UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m., Penn State's Sustainability Institute and WPSU will co-present a free virtual screening of "Youth Unstoppable," a film exploring global leadership by youth on climate advocacy. The film is open to all campuses — students, faculty, staff and the public — and is the final screening in the year-long "How We Respond" series that explores different ways people have responded to sustainability challenges.
Slater Jewell-Kemker's "Youth Unstoppable" is a first-person account, filmed over more than a decade, of her growth from a child delegate at global climate conferences into a journalist and activist at these conferences, protesting the lack of urgency and action by global leaders on climate change. Viewers experience Jewell-Kemker's emotional roller coaster as she alternates between hope, cynicism, determination and despair in confronting this existential crisis and the inability of leaders to exert the political will to address it. Ultimately, the film shows the resolve of this current generation of youth leaders to take matters into their own hands and address the climate challenge.
"In a year when Penn State's students have taken a leading role in pressing for global action and for changes here at Penn State, this film is the perfect finale to our film series exploring the ways in which people respond to sustainability challenges," said Peter Boger, assistant director for community engagement at the Sustainability Institute and co-creator of the film series. "We hope it inspires the next generation of Penn State leaders to see how they can take the lead in responding to not only climate change but the many issues of sustainability facing our planet."
The film screening is free and open to all. However, pre-registration is required here. Contact Boger with any questions at pgb45@psu.edu.
The "How We Respond" film series is part of the Sustainability Institute's "Intersections" film program, which highlights the intersecting United Nations 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that Penn State uses to frame its approach to sustainability. Each film series has explored a different theme with the SDGs and provides opportunities to watch films, participate in post-film discussions with experts and get engaged with these issues through opportunities at Penn State and around Pennsylvania. A new film series in this program will start in fall 2021.