Want people to care about the issues? Don’t give them a lecture, give them a show.
That’s the idea behind Late Night for the Planet, a student-run live event series at SUNY Plattsburgh that blends performance, politics, and community. Held in a local bar, it’s part variety show, part civic forum. It’s a space where music, games, and unscripted conversation bring students and community members together to engage with each other and the issues.
And it’s working. After 40 episodes, surveys show something is happening: people are meeting, talking, and engaging—many for the first time. For the students behind the show, that’s what building community looks like.
Part of Purpose Full Art, a Mountain Lake PBS project exploring the intersection of creativity and civic life.