Online Training: ChangeMakers School - Video Lessons for Organizing Change
The ChangeMakers Organising School (CMOS) is a youth leadership and social justice training program that aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge necessary for community building and creating social change. The school, which ran from 2020-2021, was structured into progressive seasons or phases, each focusing on different aspects of organizing.
In Season One, the curriculum introduced participants to social justice, organizing basics, identity, and power. The season also delved into building powerful coalitions, understanding people power, and the principles of democracy. Season Two deepened skills in community organizing, campaign development, and leadership, while Season Three explored advanced organizing strategies, coalition building, and movement history.
Season Four focused on applying the learned skills in real-world campaigns, mentorship, and planning future actions, particularly emphasizing how small groups can make big changes. The school's curriculum included workshops, action projects, skill-building exercises, and reflective activities, all aimed at empowering youth and fostering social change.
Throughout the school, sessions covered a variety of topics, such as effective group work, running a good meeting, building strong, sustainable groups, and working with other groups. The school also addressed the importance of leadership, relationships, and campaign strategy and creative tactics.
One session, Session 2, focused on building powerful relationships, while Session 5 delved into leadership. Session 6 explored the building of strong, sustainable groups, and Session 7 covered campaign strategy and creative tactics. Session 8 addressed working with other groups, and Session 9 covered measuring success.
The ChangeMakers Organising School valued leadership development and explored concepts like power, action, organizations, narrative, relationships, and action as the bedrock for building a democratic public life. The training was designed to help participants reimagine their power while working on specific movements and campaigns.
The school had an open and agnostic approach to its content, although it was anchored in the practice of the Industrial Areas Foundation. Some slides and handouts from the school are available on the ChangeMakers website, and resources for getting started with organizing can be found in "Organising: Start Here."
For a more in-depth understanding of community organizing and its history, readers are encouraged to check out the article "So, What is Community Organising?". Another article, "What does it take to build people power?" discusses five strategies for creating powerful change.
The ChangeMakers Organising School aimed to strengthen leadership, knowledge, skills, and relationships among social movement members and organizational volunteers across Australia and its broader region. By equipping young people with the tools they need to create change, the school is helping to build a more just and equitable future.
- The ChangeMakers Organising School's Season Four emphasizes applying learned skills in real-world campaigns, mentorship, and planning future actions, focusing on how small groups can make big changes.
- The school's curriculum, which covered topics like effective group work, running a good meeting, and building strong, sustainable groups, aims to empower youth and foster social change.
- Session 2 of the school focused on building powerful relationships, while Session 5 delved into leadership, Session 6 explored the building of strong, sustainable groups, and Session 7 covered campaign strategy and creative tactics.
- The ChangeMakers Organising School values education-and-self-development, particularly personal-growth, and offers online-education resources for those interested in learning more about community organising and its history.
- By providing resources for getting started with organising and offering training programs like the ChangeMakers Organising School, changemakers can learn the necessary skills for activism, campaign planning, and community organising to create social change.
