What is CCL?

The Center for Community Leadership (CCL) trains grassroots leaders and supports community organizations with the skills, resources, and networking opportunities needed to strengthen their potential to affect sustainable community change.

Check out the current cohort here.

Why This Matters

Effective organizing requires organizers to continuously refine their skills and capacities. Consequences of failing to consistently support the growth of entry through senior-level organizers are staff burnout and ineffective campaign strategies. Most troubling, it contributes to the underrepresentation of marginalized people in leadership positions within the community development and social justice movement overall by making success and advancement more difficult to obtain. The Center for Community Leadership helps organizers to build both their abilities and their resilience so they can stay engaged in social justice work for the long-term.

What We're Doing

CCL is a career-long learning program. Our Organizing Academy has two program tracks, both are 10-month intensive courses (September-June) that provide organizers with skills related to social justice and movement-building that are applicable in any issue area. Our Organizing Apprenticeship gives neighborhood residents the opportunity to formalize their organizing training through a paid 10-month position. After completing either program, our alumni programming engages organizers and generates further opportunities for strategizing and solidarity.

The Academy

Introductory Course

The Introductory Course offers participants an overview of community change and organizing. During the course, participants deepen their understanding of social conditions as the context for organizing; explore different models of organizing historically and currently; develop their understanding of how to engage community in improving their own conditions; develop skills for building the leaders of community; and increase capacity for organizers to lead successful campaigns that win concrete changes for people. The course meets from 10 am to 1 pm, two Fridays each month starting in September and runs through the end of June of the following year.

Session Topics include: base building, leadership development, work planning/time management, meeting facilitation, campaigns strategy, and more.

2022-2023 Tuition: $2,000

ANHD members $2,500 non-members.

Advanced Organizing Seminar Course

The CCL Organizing Academy's Advanced Organizing Seminar is a course for experienced organizers to read, reflect, and explore ways to deepen their analysis and practice of community organizing. The seminar is designed to help experienced organizers get to the next level and, to dig deep into institutional and individual opportunities for growth.

The course will be structured by topic, which currently includes: Political and Popular Education, Base Building, Campaigns and Institutional Growth, Supervision, and Structure.

For each topic, the class will explore theoretical frameworks, reflect on current practices for their strengths and challenges, identify new practices to try, and then reflect on implementing them. The class is participatory and discussion-oriented, rather than lecture-style. Participants, the instructor, and additional advisers all contribute to the on-going development of the course.

Meeting Times

The seminar will consist of 6 sessions - meeting once a month from January to June 2023. Participants will meet on zoom from 10 am -1pm on selected dates.

Tuition

ANHD Member Organizations: $350

Non-ANHD Member Organizations: $500

 

For more information or questions please contact Director of Programs, Stephanie Barreto-Lastra, stephanie.bl@anhd.org

 

The Apprenticeship

The Organizing Apprenticeship is a unique opportunity for community members to elevate their leadership within community-based organizations. Host organizations apply and nominate a member leader to work with them in a 10-month paid position, including benefits. Apprentices will be trained as community organizers in cohort-based model, form a strong bond with fellow organizers across issues areas, and deepen their knowledge of the organizing and advocacy in New York City. Host organizations gain increased staff capacity to further local campaigns while also receiving supervision support throughout the 10-month program.

2022-2023 Apprenticeship Stipend: $30,000
2022-2023 Host Fee: $20,000

If you are interested in applying to the CCL Apprenticeship, please contact our Capacity Building Program Coordinator Jennifer Lopez (jennifer.l@anhd.org)."

 

Supplemental Workshops & Trainings 

All participants in either course of the Organizing Academy have free access to all ANHD trainings for the duration of their class (September-June).

 

*Given the current public health situation in New York City, we will be monitoring to see the feasibility of holding in-person classes during the 2022-2023 year. While we are prepared to continue running our programs digitally, it is our hope that we can resume in-person classes before the end of the current course year.

The Impact and Network Created

Since 2009, 227 individuals have gone through a CCL training program, and 98 community organizations have been involved in this unique opportunity.

Examples of campaigns participants have worked on include:

#HomelessCantStayHome
NYS Rent Law Reform
Right to Counsel in Housing Court
Basement Apartments Safe for Everyone Campaign (BASE)
Policing Reform Campaigns & Ending Solitary Confinement
Stand For Tenant Safety, Department of Buildings Reform Campaign
Certificate of No Harassment (CONH)
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Lift the Caps Street Vendor Campaign
NYC Rent Freeze/Roll Back Campaign
Predatory Equity Campaigns
Climate Justice

And so much more! Click here to see the full list of community organizations who we have worked with through CCL.

Our Alumni

Post-graduation, we continue supporting CCLers and the organizing movement with ongoing educational and networking opportunities. Alumni stay connected through our LinkedIn page and through our Facebook Group. If you'd like to be added, please contact Jennifer Lopez (Jennifer.L@anhd.org).

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Center for Community Leadership or any of its programs, please contact Program Coordinator Jennifer Lopez (Jennifer.L@anhd.org).