1959 Highlander Way · New Market, TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org

Threads:
A Leadership and Organizing School

I know that I am not weaving my life's pattern alone. Only one end of the threads do I hold in my hands. The other ends go many ways linking my life with others. -- Septima Poinsette Clark

Visite esta página en español

In the spirit of the Highlander Research and Education Center's 75 years of supporting communities and organizations working for social change in Appalachia and the South, we are pleased to announce Threads: A Leadership and Organizing School focused on Economic, Environmental and Racial Justice.

The new school promotes and provides support for the efforts of community leaders and their organizations to strengthen the community through political education, leadership development, and grassroots organizing. We welcome applications from communities and organizations. We are hoping that participants represent both individual organizations and whole communities (constituents made up of members from various organizations).

We are looking for teams of 3-4 people from 8-10 communities. Because we see the importance of alliance work to build movements, we are prioritizing applications that come from 2 or more organizations working in a community or area. Multiracial and intergenerational teams will take priority which means that we welcome and encourage youth (14-18) and young adult leaders (18-35) to apply. We will have a multilingual space with English, Spanish and ASL. If you need translation/interpretation in another language let us know and we will try and accommodate you.

Threads is going to last a year and a half and will consist of the following components:

• 4 weekend workshops at the Highlander Center and 2 weekend workshops in local communities focused on political education, collective leadership and organizing skills
• Concrete plans and objectives for action
• Follow up and support from Highlander staff through calls and visits

The first workshop will take place May 2-4, 2008. The other two workshops for 2008 are planned for August 15-17 and October 10-12.

The school is an intensive program for newer leaders that requires a serious commitment on behalf of the organizations and its individual members. Since we put great emphasis on the development of collective leadership, it is necessary that each group participating send 3-4 people representing the organization or community who want to work together to create change.

The goals for Threads are:

• To strengthen grassroots community-based organizing
• To build multi-racial and multi-issue relationships and analysis among participants
• To increase capacity for intergenerational organizing
• To connect groups to each other to build a stronger broad based movement for collective liberation
• To support skills-building, collective leadership and democratic participation for long-term movement building

We will get there through:

Even though the cost of the school is $600 per person, Highlander will offer scholarships that will include housing, food, and childcare during workshops. We will have some support for transportation based on community needs and our funds. Any donations that would help in paying any of the costs will be appreciated, but no one's participation will be denied due to lack of funds.

The participants need to commit to:

1. Attend the six workshops
2. Along with the other participants of your group, promote economic, environmental and/or racial justice in your community
3. Be ready to work collectively with participants of different races, cultures, genders, ages, legal status, and sexual orientation

To apply for Threads, please fill out our online application forms below. Please submit one application per person, along with the group application.

• Individual Application
• Group Application

The topics of the workshops will depend on the needs of the participants, so it is very important that you answer all of the questions in the applications.

Organizations and communities interested in the Threads: Leadership and Organizing School need to send their applications no later than February 29, 2008. After receiving the applications, we will coordinate a phone interview and/or site visit with the potential participants, and we will select participants by March 28, 2008.

For more information please contact:

• Elandria Williams at (865)933-3443 x232 or elandria at highlandercenter.org
• Susan Williams at (865) 933-3443 x229 or swilliams at highlandercenter.org
• Mónica Hernández at (865) 933-3443 x228 or hernandez at highlandercenter.org

top of page