) to me via email so that we can have an idea of how many people to expect. Also feel free to contact me with any questions/thoughts/concerns that you may have. 

Becca, Keally and other Brown emPOWER (Brown University's student environmental organization) members.

P.S. Please forward this to anybody you know that may be interested!