Each of the organizers focuses on outreach in their communities and their local universities. They work on the ground, face-to-face with concerned citizens; they discuss the effects population growth has on the world, both socially and environmentally, and humane ways to slow this detrimental growth. Activities they have done include film screenings, hosting guest speakers on campus, presenting at conferences, and tabling at farmers' markets.

In Texas, Bernadette Donahue has spoken with Austin's Mayor Will Wynn. Many of the organizers have held district constituent meetings. All organizers brought local activists to the Capitol Hill Days lobby training in Washington, DC in April and subsequently lobbied their representatives.

The organizers have also made the papers! They have received media coverage for events they have participated in, such as the Step It Up rally, and have published 44 (and counting!) opinion pieces in their local and statewide newspapers. These successes are paving the way for greater accomplishments. As the program grows in outreach by city, more cities will likely be added.

We are aggressively pursuing our goal of getting more college students involved in the issues that concern population, as our member base has tended in recent years to be a bit more 'seasoned'. College students have the energy and enthusiasm to approach activism in a different and often more innovative way, and have the staying power to influence changes in the future.

Please feel free to contact us at our Washington, DC office for more information about Making the Global Local, or email our organizers directly to learn how to become active in your community.

Mae Stevens, National Field Coordinator

Mae works with organizers all over America to educate and mobilize citizens around population issues. Prior to working with Population Connection, she was a Campus Organizer with the Public Interest Research Groups, and then did grassroots and campus outreach as a Community Organizer in Ann Arbor, MI with the Ecology Center, Michigan's largest environmental organization. Mae graduated from the George Washington University in 2003 with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Biology. Email Mae

Leslie Stoeckle (Santa Fe, NM)

Leslie Stoeckle is the Santa Fe field coordinator for Population Connection, bringing awareness to the Santa Fe community about the environmental and social issues caused by overpopulation. Previously, Leslie worked on an organic farm in Montana, served as an intern for a sustainability non-profit in Madison, WI, and volunteered with the Sierra Club. Leslie was drawn to Population Connection after spending time living in West Africa and traveling throughout South America. Reflecting on these experiences, she realized the need to address the problems she saw by concentrating on an overarching connection. As a field organizer, Leslie hopes to create a strong volunteer base and to build on the progressive and open-minded culture of Santa Fe. Email Leslie

Bernadette Donahue (Austin, TX)

Bernadette graduated with a Master's of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (MSIS) from the University of North Texas in December of 2005 with a focus on the integration of theory and practice in Environmental Studies. She worked with university administrators, students and staff on plans to introduce Permaculture on the university campus. As an undergraduate, she studied Applied Anthropology and minored in Women's Studies. She continues to be active in sustainability efforts, women's rights and environmental issues and enjoys networking with diverse organizations in the Austin region. Email Bernadette

Julia Fedor (Evanston, IL)

Julia is currently a student at Northwestern University and will be receiving her B.A. in Urban Studies and Sociology with a concentration in Global Health in June 2008. She is an executive board member of the Northwestern College Feminists, a progressive, pro-choice organization working to raise awareness around women's issues and promote gender equality on campus. She is also a writer for Juice!, a quarterly campus feminist publication, and a volunteer with Planned Parenthood Chicago. Previously, she worked as a public policy assistant at the National Organization for Women in Washington D.C. and a development intern at Pediatric AIDS Chicago. Her passions include reproductive justice, comprehensive sex education, and universal health care. Email Julia

Laura Martin (Cambridge, MA)

I co-founded and subsequently headed the Women's Health Initiative at Boston College. The group represents the issues of women that were previously unrecognized on campus, specifically women's reproductive rights and other women's health issues. WHI is the first specifically women's issues group at Boston College, although it has yet to be recognized by the administration because of Boston College's status as a Catholic university. I helped lead a support group at Boston College's Women's Resource Center to help freshman women with issues transitioning to college. I also had an internship in a psychiatric inpatient unit at Children's Hospital Boston where I helped adolescent and school-aged patients with various behavioral disorders and eating disorders using therapeutic recreational activities. Email Laura

Jada Williams (Ann Arbor, MI)

Jada's graduate degree in public health prepared her to develop, apply, and evaluate environmental health policies in public, private, and community settings. In order to examine the policy implications of contemporary scientific findings in public health, she chose to work with Operation Crossroads Africa for her masters thesis. Jada was stationed in Uganda and visited the Mgahinga National Gorilla Park, which sparked her interest in conservation biology, sustainable tourism, and environmental justice. She was able to witness the interaction between the local community, which gained economic growth and job stability from ecotourism establishment, and the subsequent flourish and protection of the endangered mountain gorillas. Jada's experience working as an epidemiologist has enabled her to explore various facets of public health which has supplied her with a well-rounded view of domestic and international issues. Email Jada

Danya Voelker (Minneapolis, MN) Email Danya

Karim Dimechkie (Boulder, CO) Email Karim

Kurt Geist (Portland, OR) Email Kurt

Vacant (Raleigh, NC) Email Raleigh

Vacant (Seattle, WA) Email Seattle

Vacant (San Diego, CA) Email San Diego

Vacant (Berkeley, CA) Email Berkeley