WASHINGTON: A student at University of California-Santa Barbara, Chrissy Elles from Napa, California, has been named the recipient of the Campus Progress award for Best Student Organizing of an Event. This past spring Elles spent her time organizing an Alternative Spring Break that brought students from across the state of California together to learn and become active about climate change. Elles will formally receive the award at Campus Progress' 2008 National Conference in Washington, DC on July 8.

The annual Campus Progress National Conference has become a central hub for organizing by young progressives. With record youth turnout in the 2008 primaries and with young people strongly oriented toward progressive views on the issues, this year's conference will address the goal of transforming youth voting into sustained youth power and positive change.

Speakers at the conference will include, as keynote speaker, former Senator John Edwards, plus Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling, US Representatives Linda Sànchez and Keith Ellison, civil rights leader Julian Bond, Robert "Biko" Baker of the League of Young Voters, and Maria Terésa Petersen of Voto Latino. The 2008 conference also will include performances by musician Ted Leo, rapper M1, and spoken word poet Paul Flores; and panels addressing environmental organizing, global human rights, U.S. civil rights, LGBT issues, hip hop and politics, and reproductive justice. Past keynote speakers at the Campus Progress conference were Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi.

Howard students Vanessa Rozier and Nick Owen are event planning all-stars. Their events are not only creative, informative, and entertaining, they are also packed with hundreds of students every time. Nick and Vanessa have planned multiple events with Campus Progress, but their "My Black is Beautiful" event was thought-provoking and extremely well-executed. The event featured panelists from different professions and backgrounds discussing color prejudices and biases within the African American community.

Through a video that addressed beauty standards in the African American community, a panel discussion, and an Q & A session, the audience had the opportunity to come up with new definitions of black beauty. Over 300 people showed up and nearly everyone stuck around after the event to meet the panelists and continue the discussion. Nick and Vanessa demonstrated the powerful role events can play in building a progressive movement and we would like to honor them today for all their hard work.

The Campus Progress National Conference is flanked by other events. On July 7, Campus Progress teams with the United States Students Association and Student PIRGs for a Grassroots Training Day. On the evening of July 7, Campus Progress and HBO present an advance screening of the new HBO Iraq war series "Generation Kill," from David Simon and Ed Burns, the team behind "The Wire."

On July 9, Campus Progress and The Nation magazine hold their annual Youth Journalism Conference, with speakers including Seymour Hersh, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and Asra Nomani. Also on July 9, Campus Progress Action, the partner advocacy organization of Campus Progress, teams with PIRGs and the Energy Action Coalition for Capitol Hill lobbying on economic issues and on climate change.