Learn more & signup for our Campus Campaign Bootcamp THIS SATURDAY, July 26 from 10AM-6PM at Greenpeace USA’s HQ in DC. Register now! 🢂
In this critical moment, when our campuses & communities are under attack, students have the opportunity to play a central role in the anti-authoritarian movement. We know that throughout history & around the world, students have been the vanguard of successful social justice movements for freedom and democracy.
In collaboration with youth-led organizations, we’re convening weekly training sessions (and an Organizing Kickoff on July 26) to hear from pro-democracy champions and learn how students can organize to protect our speech & rights on campus, and organize to create the thriving democracy our generation deserves.
In collaboration with youth-led organizations, we’re convening weekly training sessions (and an Organizing Kickoff on July 26) to hear from pro-democracy champions and learn how students can organize to protect our speech & rights on campus, and organize to create the thriving democracy our generation deserves.
June 17 — Meet & Greet and Textathon
To get to know each other & invite more students!
June 24 — What is the democracy movement?
How we got here, how the democracy movement is related and connected to other student movements, and envisioning our generation’s democracy of tomorrow. Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Transformative Justice Coalition
Dr. Karen McRae
Karen McRae is the president and CEO of the National Organization of Concerned Black Men (CBM) Inc. With decades of experience in leadership, strategy, and public service (past roles at Church World Service, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and ASALH), she has advised over 25 political campaigns and led a national network of senior Black business leaders.
Trainer, Generation Vote
Brendan Cushing
Brendan Cushing is the Managing Director of Generation Vote (GenVote). As one of the first GenVoters and founder of the GenVote @ Ualbany Team, Brendan has well-developed experience running state and local electoral and issue advocacy campaigns, recruiting, training, and managing volunteers, and designing multi-regional programs and direct actions.
Speaker, Public Citizen
Jonah Minkoff-Zern
Jonah is the Co-Director of Public Citizen's Democracy Campaign and has organized nationwide mobilizations to challenge ongoing threats to democracy from former President Donald Trump and his allies; coordinated grassroots activities to pass federal voting rights and democracy reforms; and mobilized national action for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
July 1 — How have students organized under autocracy?
Lessons from student democracy movements around the world and at home through history & applying them to our campus campaigns for the fall. Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Congressman
Jamie Raskin
Congressman Jamie Raskin is a U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 8th District since 2017 and former constitutional law professor. He served as the impeachment manager for Trump’s second trial and member of the January 6 Committee. He is a leader focused on democracy, civil rights, and constitutional law.
Trainer, Fmr. USAID
Ro Tucci
Rosarie Tucci served at the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Institute of Peace for over 15 years. She most recently was the Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) of USAID’s Conflict, Prevention, and Stabilization Bureau, and before that was the Acting DAA and Director of the Center for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She led efforts to modernize democracy assistance on issues such as information integrity, digital democracy, election integrity, media viability, and people powered movements.
Trainer, KP Global Consulting
Kourtney Pompi
Kourtney Pompi is an international development expert with over 25 years of experience across 50 countries, specializing in civic engagement, human rights, and democratic governance. Previously Senior Director at Counterpart International, she has led programs in advocacy, election monitoring, community organizing, and inclusion of vulnerable populations, working with numerous global organizations and institutions.
July 8 — What are Firewalls for Freedom & how can we use them to protect our rights on campus?
How we advocate to stop campus Administrations from complying/caving and support colleges that protect our rights & speech (using the ACLU/Amnesty’s campus Firewalls for Freedom). Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Common Cause
Virginia Kase Solomón
Virginia Kase Solomón is a nationally recognized leader who has dedicated her career to fighting for social justice and civil rights. As President and CEO of Common Cause, Virginia leverages her 30 years of experience in advocacy, organizing, and policy to deliver pro-democracy wins at every level of government. She is the organization’s tenth president, fourth woman, and first Hispanic person to lead in the permanent role.
Trainer, Amnesty USA
Dr. Tarah Demant
Tarah Demant is the National Director of Programs at Amnesty International USA, where she leads a team engaged with the United States and global governments to advance human rights at home and abroad; she also leads the organization’s work on authoritarian practices. She brings over twenty years of experience in human rights work, with an emphasis on global gender issues. She holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.
July 15 — How do we set our campus campaigns up for success? (Envisioning goals)
Taking our big-picture goals and applying them to campus organizing. Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Friends Of Earth
Erich Pica
Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica is a nationally recognized environmental and progressive leader. For more than a decade, Erich has worked to reform U.S. tax and budget policy to reduce pollution and increase clean energy. His core belief that the solution to climate change rests at the intersection of justice and the environment has developed Friends of the Earth’s strategy to include racial justice and just transition in its work, with particular focus on indigenous and grassroots advocacy.
Trainer,
Miles Townes
...
July 22 — Campus Campaign Planning III (Outreach Planning)
Building organizing capacity on campus, how to build to a kickoff event, how to mobilize students not already in campus organizing spaces, and retaining students already involved. Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Congresswoman
Pramila Jayapal
In Congress, Representative Jayapal has been a leader on immigration, including fighting the Trump Administration’s inhumane policies of separating children from their parents and crafting legislation to create a fair and humane immigration system. She has also championed legislation to address income inequality, such as the $15 minimum wage and expanded collective bargaining rights for workers.
July 26 — Day-Long Organizing Kickoff
Join us for this day-long opportunity to learn the mechanics of campus organizing at workshops and have time with other students to solidify our campus campaign plans to resist autocracy on our campuses this fall. Lunch & snacks included! More info:
July 29 — How to build a strategic campus democracy campaign
Identifying points of influence on campus, figuring out campaign roles, and building a timeline for advocacy & organizing. Speakers & trainers:
Speaker, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Maya Wiley
Maya D. Wiley (born January 2, 1964) is an American lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist. She has served as president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights since May 2022. Wiley served as counsel to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. She chaired the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) from 2016 to 2017. Wiley is the senior vice president for social justice at The New School and a professor at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment.
August 5 — How do we escalate under autocracy?
Strategies to win protections and protect our campuses & communities. Speakers & trainers:
August (Virtual) — Community Support & Action Teams
How to structure long-lasting campaigns, create support networks between campus & community, and safely organize while being joy-centered. Speakers & trainers:
No matter what issue drives students (free speech, climate, individual rights, healthcare) this training will show how these issues intersect with the struggle for our democracy and how we have to bring students together—across class, culture, and ideology—to meet the moment.
In the face of advancing autocracy, the training series & fall organizing will unify pro-democracy students in campuses across the country to resist Project 2025 and demand the just & inclusive democracy we deserve.
In the face of advancing autocracy, the training series & fall organizing will unify pro-democracy students in campuses across the country to resist Project 2025 and demand the just & inclusive democracy we deserve.
American Constitution Society • Bulletproof Pride • Common Cause • Indivisible NOVA • Institute for Policy Studies • J Street • Generation Up • Bulletproof Pride • Generation Common Good • Labor Council for Latin American Advancement • National Black Justice Collective • National Organization for Women • National Women’s Law Center • Public Citizen • RepresentUS • Students Engaged (SEAT) • Task Force For Democracy • Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice • Voters of Tomorrow • Voto Latino • The Workers Circle
View all Democracy in Action partners here. Student & nonprofit pro-democracy organizations: apply to partner here.