Join us October 21-23 to reclaim our democracy, rebuild our communities, and re-enforce our clean energy future!

This fall join thousands
of young people converging in Cleveland, Ohio. Midwest Power Shift promises to be an epic turning point in the fight for climate justice where it matters most; in a region that has been overshadowed by dirty energy projects, corporate politics and ‘dying cities’ for too long.

October 7 - 10

Cleveland OH

Community Highlights

VIDEO: How Midwest Power Shift Helped Stop Keystone XL

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Posted on December 7, 2011
by Ethan Nuss, Tar Sands Blockade

How did we convince the President to delay of the Keystone XL pipeline? Pure people power. Reflecting back on this huge win I'm reminded of events like Midwest Power Shift in Cleveland, Ohio that tipped the balace on Obama's political calculus. This video highlights some of the most thrilling moments from that action.

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Ohio Students Mic Check the Gas Industry: "We Won't Stop Until You Do!"

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Posted on November 21, 2011
by Janina Klimas, Organizer, Ohio Student Environmental Coalition

Posted in Ohio Student Environmental Coalition

On Nov 30th, we'll continue to expose the industry at the Y.O.U.N.G. conference.

Over the last year, gas industries across Ohio haven't just been targeting land owners and communities: they've also been sneaking onto our campuses and hosting panels, info sessions and networking events that promote shale development jobs. These events are an opportunity for the industry to spread biased and unbalanced information on horizontal hydraulic-fracturing: a dangerous and unconventional new drilling technique that is threatening communities across the country.

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Midwest Power Shift: A Week Later

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Posted on November 2, 2011
by Caroline Burney, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Posted in WashU Green Action

Just two weekends ago, the feelings of solidarity and revolution were tangible. We came to Cleveland not only to share our struggles and our grievances with the current state of society, but also to search for solutions and support from one another. Though we have lots to accomplish, through working together and demanding the change that we so deserve, we really can move towards a cleaner future, one where the voice of every single person is heard and taken into consideration.

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Thoughts on Midwest Power Shift

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Posted on October 26, 2011
by Ruby Levine, Minneapolis, MN

500 young people applaud Joshua Kahn Russell's keynote poem at Midwest Powershif

I spent the weekend at Midwest Power Shift in Cleveland. Among the rallies, trainings, and speeches, I was able to catch some downtime with fellow Summer of Solutions program leaders and participants from around the Midwest. Especially valuable was a conversation I had with members of other Midwestern programs on Saturday night.

This conversation helped me articulate two things: one, the "good environmentalists vs. the evil polluters" framing I saw a lot of other places during the conference makes me deeply uncomfortable, and two, if the green economy is going to work it needs to be the whole economy, not a side industry.

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In Ohio, Youth Activists Rally For a Cause, Not a Candidate

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Posted on October 25, 2011
by Whit Jones, Campaign Director, Energy Action Coalition

This weekend, over 400 youth leaders from across the Midwest converged in Cleveland, Ohio to do some political organizing. Ohio is a critical swing state in the 2012 election, but these activists weren't coming to knock on doors for Mitt Romney or phone-bank for Barack Obama.

Instead, their mission was two-fold: continue to work together building the clean energy economy in the heartland, and two, stand up against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, a major setback and threat for the Midwest.

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Midwest Power Shift Hits the Streets With #OccupyCleveland!

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Posted on October 22, 2011
by Janina Klimas, Organizer, Ohio Student Environmental Coalition

Midwest Power Shift didn't waste any time taking action this weekend: as soon as keynotes wrapped up on our first night, folks hit the streets and rolled hundreds deep to #OccupyCleveland. At 10pm on Friday night, #OccupyCleveland's permit to occupy public square was set to expire, and a number of folks had planned to risk arrest in order to remain on the square. Hundreds of Midwest Power Shift participants arrived shortly before 10pm: bringing the noise, the passion, and the power that this conference is loaded with, and standing in solidarity with occupiers as police made arrests.

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Unveiling the Long - Anticipated Schedule

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Posted on October 20, 2011
by Patrick Kennedy, Communication Director, Midwest Power Shift

Hey everyone, we know you've been waiting with baited breath to see the schedule for quite sometime now, and at long last... HERE IT IS! So rejoice sisters and brothers, and we'll see you tomorrow night!

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Midwest Power Shift Takes on the Tar Sands

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Posted on October 14, 2011
by Ethan Nuss, Tar Sands Blockade

In one week, hundreds of young people are converging in Cleveland for Midwest Power Shift.

It’s our chance to come together and continue to build a movement around revitalizing the heartland with a clean energy economy.

And it’s our chance to join a growing nationwide movement to stop the most disastrous dirty energy project in the country: the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. That’s why we’re excited to announce that at Midwest Power Shift we will be hosting the largest tar sands action that the Midwest has seen yet.

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