Exeter, NH (April 10, 2007)—Students at Phillips Exeter Academy and partners from the Exeter community will host the first Step It Up rally on Saturday, April 14, from 12:30-3:30 p.m., at Swasey Parkway. A rain location will be at the old Exeter High School gymnasium on Linden Street. The event is free and open to the public.

The rally will be held in honor of National Day of Climate Action, part of Step It Up 2007, a nationwide movement to urge Congress to pass progressive climate change legislation. Step It Up was started by Bill McKibben—an environmentalist and writer—who, in 2006, led what was believed to be the largest demonstration to date in America, a five-day walk across Vermont to demand action on global warming. The Step It Up rally in Exeter will be one of over 1,300 events held in American cities demanding legislative action. 

The event will include guest appearances by: Senator Maggie Hassan, who will address the audience on issues of global warming; Jim Merkel, the author of Radical Simplicity and sustainability coordinator at Dartmouth College, who will speak about ecological footprinting and how individuals can change everyday behavior to impact global warming; and members of PEA’s Student Environmental Action Committee will talk about the experience of building awareness of ecological issues, and how students can make an effective difference on the environment. The Blue Ribbon Boys and Julia Gottlieb, a Country-Western swing band; and PEAZZ, PEA’s student jazz band will perform. Children’s activities include face painting, sing-a-longs and games. 

PEA Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Wilhelm sees the rally as an opportunity for everyone, especially students, to learn. “This is an important opportunity for students to get involved and learn more about grassroots activism while they’re also learning about global warming,” she says. “I am excited about this rally and what it means for the students and the Exeter community.”

Participating community partners will be on hand with exhibits, displays and company/organization information. Partners include: The Green Sanctuary Task Force, from The First Unitarian Society of Exeter, PEA Sustainable Dining Project, Sunweaver, Blue Moon Market, Panacea Massage Therapy, Clean Air-Cool Planet, New Hampshire Carbon Coalition, Clean Air Lawn Care, Dawn Solar, Exeter Bookstore, Priorities New Hampshire, Real Green Goods, Maine Root, Simply Green Biofuels Co.

Sunweaver will provide electricity for the rally through solar panels, which will be on display.           
                                                                       
For more information about Step It Up and the rally in Exeter, visit http://www.exeter.edu/comm/866_6247.aspx or contact PEA Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Wilhelm at (603) 777-3765 or jwilhelm@exeter.edu. A complete list of upcoming events is available on the Phillips Exeter Academy public events line at (603) 777-4309, and on our website at http://www.exeter.edu/news_and_events/news_events.aspx. For directions to Phillips Exeter Academy, call (603) 777-4330.

Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory school that was founded in 1781 and originated the system of instruction known as Harkness teaching in 1931. In the spirit of its charter to foster both goodness and knowledge, students come from a wide variety of geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. The diverse student body comes from approximately 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 26 foreign countries.