Focus Roots Fellowship 2009

Sports

Art / Culture
Jeremy SmithSpearfish Bike Cooperative and Community Workspace
- Jeremy Smith
 
This project will establish a bike cooperative in the small town of Spearfish, South Dakota—directly east of one of the largest coal and natural gas producing regions in the country. In a town that is only 6.1 square miles and powered almost entirely by coal, Smith will create a community hub for its 8,000 residents centered on the sport of bicycling as a clean energy solution in small town, coal-dependant America. The program will develop and encourage bicycles as an effective and clean mode of transport, while at the same time serve as an educational community resource for alternative energy for low-income residents in the area. The cooperative will also host a 600-watt demonstration solar system to power the facility.
 
“By launching this bike co-op in Spearfish we will be able to provide a space for the community to connect and learn both about bikes and other choices to power their lives with clean solutions,” -- Jeremy Smith.

 

 Amanda Hass and Erin CoffeyRe-Think Dine Power - Erin Coffey & Amanda Hass
 
This program will provide organizing support, resources, and training for the young Navajo leaders in NW New Mexico currently fighting the construction of the Desert Rock Coal Plant on Navajo land. Amanda and Erin will work directly with Elouise Brown, President of the indigenous group Dooda Desert Rock (Dooda means “absolutely no!” in Dine, the local Navajo language) to use organizing and indigenous art and heritage to building the public will to stop construction of the proposed coal plant, and bring green job opportunities to the region.
 
"In order to see real change in the way we use our environment, work can't strictly be done on a top-centric, legislative level, but must engage and empower all communities to make this shift,” -- Amanda Hass when speaking on the importance of working with Elouise Brown in Navajo Nation.

"Our planet is currently facing some the greatest problems it has ever faced, at this point we need bold actions and innovative solutions to transcend not only clean, renewable energy into our power grids, but awaken and empower the sustainable human energy that lays within each community."-- Erin Coffey
 
“Mother Earth is full of dreamers, but there aren't enough who will move forward and initiate to take substantial steps to actualize their vision. I'm very excited and looking forward to working with Focus the Nation,” -- Elouise Brown.
 
 
Spearfish Bike Coop
  		 
ReThink Dine Power
 
For interviews with Erin, Amanda and Jeremy please call Trell Thomasl at (803) 586-1071 or send him an email.