Media

Change It is an intensive student training program led by Greenpeace and sponsored by Seventh Generation, best known for its leading brand of non-toxic household products. Now in its third year, the Change It program is designed to train and empower students to become the next generation of leaders for change in the environmental and social justice movements. This year’s Change It program will be open to 140 participants and will encompass two consecutive week-long trainings, one in Boston from July 16-21 and another in Seattle from July 26-31.

Past Change It attendees have gone on to organize campus campaigns with Greenpeace on issues ranging from global warming to forest protection to the elimination of toxic substances in electronics products. Some also are working with university administrators to develop campus environmental policies.

Change It once again will train student activists from across the United States and Canada in lobbying, organizing techniques, media relations and communications skills, and how to conduct peaceful demonstrations. The 2008 program also will train participants on how to recognize and expose corporate polluters who are trying to hide the truth behind their practices through marketing and advertising campaigns that make them appear to be solving environmental problems- a technique often referred to as “greenwash.” Because companies that engage in greenwashing to quell public pressure against their true records also work in the public policy arena, Greenpeace will train the student leaders to challenge these bogus policies and empower them to help solve pressing environmental issues in the policy arena.

Many of the Change It 2008 attendees also will be trained in Greenpeace’s global warming campaign, which is creating climate champions in Congress to pass the best possible legislation that will end our fossil-fuel addiction, increase investments in renewable energy, and bring unsafe nuclear energy to an end. This will be the focus of many Change It students’ work upon returning to their campuses.