Via our colleagues at the Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing
Dear Friends and Allies,
We are living through a pivotal historical period full of exciting opportunities for social change as well as grave threats to democracy and human civilization itself. The Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) understands that working class young people – especially those that are racially and gender-oppressed – have a critical role to play in building the movements required to transform conditions for our communities and for society as a whole. But how can youth organizers level up to build the power so urgently needed in this moment?
To grapple with this question, FCYO is partnering with the Alliance for Educational Justice, Power U Center for Social Change, Dream Defenders, Youth United for Change, and Poder in Action to organize the Youth Power Lab. Launching in 2020, the Youth Power Lab will:
- Articulate a clear framework for the strategic role of youth organizing in building transformative social movements
- Develop assessments of the core strengths and growth edges of youth organizing and discuss key interventions that are needed to build greater power
- Launch shared experiments to test out new approaches to building power across multiple geographies, issues, and constituencies.
The Youth Power Lab will be made up of three distinct parts:
- Part 1 will consist of a series of virtual sessions and shared study to establish a common theoretical and analytical foundation.
- Part 2 will be an in-person gathering that will take place May 14-17, 2020 in Miami, FL. The in-person gathering will be an opportunity for participants to deepen relationships with one another and grapple with critical questions related to strategy, infrastructure, and cultural dynamics of our movements. All groups accepted into the Lab are expected to fully participate in Parts 1 & 2.
- Following the in-person gathering, groups will have the option to opt-in to Part 3 – which will consist of designing and launching shared experiments to test out new approaches to organizing and movement building.
We are accepting applications for the Youth Power Lab until December 20. Visit the lab website for more information on background, criteria and how to apply.
