Think Strategy: Tools for Effective Student Organizing

An old Japanese proverb warns, “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” Too often student groups fail to align their vision for a better world with action for a better world. What we need is a strategy. This workshop is intended for beginner to intermediate student organizers and seeks to build capacity of youth-led campaigns to effectively address social justice issues that they observe on campus, in their communities, and globally. We will impart four concrete tools for the first four stages of planning an effective student-led organizing and/or advocacy campaign: 1) creating a clear vision, 2) choosing a winnable issue, 3) identifying root causes, and 4) clarifying concrete goals and deliverables. Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with critical campaign planning tools—such as the Root Cause Tree—and to apply new knowledge to their respective issues. Once we’ve completed the exercises ourselves, we will answer questions, discuss process, and provide tips for facilitating these or similar exercises at home. The workshop will emphasize visioning positive alternatives, systemic solutions, and issues that build progressive power.