Overview
This is a self-paced crash course in “movement data,” with a deep dive into data for legislative advocacy and organizing (including distributed organizing). Participants will have three weeks to practice building an organizing plan with metric goals, learn how models work, and develop tests before coming together with other participants and a re:power trainer to debrief and discuss learnings. They will also investigate and practice working with open data, and assessing the data safety of their organization.
Who is this course for?
- Staff across departments: This course is helpful for staff across departments: Data, organizing, and digital staff will all find that this course takes their work to the next level.
- Future Data Managers & Directors: Past students have successfully pivoted to data manager & data director roles after completing this course.
- Organizing Insight: Folks with experience doing organizing work on the ground. That work can be tied to grassroots, electoral, and/or issue organizing. We seek to support organizers who are currently part of a campaign effort or are seeking to build one.
- Technical Aptitude: Whether you have experience working directly with data or not, we are interested in organizers who are able to pick up new technical skills quickly and proficiently. If you like spreadsheets and lists, or investigating innovative ways of organizing, you may be a good fit
- Open to new things: Participants should be excited about challenging themselves to learn new ways of doing the work and partnering with others to come up with creative solutions.
What will you learn?
Lesson Plan
- Module 1: Intro to Movement Data
- Module 2: Data During the Electoral Cycle
- Module 3: Data for Issue Organizing Campaigns
- Module 4: Data Collection & the Ladder of Engagement
- Module 5: Open Data
- Module 6: Next Top Model
We will also provide supplemental materials on Tests and Experiments, as well as Digital Safety.
Expectations
This is an asynchronous, self-paced course that culminates with a live debrief conversation on Zoom. Our self-paced course will include 6 modules consisting of recorded video sessions that provide guided instruction to the participant, and a thought and practice exercise for participants to practice what they are learning. Participants can work their way through the modules at their own pace and on their own time. We do ask that all participants complete all 6 modules before the live debrief session.
We recommend participants set aside about 3 hours a week for coursework.
