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As we prepare to return to campus this fall, we need to solidify plans to resist attacks from Trump’s autocracy on our rights & freedom to organize!
This planning retreat builds on the Tuesday trainings & is an opportunity for students (both brand-new & trained student leaders) to do in-depth planning & outreach to build momentum before the fall. You will walk away with tailored campaign plans, skills to build capacity & bridge across divides on campus, and a list of campus allies they reached out to so they can jump into action when the semester begins.
During the day, you’ll hear from democracy champions and enjoy lunch, snacks & community! New students are welcome! If you missed or couldn't attend past Tuesday Democracy in Action trainings, we’ll have a morning workshop to bring you up to speed on content!
This planning retreat builds on the Tuesday trainings & is an opportunity for students (both brand-new & trained student leaders) to do in-depth planning & outreach to build momentum before the fall. You will walk away with tailored campaign plans, skills to build capacity & bridge across divides on campus, and a list of campus allies they reached out to so they can jump into action when the semester begins.
During the day, you’ll hear from democracy champions and enjoy lunch, snacks & community! New students are welcome! If you missed or couldn't attend past Tuesday Democracy in Action trainings, we’ll have a morning workshop to bring you up to speed on content!
Info for the Organizing Kickoff:
- WHEN: July 26th 10AM-6PM
- WHERE: Greenpeace USA’s HQ – 1300 I St NW (Franklin Park, DC)
- FOR: New students looking to organize anti-authoritarian campaigns on campus AND students already attending Democracy in Action trainings to resist Trump’s attacks.
Democracy in Action
BOOTCAMP PROGRAM
10AM-10:15AM: Welcome and Kickoff
Setting intentions, space, and goals for the day with Folabi Olagbaju of Greenpeace USA and Kaden Ouimet!
Speaker, Greenpeace USA
Folabi Olagbaju
,,,
10:15 AM-11:50 AM: Campus Campaign Planning and Foundations
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:
Campaign Planning
Returning Students
Deepen your campus campaign planning through coalition-building and power mapping.
Outreach and Coalition-Building training
Begin building/refining fall campus strategy
Training
New Students
Overview of Campus Democracy Organizing and Key tools for the fall:
Democracy 101
Organizing under autocracy
Firewalls for Freedom
Campus Goal-Setting
12:00PM-1:00PM: Speakers and Lunch
Time to connect with other students, learn from speakers, and eat. Speakers:
Speaker, CEO of LULAC
Juan Proaño
Juan Proaño is an entrepreneur, technologist, and business leader who is active in civic affairs, social impact, and politics He has served as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since November 2023. As LULAC’s CEO, Juan oversees the day-to-day operations at LULAC, identifies strategic growth areas, and works to amplify the organization’s advocacy initiatives and action-oriented programs.
1:00PM-2:20PM: Recruitment Training
Campaign Planning
Training on recruitment strategy and targeted outreach planning to meet fall campaign goals.
Working backwards from your campaign goals, we will work to set clear recruitment targets, looking at questions like: What makes students care? How do we build a base that lasts? What campaign plan are you presenting?
2:30PM-3:20PM Training Bloc 1
Students will split into tracks based on their campus needs. Tentative sessions include:
1. Creative Fundraising
Alternate ways to fundraise for campus campaigns OR what students want to be trained on from 7/15 training
2. Bridging Across Divides
James Bowey
3:20PM-3:40PM: Solidarity Sing
3:40PM-4:30PM: Training Bloc 2
Workshops on campus organizing & time to continue building our campus campaign plans to resist autocracy on our campuses this fall.
1. Social Media in Organizing
Tools for organizing, mobilizing, and storytelling
2. Practicing difficult conversations
How to stay focused when tensions rise, focusing on Love centered organizing despite disagreements
4:30PM-5:30PM: Strategy Share-Outs & Collective Reflection
This is a space to get feedback and learn across schools to build momentum for the Fall.
Campus teams will presents their Admin response level & how they’re adapting, speaking to the campus plans they have been creating
5:30PM-6PM: Closing Speakers & Next Steps
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.