Work with your regional coordinator(s) and other local colleges to establish a regional network. Together, you can take on broader initiatives in the long term. These initiatives can include pushing state policy like renewable energy standards or carbon regulation policy. It could also mean creating a formal venue to share ideas for campus work and community development initiatives through online and/or through regular gatherings. More than just sharing ideas that can be replicated, a state coalition can provide the necessary integration to implement broad-based climate solutions in many places at once or coordinate policy campaigns across the state. Some state coalitions have already formed tight-knit teams and created vision statements that guide their work – followed up by extensive regional initiatives. Some examples include the Cascade Climate Network, the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, California Student Sustainability Coalition, Massachusetts Youth Climate Action, and the Transcampus Energy Campus Movement (TEAM) Minnesota. You don’t have to worry about making this all happen, but if you get the opportunity to unite an awesome team of young people from across your region, jump on it!
Communication support systems can be provided by Google Groups and a number of other networking sites including the Energy Action Coalition’s Campus Climate Challenge (http://www.climatechallenge.org/). The Energy Action Coalition (EAC) also supports extensive student organizing initiatives: the various organizations that make up EAC can provide support for regional student organizing around climate solutions. Common ways for students to organize include regional planning retreats, regional conferences organized by staff, coordinated lobbying call-in sessions or in person lobbying, giving testimony at important public hearings, and updating each other on solutions. You can be part of this!