Several years ago, a young Swedish girl stepped onto the international scene. Greta Thunberg organized a weekly student strike to fight so-called climate change and urge the Swedish government to adopt pro-green policies. Thunberg was soon seen as the face of the new active and youthful environmentalist movement.
However, in the subsequent years, it became clear that Thunberg’s climate activism wasn’t benign. It was aggressive and deeply rooted in the politics of the extreme left.
Thunberg’s ideas (or those of the people behind her) have been described as “technocratic ecocentrism.” Rather than encouraging responsible stewardship of the Earth, she demanded government control to enforce her vision. She cozied up to the leftist leaders at the United Nation and tried to spread her hysterical anti-human worldview to other susceptible young people.
More than that, she began to use her platform to push other extremist leftist views. She attacked private businesses. She parroted antisemitic talking points. She rallied against President Trump.
This story isn’t really about Greta Thunberg so much as it is an example of how environmentalism is a gateway drug to—and frequently a cover for—leftist extremism. Extremism that is forced on our young people through the media and on their college campuses.
That’s where CFACT’s Collegians Program comes in. We empower college students with the knowledge and courage to stand up for free markets, private property rights, and responsible environmental stewardship. These students must be equipped with the tools they need to counter the far-left voices—like Thunberg’s—that dominate the media and influence public policy.
One of our most powerful tools in this effort is CFACT’s Annual Eco-Summit.
This conference gathers passionate young leaders from across the country to hear from conservative leaders, attend fact-based workshops on environmental issues, and develop the skills necessary to effectively communicate in an ideologically biased academic environment. This year’s Eco-Summit, to be held at the Woodloch Resort in the Poconos from May 30 to June 2, will be our most important one yet.
The Eco-Summit is an incredible opportunity to train the next generation of leaders, ensuring they return to their campuses and communities fully equipped to confront radical environmentalists and climate alarmists. If we want to safeguard our young people from indoctrination and protect America’s freedom and prosperity, we must invest in them now.
We hope you will consider supporting this essential work of the Eco-Summit. Together, we can challenge the environmentalist left and show young Americans that they can care for the planet while preserving the freedoms and opportunities that make our country great.
Empowering Students to Fight Environmental Extremism
America’s college campuses are ground zero for radical environmental indoctrination. Students are bombarded with leftist talking points, taught that free markets are evil, and pressured to accept extreme leftist policies that prioritize government control over real solutions.
CFACT’s Annual Eco-Summit is a powerful antidote. Over the course of four days, conservative and libertarian students from across the country come together to learn, connect, and prepare to take action. Through expert-led workshops, engaging discussions, and hands-on activism training, students gain the knowledge and confidence they need to challenge radical environmentalism and promote a real vision of liberty, prosperity, and responsible stewardship of the Earth.
At the Eco-Summit, students don’t just learn about policy—they become the next generation of leaders who will reshape the debate on their campuses and beyond.
A Powerful and Unique Educational Experience
The Eco-Summit stands out from typical student leadership conferences by combining education, activism training, and hands-on experiences in a unique, immersive environment. The conference provides students with a deep-dive into critical issues facing our country. We offer:
- Live Expert Lectures: Students hear from leading experts and policy leaders on topics like energy production, the real science on climate issues, conservation, and free-market environmental solutions. These sessions include discussions and Q&A opportunities, ensuring students leave with a deep understanding of key issues.
- Interactive Workshops: Participants engage in breakout sessions focused on practical activism skills—how to organize and recruit on campus, effectively communicate their message through media, and counter the green narrative dominating their universities.
- Networking and Friendships: The Eco-Summit fosters a strong sense of community, connecting like-minded students from across the country who are passionate about freedom, prosperity, and sound environmental policy.
At the heart of CFACT’s mission is the belief that students don’t have to choose between prosperity and environmental responsibility—both are achievable through liberty and sound policy. Our Eco-Summit reinforces these core values:
- Free Markets: The engine of innovation and economic prosperity.
- Private Property Rights: The foundation of responsible environmental stewardship.
- Environmental Responsibility: Real environmental stewardship and conservation through smart, market-based solutions—not heavy-handed government regulation.
The Eco-Adventure: Learning Through Action
A key feature that sets the Eco-Summit apart is the Eco-Adventure—a hands-on experience that allows students to engage with real-world conservation efforts. Past Eco-Adventures have included:
- Canoe trips and swamp tours to explore ecosystems firsthand.
- Eco-projects such as building community gardens, water collection systems, and even installing solar panels in remote areas.
