Certificates and Community Learning

Building Local Power

Friday September 20, 2024

8:00 AM-1:00 PM (CT)
Online via Zoom

This module is an opportunity to take a deep dive into the foundations of faith-based community organizing. Through this opportunity you will learn about an interfaith organizing model that prioritizes the grass-roots in decision making, approaches community problems from a local perspective, builds relational power with diverse groups of people through one-one meetings at the kitchen table, and brings together 1,000-2,000 people for direct action public assemblies. In this training we invite you to engage in meaningful conversations about our spiritual traditions' deep roots in justice theologies and practice. Through this training we aspire for you to walk away with the practical skills you need to engage your own local community in a fight for justice.

Instructors:

Shanae' Calhoun is a community organizer, elder of her local church, wife to Michael Calhoun, and mother to their three teenage and young adult girls. She started her career as a congregation-based community organizer with four years as an Associate community organizer at FAITH in Daytona Beach, FL where they challenged the local hospital to hire a full time physician for indigent care patients. Then she spent almost 10 years (from 2013 to 2022) as the Executive Director and Lead community organizer of Topeka JUMP in Topeka, KS where they challenged the city council and county commission by regularly turning out roughly 1000 people to direct actions to shift the public agenda and prioritize affordable housing, mental health, and rides to work. Today she is a consultant and coach to organizers on the ground fighting for justice. Shanae’ remains committed to local communities building power for justice because it is her deepest expression for living the gospel out loud.

Melissa Pluss is an Iliff Seminary graduate and mother of two. She serves on the board of directors Colorado Circles for Change, a non-profit organization that focuses on restorative justice, rights of passage, and cultural liberation for youth of color. She has been the Assistant Recruitment Director for The DART Center for 2 years where she spreads the gospel of faith based community organizing and brings people into meaningful career opportunities. Prior to that she was the Organizing Director for United for A New Economy in Denver where she fought for renters rights and rent stabilization in Colorado. Melissa also spent three years as an associate community organizer at DART’s affiliate in Louisville KY where she discovered her lifelong calling to faith based community organizing and had the opportunity to fight for affordable housing and restorative justice.

Price: $275.00
Buy 2 or more for $175.00 each Buy 3 or more for $150.00 each Buy 4 or more for $125.00 each Buy 5 or more for $110.00 each
Quantity:

Return to previous page

Building Local Power

Related Courses

Certificate for Organizing and Social Transformation

The Power of Intergenerational Organizing