In the first week following Eureka!, our focus shifted from fast-paced teaching and long days of socializing into more quiet and introspective reading days. As I read All We Can Save, I found myself feeling frustrated and pessimistic as I was reminded of the catastrophic state of our Earth. Though the beautiful prose and poetry tried to weave in inspiration, I couldn’t figure out how to reconcile the optimism with the reality that under our current capitalistic system, we as consumers can’t make enough individual changes to significantly reduce global warming. I had to pair my reading with self-care breaks to avoid throwing my entire day into a depression
When these thoughts kept slivering into my mind as I tried to go to bed, I remembered that I wasn’t alone. The burden of caring for our planet and all of its inhabitants is shared between me and all of the rest of the youth, including all of the Eurekans. I remembered the passion of these middle schoolers for queer rights and anti-racism, for respecting each other and the planet, and for a moment I was filled with an overwhelming amount of optimism. If this is the next generation of activists, then there might still be hope. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to help shape the mind of these campers in the same way this book has helped shape mine.