- Service projects, like a mission to Mexico where CFACT students installed solar panels to power laptops for impoverished communities and led a massive cleanup effort to serve the local people.
These experiences reinforce the message that conservation and prosperity go hand-in-hand. This paints a stark contrast to the left’s aggressive narrative that mankind, our communities, our businesses, our success must be sacrificed for the sake of left-wing environmental goals.
A Fully Funded Opportunity for Students
One of the key strengths of the Eco-Summit is that it is fully funded for student participants. Travel, lodging, and meals are all covered, ensuring that passionate young leaders from all backgrounds can attend without financial barriers. This allows CFACT to recruit the best and brightest young conservative and libertarian activists, regardless of their financial situation, and provide them with an experience that will shape their future involvement in the movement.
What Students Are Saying
The impact of the Eco-Summit is best captured in the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand:
“I’m very excited to take back what I learned to campus.”
— Maggie Anders, University of Louisiana, Lafayette
“One of my favorite topics was about how hunting actually helps conservation when the media makes it seem like hunting is always bad.”
— David Bucarey, George Mason University
“I loved hearing about how fighting climate alarmism fits into the goal of uplifting the poor. This is a message I can take back to my campus.”
— Maya Maley, Azusa Pacific University
“This was one of the most informative and engaging conferences I’ve ever been to. The global warming narrative is all about government control—it reminds me of The Road to Serfdom by Hayek.”
— Marcus Swentkofske, Spring Hill College
“This is the best conservative student conference I’ve been to—and I’ve been to a lot of them!”
— Vivianne Gonzalez, University of New Mexico
“My time at the Eco-Summit will be cherished always!”
— Paola Vargas, University of Louisiana, Lafayette “I enjoyed getting to hear the other side of the climate debate from experts in the field. It seems like only the alarmist side is told to us at our university.”
— Adam Olivier, Texas A&M
CFACT Collegians: Inspiring the Next Generation
CFACT’s Collegians Program exists to reach students where they are, equip them with the truth, and empower them to stand for freedom, prosperity, and responsible environmental stewardship. Through expert speakers, campus activism, leadership training, and real-world policy engagement, we ensure that young leaders are not only informed but ready to take action.
Key to this effort is the Eco-Summit, equipping young activists with the tools they need to challenge radical environmentalism and make a real impact on their campuses and beyond.
But the impact of the summit extends far beyond those four days. What students learn at the conference fuels a year of activism, sharpening their ability to challenge the environmentalist left’s dominance on campus.
Through our Collegians Program, we bring top experts directly to universities, challenging the one-sided narratives students are fed in the classroom. For example, CFACT’s Marc Morano recently spoke to a packed house at San Diego University, exposing the radical climate agenda. One student, amazed by the experience, shared, “It was intriguing to hear him challenge and elaborate on many key points about climate change that we’ve been taught all semester.”
CFACT’s Gabriella Hoffman regularly makes the conservative case for conservation on tour, speaking at universities from Florida State to Boston University. Through these events, students see firsthand that there is another side to the debate—one rooted in sound science and economic liberty.
Beyond campus events, CFACT Collegians are actively engaged in real policy battles, making their voices heard at the state and national level. Students have testified at legislative hearings, fought against harmful EPA regulations, and submitted public comments on major environmental policies.
One CFACT Collegian, University of Houston student Gadai Bulgac, challenged a federal proposal to standardize electric vehicle chargers, proving that young people aren’t just learning about free-market environmentalism—they are fighting for it.
At a time when universities are growing more politically extreme, our Collegians Program is more critical than ever. We are determined to expand our reach, train more students, and strengthen our efforts to push back against radical environmentalism. With increased support, we can bring more expert speakers to campuses, grow the Eco-Summit, and provide students with the tools they need to lead the fight for freedom, prosperity, and responsible stewardship.
Thank You and Request
At a time when radical environmentalism dominates academia, CFACT’s Eco-Summit has never been more critical. If we fail to equip young leaders with the right facts, training, and support, we risk allowing the next generation to be swept away by the left’s dangerous climate agenda.
The 2025 Eco-Summit will be held at Woodloch Resort in the Poconos, PA, from May 30 to June 2. This is our biggest opportunity yet to train young leaders, build a network of free-market activists, and push back against the false narratives dominating American media, universities, and institutions.
If we want to protect America’s future, we must invest in the young leaders who will carry the torch of freedom, prosperity, and responsible environmental stewardship.
We invite you to join us in supporting this vital program with a gift today. With your help, we can ensure that our young leaders are prepared to fight back—and win.
