On the weekend of October 11th, Republican Mayor James Brainard told an excited crowd in Carmel, Indiana that climate change is not a conservative or liberal issue – it’s something that affects us all, making it something that we all must address.

In this spirit, Indiana Power Shift sought to spread awareness about the Green movement and empower young people to actively change the trajectory of our country’s (and Indiana’s) climate policies. The event, which was sponsored by Energy Action Coalition and Campus Progress, brought over 100 young people from surrounding Indiana campuses and towns together to help them make their voices heard on the issue of climate change. Over the weekend, students and locals participated in workshops (two of which led by CP’s very own Paula-Raye O’Sullivan and Tommaso Boggia), heard from speakers, attended a free concert, participated in a call-in to Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar about their involvement in climate reform, and learned how to take action. The event even garnered some local press attention.

“We have the biggest opportunity that any generation has ever had. . . We have the opportunity to completely transform our economy. We have the opportunity to build millions of pathways out of poverty through clean energy jobs. We have an opportunity to redefine America’s role in the world,” said Jessy Tolkan, the Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition.

Power Shift Indiana was just one of the many regional Power Shifts happening across the country in an effort to amplify the youth voice in the climate change conversation. These regional efforts help to bring a more local sensibility to the debate, reinforcing that this isn’t just an issue for Washington – it’s an issue for every citizen of our country.

Check out some awesome photos from the event: