Upcoming Programs
If you are looking to request a particular training, please scroll down to Request a Training.
Leadership Intensive
The Growth & Development Committee is excited to invite you to our first ever Leadership Intensive. The Leadership Intensive is meant for chapter officers (or prospective chapter officers) of all experience levels to come together, learn from one another, and take away a set of new skills and key best practices.
This two day training will consist of two sessions that will cover all aspects of DSA Leadership from understanding the role of leaders to how to take on the day to day administrative tasks necessary to run a successful DSA Chapter.
Ongoing: Org + Technology Tools Trainings
Org Tools facilitates training, administration, and support for chapter leaders and members regarding their use of DSA Org Tools – check out these upcoming trainings for how to better utilize tools like Action Network, VAN (Voter Activation Network) and texting/dialing programs.
Request Trainings
If you’re interested in scheduling a training for your group, please fill out this form. After you submit, we will look at the request and figure out the best way and timeframe to hold the training. Through the DSA Training Resource Library, groups (DSA/YDSA chapters, national committees, etc) have access to standardized educational and skill-building resources. Here are some currently offered trainings:
Building a Mass Working Class Organization
Description: Why build a mass organization and what will it take? This training includes historical context, discussions, and breakouts to explore the idea of building a mass organization, and why DSA is committed to becoming a mass working class organization.
What you will take from it: a base level understanding of Y/DSA as a political project, the fundamentals of our uniting politics, and more clarity around what we’re trying to build together.
Audience: Any DSA members
List Work Workshops
Description: This is a hands-on workshop (with some training and coaching components) where you will work on an actual list of people, inputting information and deciding on individual next steps in order to help both understand and grow your capacity. You will have to complete follow up steps as part of the process.
What you will take from it:
- The purpose and application of list work as a tool to grow chapter capacity
- Hands on experience practicing with your own list by an outside trainer
- Several strategic next steps to to engage people within your chapter database
- A plan to to revisit the new process you learned in at least one follow up session
Audience: Anyone with access to a list of people that you need to figure out a way to systemically engage – usually chapter/committee leadership but sometimes national committees too.
Introduction to DSA as a National Organization
Description: A high level overview of national DSA committees, structure, operations and tools, including an overview of core organizing trainings
What you will take from it: a better understanding of the structure of DSA and how to navigate DSA as a national body
Audience: Important for new chapter officers, of interest to members who would like to know more about the national organization
Building Capacity & Developing Leaders
Description: A training on power as it relates to the work of a socialist organization, the importance of utilizing mobilizing models, understanding the role of leaders in our work, and the nuts and bolts work of charting, listwork, and making an organizing ask.
What you will take from it: a concise understanding of the difference between mobilizing and organizing and how that affects your work, a concrete model and examples of how to do list work and better ability to identify leaders
Audience: Chapter leaders & elected officers, national body members
Strategic Campaigns
Description: Walk through the process of how to best choose and execute campaigns that will build long-term power for Y/DSA & the working class.
What you will take from it: Questions to ask when planning a campaign and tools to assess your campaign plan for maximum impact.
Audience: Chapter leaders & elected officers, national body members, members who are interested in the strategic work of the organization
Structured Organizing Conversations
Description: Looking to engage your members more deeply in DSA? A training on how to ask individuals to get more involved in our work and take on roles of responsibility.
What you will take from it: The purpose and six steps of an organizing conversation and the ability to see it modeled and practice it yourself
Audience: Chapter officers, especially those dealing directly with member recruitment and outreach, anyone working on a strategic campaign or other project
How to Hold Meetings
Description: Meetings are a tactic we use to strengthen effective campaigns and to increase our members’ ownership over the work. This training will help members structure meetings to support our on-the-ground organizing, facilitate political and strategic discussion, and engage attendees during and after the meeting.
What you will take from it: Principles of what makes for good meetings & concrete and anti-oppressive best practices
Audience: All active DSA members but especially elected officers & people in charge of working groups, committees, etc.
Effective Coalition Work
Description: A training on why DSA should build and join multiracial, working-class coalitions, the basics of what a coalition is and is not, and how DSA can participate and lead coalitions
What you will take from it: Understand why DSA works in coalitions, share best practices and pitfalls for building effective local coalitions, and provide first steps for joining existing coalitions
Audience: Chapter activists working on issue and/or electoral campaigns
New Member On-Boarding
Description: A training on best practices for welcoming new members and creating a path to involvement.
What you will take from it: Best practices for outreach and communications to new members, case study from Huron Valley DSA, role play to practice your skills
Audience: Chapter officers looking to create or fine tune your process for onboarding new members
Power Mapping 101
Description: How do you move your decision-maker to concede to your demand? Map where their power and relationships. In this training, you’ll learn how to use research and relationships to build a power map and move your target.
What you will take from it: A solid understanding of what power mapping is and the template / framework by which you can move forward to power map your specific target.
Audience: Anyone looking to go more deeply into a potential or current strategic campaign
Grassroots Fundraising
Description: Learn how your chapter can build power by becoming strong grassroots fundraisers and raise more for your local chapter.
What you will take from it: An understanding of why grassroots fundraising is the most sustainable way to fund our work for the long haul, plus grassroots fundraising tactics and best practices.
Audience: Chapter leaders interested in building out grassroots fundraising efforts in your chapter; DSA members interested in incorporating fundraising work into ongoing organizing efforts
Roberts Rules 101
Description: Learn how to use Roberts Rules of Order to foster discussion and make decisions within your chapter.
What you will take from it: A thorough overview of using Roberts Rules as a participant and tips on how to use Roberts Rules as a facilitator.
Audience: Chapter leaders and members who want to refresh their Roberts Rules basics for democratic decision-making.
There are a number of other trainings that are available (including upcoming national trainings on dsausa.org/calendar) so feel free to reach out to your organizer to identify them and take advantage of the opportunity to practice your skills!
Previous Programs
Fall 2022: Labor 101
DSA’s Growth and Development Committee and the National Labor Commission are excited to announce a comprehensive 5 Week Course on Labor 101 to kickstart and deepen labor work across DSA chapters. This training series is aimed at members in chapters with either leadership roles in their labor formations (working groups, committees, branches, etc) or those looking to get work started. Learn from experienced organizers and case studies of chapters successfully running rank-and-file pipelines, strike support, EWOC coordination, and more!
Green New Deal Campaign Training Series
A better world is possible, and we’re going to build it by winning socialist Green New Deal fights across the country, at every level of government. To win this vision, our socialist organizers need to run strategic campaigns that shift power away from the fossil-fuel funded, ruling class to green public services and the working class. The purpose of this training series is to guide organizers through how to fight for a Green New Deal locally, equipping them with the political education, tools, and coaching to launch, run, and win these local campaigns. We will use real case studies to show how socialists can and have won Green New Deal campaigns across the country.
Fall 2022: Kickstart Your Chapter Series
DSA Chapters/OCs that are struggling to build their membership, build leadership, and engage in outward-facing organizing are invited to apply for this training series. The series includes five biweekly sessions, optional peer discussion groups, opportunities to apply concepts directly to your work between sessions and ongoing organizer support. You will take an active, “hands on” approach to using organizing skills to come out of the training series with much more capacity and strength than you started with. This is a highly participatory training, and you should come prepared to discuss and share.
National Speakers Training
The DSA National Speakers’ Training Series is a course intended for active DSA organizers who would like to develop speaking skills. Socialists must be able to explain and promote socialist politics among a broad audience of their working class peers. Because most workers are not trained in public speaking, DSA’s National Political Education Committee is offering this training in an effort to create a new layer of members who can write political presentations and speak publicly. This will help members learn to argue in clear and compelling ways, to help lead political education within their chapters or working groups, and to speak to an audience in any capacity. Reach out to [email protected] with any questions
Strategic Campaign Training Series
Strategic campaigns focused on building socialism and improving the conditions of the multi-racial working class are the core of how DSA and YDSA build power! However, identifying a transformative demand and target(s) is part ART and part SCIENCE. If your chapter is planning to launch a strategic campaign in 2022, you are invited to apply for this new training series, which will include trainings on how to choose a campaign, how to use a “power map” to inform your strategy, and how to build a campaign timeline and budget. This series will include direct and indirect support from DSA/YDSA mentors and trainers so you chapter can democratically decide on a strategic campaign and a plan to execute.Request a Training