Appalachian Community Organizers' Training

Save the Date: August 23th-25th

The Alliance for Appalachia is hosting a community organizing training at the end of the summer – and we’d like to invite new and emerging organizers from your organization to be a part of it! Please share this save the date and the information below with appropriate members.

What is The Alliance for Appalachia?

The Alliance for Appalachia is a coalition of 13 grassroots group and allies across the Appalachian region working to end mountaintop removal and other coal industry abuses and build a just and sustainable Appalachia.

Who is this training for?

This training is for anyone who is a new community organizer in Appalachia or who is interested in organizing in Appalachia in their community. By organizing, we mean a process of fostering relationships with nearby citizens to come together and work together to make change.

What will I learn?

• How to choose and frame an issue in your community
• How to identify decision makers, what we call, “Targeting and Power Mapping”
• How to recruit others and build your shared skills
• How to host an effective meeting
• How to share your story
• How to make a message and interact with the media
• How to choose and implement the tactics your group needs to win
• How to handle conflict in a group

Why is The Alliance for Appalachia Hosting this Training Now?

The history and tradition of organizing is deep in our mountains: Union struggles for safe working conditions and fair pay, victories for black lung benefits, school reform, wins to eliminate the broad form deed.

We know we must organize to make positive change in our communities. To organize, we know we must support organizers in developing the skills that will allow them to be effective in their work. In a stymied political climate and with low-income and environmental health concerns absent from the national conversation, we know building a strong local base on our key issues is timely, just and strategic. The Alliance for Appalachia will bring together organizers and aspiring organizers working from our member and ally groups for an organizers training this August.

How can I attend?

We encourage those that are interested in attending this training to apply here.

We have a limited number of slots available for this event and not all of those that apply will be able to attend. Scholarships are available.

For more information, contact Katey Lauer at [email protected] or 304-546-8473.