The antidote to hopelessness is not just action but community.

Those are the words of Jamie Margolin, the Colombian-American organizer and activist who in her first 18 years, founded the youth climate justice movement called Zero Hour, inspiring thousands to march in Youth Climate Marches across the nation during the summer of 2018. 

Inspiring change is a passion shared by the faculty and staff at Lone Star College-University Park, who understand that communal reading can be transformative when the shared ideas take root and grow.

That's why Margolin's book Youth To Power is the 2021-2022 campus read at Lone Star College-University Park this year. The author will be the college's guest on Tuesday, February 15, from  2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to hear from Margolin and stay for the book signing at no cost.

Margolin's visit is one of the highlights of the LSC-UP sponsored ReadUP, a campus program centered around a single book that strives to challenge students, staff, and faculty to think critically and engage in thoughtful discussion throughout the academic year. 

"ReadUP is only one example of a faculty-initiated program at LSC-UP that promotes the holistic development of our students," said LSC-UP President Dr. Shah Ardalan. "The ideas that Youth To Power will spark in our staff and students and the action they take on these ideas can galvanize community at a time when real changes are needed."

"It's very easy for young people to feel powerless in the face of major problems like the climate crisis, which is why this book is so important," said History Professor, Dr. Jamie Stoops, who is co-chairing the ReadUP committee along with Division Operations Manager Priscilla Arteaga, and  Communications Professor Sarah Whalen. "Jamie Margolin's work shows young people that they have a voice and that they can be forces for change." The ReadUP Committee comprises members across the campus community, including students, staff, faculty, and administrators.

Now in its fourth year, ReadUP has become a college tradition. Last year, the ReadUP selection was "Team Human," a manifesto by Douglas Rushkoff, who was named as one of the world's ten most influential intellectuals by MIT. 

Previous reads include "What the Eyes Don't See," a nonfiction account of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. The first ReadUP selection was "Educated: A Memoir" by New York Times bestselling author Dr. Tara Westover. Each author visited LSC-University Park to discuss their work and engage in open dialogue with students, employees, and the community.

ReadUP is a campus-driven initiative that celebrates critical thinking, introspection, and lifelong learning through the love of reading. It fosters collaboration and allows readers to have conversations and meet people they would not otherwise meet. The book will continue to be a part of academic instruction in multiple disciplines throughout the year and the focal point for campus events and discussions.  

The college sponsored an essay contest based on the "Youth to Power" in the fall, and there are other events surrounding the book this spring, including movie screenings and service projects. In April, an Art as Activism exhibition will showcase student work.

"Nationwide campus common reader programs, such as ReadUP, are aimed at binding students, staff, and faculty alike through cohesive experiences and intellectual discussions generated by one book," said LSC-UP Division Operations Manager Priscilla Arteaga.

For more information about ReadUP!, visit LoneStar.edu/UP-ReadUP. 

Established in 2012, Lone Star College-University Park has been recognized as one of the fastestgrowing and most innovative higher education institutions in the country. Under its founding president, Dr. Shah Ardalan, LSC-University Park is devoted to holistic and immersive education and training in disciplines and industries that meet current and future workforce needs. The college's facilities include the Center for Science & Innovation, the Energy & Manufacturing Institute, Learning Innovation Labs, and the Geology Rock Wall. For more information on how to enroll at LSC-University Park, visit LoneStar.edu/UPEnroll or call 281.290.2600.  

 Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 93,000+ students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow's workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of seven colleges, ten centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.