Skip Navigation

About Community Organizing

The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL) uses the community organizing model in order to build better communities.

Community organizing has a rich history in American social movements and is about people working together for systemic social change. It is about developing collective self interests by working with others and taking action on issues the community cares about through true democracy, where the power is with the people.

Community organizing is not about the short-term mobilization of bodies, protests or rallies.  It is about achieving long-term change through building powerful, public relationships; influencing and negotiating with government, corporations and institutions; achieving direct representation; and holding decision makers accountable to the people through public actions.

 

Community Organizing Institute

CCESL offers an annual community organizing institute to equip participants with tools to effectively bring about social change. Community organizing topics covered include: privilege and oppression, identities, self-interest, collective self-interest, power, one-to-one interviews, and planning and implementing a public action. The institute involves innovative small group activities as well as large group discussion and a working dinner, during which time participants have the opportunity to practice one-to-one skills. The event kicks off with a keynote address from 1:30-2:30pm, which is open to the greater Denver community.

The institute will be held on Friday, October 5, 2012 from 1pm to 7pm in Craig Hall on the University of Denver campus. Look for registration details in the fall. The institute is open to University of Denver students, staff and faculty.

Participants who have previously completed the instituteare eligible to serve on the Community Organizing Response Team and may elect to join the Action listserv to be notified about opportunities to take action (details will be provided post-institute) .

All students in CCESL program should plan to attend this institute. Students who have previously completed this institute are eligible to serve as student leaders/facilitators at the institute.

Contact CCESL to learn more ccesl@du.edu; #303-871-3706.

Notes for students:

We strongly encourage students to attend the DU Center for Multicultural Excellence's Diversity and Unity Retreat held on September 28-29, 2012 (Note: this institute is required for some CCESL student programs). The retreat, which brings together a diverse set of students to explore issues of identity and social systems, and to build campus alliances, is a great starting point for students to understand diversity on a deeper level before attending the community organizing institute .

 

Community Organizing Handbook

The CCESL staff have written a Community Organizing Handbook that we use in the institute, civic engagement programs and courses.  This handbook can be used as a tool to develop public skills and as a guide to organizing people for change.  We provide this online tool as a public resource, if you have questions or would like to print or distribute this handbook please contact us at, 303.871.3706 or ccesl@du.edu.

 

 
Anita Spotlight

Anita Spotlight

Reflects on Public Achivement (PA) on Blog

The goal [of PA] is to create a space for students to discover their power to create tangible change in their community. That includes open discussions about social justice issues like privilege and oppression, as well as certain key activities like one-to-ones, "world as it is/world as it should be", "world cafes" and others from the PA handbook

Manuel Del Real

Manuel Del Real

DU Student, Class of 2009 and 2011

Every time I look at the murals, it gives me great pride as an alumnus to be able to see students make a change...Being a coach has also helped me realize I am the mentor that I used to look up to.

Hava Gordon

Hava Gordon

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology

Last year, I taught a Service Learning FSEM: Youth Cultures: Inequality, Resistance, and Empowerment. This was the first time teaching my FSEM as a service learning class, and it was an amazing experience. With the help of my wonderful Service Learning Associate, Cameron Lewis, our class partnered with The Spot youth center and Rainbow Alley. Both organizations work to empower teens by providing a safe and creative space for low-income, homeless, and LGBTQ youth. FSEM students joined outreach workers at The Spot on night walks around the city, distributing needed items to homeless youth. Students also participated in consciousness-raising workshops at Rainbow Alley, connecting with Rainbow Alley youth through these workshops.