ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Interested in organizing around an issue you care deeply about, but unsure where to start? Constantly posting about injustices and wishing you could do more? Wanting to get involved in community or movement spaces, but feeling held back by impostor syndrome or uncertainty about where you fit in? 

Join Embark Sustainability for our third annual Organizers’ Bootcamp, a three-day program featuring six hands-on workshops led by experienced local organizers! This bootcamp is especially intended to support students and community members, particularly marginalized and racialized folks, who want to build the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to create lasting change.

Organizing is how we build collective power, challenge systems of oppression, and create meaningful change in our communities. Grounded in political education, practical skill-building, and movement sustainability, this bootcamp explores what organizing actually is, how power operates within institutions, and how successful campaigns and lasting movements are built. Get ready to learn:

• • Political grounding 
  • Movement memory
  • Campaign strategy
  • Sustainable organizing practices
  • Coalition building
  • Collective care
  • Accountability systems

Our organizing principles is informed by lessons from marginalized communities and successful student-led campaigns at SFU, including the movements to retire SFU’s racially harmful team name, the multi-million-dollar fossil fuel divestment campaign, Black student organizing that secured 15 Black faculty hires, expanded Black mental health supports, and the creation of the Black Student Centre, Palestinian solidarity organizing that established the first B.C. student union BDS policy, and community campaigns such as Save Our Spaces.

Across three days, participants will move from understanding organizing and power, to developing campaign strategy, to learning how to build resilient movements that can sustain themselves over time. You’ll leave with practical organizing tools, a stronger understanding of how change happens, and a community of fellow organizers committed to justice and liberation.

Whether you’re just getting started or already active in movement spaces, this bootcamp is a place to learn, connect, and strengthen our collective capacity to organize for a more just future.

Themes

• • Monday, July 27 → Understanding Organizing & Power: Political Grounding, Confidence & Movement Memory
  • Tuesday, July 28 → Turning Ideas into Change: Strategy, Power Mapping & Action
  • Wednesday, July 29→ Building Movements That Last: Solidarity, Collective Care & Movement Sustainability

*Light breakfast, snacks, tea/coffee will be provided daily.

Schedule

• • 🌱 Arrival & Grounding | 11:00–11:30 AM 
    • Check in, settle, grab a provided light breakfast, and ease into the day 
  • 🗣️ Reflection & Community Input | 11:30 AM–12:00 PM 
    • Anonymous question and input box, and collective reflections
  •  📖 Session I | 12:00–2:00 PM ☕ 
    • Rest & Recharge | 2:00–3:00 PM Lunch, break, and community connection 
  • 🤝 Session II | 3:00–5:00 PM

Land Acknowledgement

This program takes place on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛw̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations.

REGISTRATION

Please note that this program has a limited capacity of 40 participants. Registrations close at 11:59PM on Wednesday, July 22, but completing registration as soon as possible is strongly encouraged to reserve a spot. 

Registrants will receive a confirmation email on Thursday, July 23, with a full schedule, details on preparation, and all relevant materials.

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ABOUT THE FACILITATORS (COMING SOON)

Event Accessibility

Community Agreement

By registering to attend this event, you are agreeing to be respectful when listening to and communicating with others, and be mindful of the space you are taking up amongst your peers. There is no tolerance for violence or aggression against others on the basis of race, ethnicity, place of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or ability. Please also refer to people using the introductions they provide and do not assume pronouns/gender/knowledge based on someone’s name or appearance. If these agreements are broken by someone, we will have to ensure the safety of our community members by removing them from the event.

Health & Safety

We acknowledge that COVID is not over and that the pandemic disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable among us including BIPOC, poor people, and folks living with illness and/or disability. In light of these realities, and in the spirit of nurturing communities of care, we will be practicing the highest level of precaution possible including masking during all indoor programming. We ask that all participants similarly act with the utmost precaution to limit transmission of the virus. Masks will be provided for attendees.

Questions

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Embark Sustainability’s Director of Engagement at engagement@embarksustainability.org.