Our Movement Needs You Now
MOVEMENT SCHOOL CAMPUS: DETROIT
Detroit Regional Campus will build off the digital infrastructure, learning methodologies, and national partner & mentor network of Movement School and Detroit Action’s strong and inclusive community power building model. It will include six online intensive training sessions with simulation-based assignments, led by experienced organizers, on a range of key 2022 best practices. This program is completely free.
Deadline to apply is May 13th.
Key dates:
-
May 13 - deadline to apply
-
May 24 at 6pm - in-person welcome orientation in Detroit!
-
Week of May 31 - classes begin
Certificate Courses
Each certificate includes 6 training sessions (1 session per week for 6 six weeks) with simulation-based assignments, led by experienced organizers, on a range of best practices.
Community Practice
The Campus will foster a community of practice to share and build with organizers across the city and meet the needs of the movement in 2022 and 2023.
OUR COURSES
Wedge Issues: How the Right and Center Fracture Coalitions for Progressive Change
Experience Level: 201
Class Time: Tuesday & Thursday 7-9p ET
(only last 3 weeks)
Antisemitism is real, and it’s central to the white Christian nationalist politics animating the GOP. However, too many progressives are discouraged from joining the fight against antisemitism because of bad-faith accusations linked to their support for Palestinians – accusations disproportionately aimed at Black and Muslim leaders. Progressives can refuse the false choice between support for Jewish and Palestinian safety and freedom. You’ll learn the analysis, language, and organizing tactics needed to take on the fight against antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism as part of the broader fight for racial and economic justice.
Relational Organizing: Tactics, Tools, and Targeting
Experience Level: 201
Class Time: Thursdays 7-9p ET
As the most recent federal, statewide, and local elections have shown us, engagement with minority communities is critical for shaping policy, recruiting volunteers, and ultimately winning votes. In this course, we will cover the fundamentals of relational organizing. We will use traditional organizing methods, but add specific tactics to maximize engagement with all voters. For example, have you wondered why some communities typically vote as a block? We’ll discuss this and many other topics throughout this course, and will together identify the strategies campaigns should include in their traditional organizing programs.
Get Out the Vote!
Experience Level: 101
Class Time: Wednesdays 7-9p ET
One of the biggest mistakes first time campaigners make is confusing supporters for voters. In this course, you will learn which tools and tactics are the most effective in transforming a supporter into an actual voter. From creating an accurate GOTV universe to planning out the flow of your office to maximize volunteer efficiency, this course will take you through all of the basics of how to set up and run a winning GOTV campaign.
Beyond the Bullhorn: How to Use Effective Communications to Amplify Your Work
Experience Level: 201
Class Time: Wednesdays 6-8p ET
Whether you are working to get a candidate elected or working on an issue campaign, having an effective communications plan is key. In this course, participants will learn how to create a narrative that reaches people across communities, how to build relationships with members of the media and use media for the tool that it is, and best practices for creating digital media in-house! This is an intermediate course that will go over the basics and dive deeper into communications and media. By the end of the course, participants will know how to write a full communications plan and know how to deploy tactics within it.
Funding the Movement: A Grassroots Lens into Campaign Fundraising
Experience Level: 101
Class Time: Tuesdays 7-9p ET
In this course we will learn how to inject people-centered values into how to power a campaign. From managing call time, to making the hard ask, to setting up both virtual and in-person fundraisers, to successfully meeting your fundraising goals. By the end of the course, you will be equipped with tools needed to fund a campaign in a meaningful way, so that you can focus on what you are set out to do: represent the people and fight for the issues that matter most.
Twitter and TikTok and Reddit, oh my! Social Media Management for Progressives
Experience Level: 101
Class Time: Mondays 7-9p ET
(starting June 6, ending June 11, plus makeup class for July 4th holiday)
This course will cover everything from meme culture to digital ad programs and give students the knowledge and tools they need to effectively manage the online presence of a campaign or organization. With lessons about social media best practices, tips for creating engaging visual content, and the basics of paid digital media, this class is a must-take for any progressive interested in pursuing digital and social media roles.