Organizing

Why Organizing?

We recognize a significant gap in communication between youth, parents, educators, activists, and policy makers. With poor communication also comes little coherent action.

Community organizing is a time-tested model that we think can be well utilized, along with digital organizing, to generate a powerful catalytic effect in the lives of folks most directly experiencing challenges and wanting change.

We group our organizers into teams based on focus and geography. Each of seven teams focuses on the people we count on to make change. Three additional teams focus on plac

The Goals of IDEA Organizing

• Make the critical connections, online and in person, between young people, educators, parents and families, community organizers, school leaders, networks and organizations, policy makers, and media.
• Strengthen existing efforts through networking and collaboration.
• Grow the capacity of people to reclaim the “public” in public education.
• Tell the stories and showcase examples of democratic education in action.
• Support people and organizations to take strategic, collaborative, and courageous action.

Organizing Teams

National Teams

Each national organizing team focuses on supporting a key boundary partner (the people we count on to make change) by connecting with people, networks, communities, and organizations across the country.

• Young People
• Parents and Families
• Teachers and People who Work with Youth
• Schools and School Leaders
• Community, Networks, and Organizations
• Other Actors that Influence Schools
• Media

Place-Based Organizing Teams

Each place-based team organizes strategically across boundary partners to build relationships and showcase powerful examples of democratic education to influence local and state-wide education conversation, policy and practice.

• Oregon
• New York City / Northern New Jersey
• Puerto Rico
• Vermont
• Minnesota
• Boston

Additional Organizing Teams:

• Digital Organizing - weaving across each of the organizing teams and making sure that powerful stories are shared.
• IDEC 2013 (International Democratic Education Conference) - design a learning space for IDEC 2013 that makes the most of the opportunity to convene people across the U.S. with international youth leaders, educators, and organizers.