Our Approach
In dialogues with immigrant organizers and other immigrant community and organizational leaders, the need for ongoing training on the “how to’s” of grassroots leadership development surfaced. In response, CSIO worked with its partners to develop and run the Grassroots Leadership Institute, a 25-hour curriculum provided in Spanish and English in 5 sessions. The Institutes are designed to address key issues related to grassroots leadership development. The Institutes are designed to address key issues related to grassroots leadership development. Through our Grassroots Leadership Institute (GLI), CSIO makes lessons we have learned about this work available in an accessible way to people engaged in social justice efforts in immigrant communities.
Institutes address the following topics in sessions of 5 hours each:
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Globalization: the interconnection between immigration and the global economy: how to educate within our communities about the broader social and political context in which the local work is based.
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Facilitation: how to facilitate effective, democratic meetings that promote grassroots participation and leadership.
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Organizational planning: developing strategic (3-5 year), operational (1-year) and short-term work plans that prioritize grassroots participation and bring clarity to the work of organizers and leaders.
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Membership development: how to develop structures that build grassroots participation in and community ownership of organizations.
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Campaign development: how to promote grassroots campaign leadership that is sustainable over time AND results in powerful campaigns.
Helping groups build their capacity to promote grassroots leadership has been a core focus of CSIO work for the last 14+ years. The GLI is a key vehicle for these efforts. GLI sessions share best practices from the field and draw upon the experience of participants to deepen the learning. We utilize popular education methodology, which promotes peer learning and models the kinds of practice which we believe are central to grassroots leadership development work.
CSIO Workshops- Fall 2020
Boston Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement
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Provide 2 workshops on grassroots leadership and organizing for a cohort of 30 immigrant leaders who were part of the City’s Immigrants Lead Boston initiative.
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Facilitate two workshops on the legacy of racism in the U.S. to 50+ attendees of We Are Boston 2020, the City’s annual weeklong celebration of immigrants in Boston.
These leadership workshops were very successful and in 2021 MOIA returned to CSIO to facilitate a series of dialogues around racism among African American and immigrant E.D.’s (see below)
CSIO’S WORKSHOP SPRING SERIES – 2019
CSIO was invited by TSNE MissionWorks to facilitate the following two workshops as part of their Better Nonprofit Management training series. If you want to register please click the name of the workshop you want to attend to register. Contact CSIO for a fee related discount (617) 742-5165
Roots of Migration: Focus on Central America
Part II- May 2, 2019 6-8 PM
This workshop will focus on the root causes of migration from Central America’s Northern Triangle. Participants will explore the conditions that are uprooting migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and why they are traveling north to Mexico and the United States.
April 30th, 2019 9:00 AM- 3:30 PM
CSIO will introduce participants to the process of grassroots community organizing. Participants will learn about strategies and tactics to cultivate the leadership of those impacted by injustice.
Facilitation Workshop
January 29th 9AM-3:30PM
2017 Session
Somerviva, an immigrant advocacy organization with the City of Somerville, invited CSIO to facilitate a 6-session Grassroots Leadership Institute in Spanish for some 15 immigrant leaders who live or work in Somerville. CSIO developed a 6-session agenda to help Somerviva cultivate the leadership of immigrants who could help organize Somerville’s immigrant communities to bring their particular agendas to City Hall. The curriculum included root cause analysis of social and political issues, participatory facilitation techniques, community organizing, along with a mapping/power analysis of the City of Somerville’s political structure.
After the Institute was complete, participants began to work with Somerviva for follow up involvement in political and organizing efforts. 3 participants joined CSIO’s Grassroots Leadership Network dialogue on rebuilding an immigrant movement.
Adaptive Grassroots Leadership Institutes in 2015
From 2011-2014 CSIO trained over 130 community leaders and organizers in these Institutes, held at CSIO for representatives from groups throughout Boston and New England. In 2015, we began to adapt our curriculum to the needs and priorities of communities that approach CSIO for training support. In the winter/spring 2015, we developed a GLI in Maine for a cohort of over 20 mostly African immigrant organizations. CSIO worked with these newer organizations to develop a series that included 4 of our core topics but added sessions on the roles of staff, board and members, financial system development and fundraising.
In the late spring and summer 2015, CSIO developed a GLI with leaders from Agencia ALPHA that was based on the organization’s development needs. Hosted by ALPHA in the South End, this GLI included sessions on root cause analysis, ‘what is organizing,’ and integrating services into an organizing framework. Then, in the fall 2015 CSIO worked with ALPHA staff and leaders to develop an evaluation and planning process to help ALPHA become more member-led and develop systems to involve immigration clients in immigration policy change efforts like the statewide Safe Driving Campaign, an effort to secure drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants.
If your group or community is interested in hosting a Grassroots Leadership Institute in English or Spanish, please contact CSIO.
2011-14 Institutes:
CSIO has offered 5 Institutes to date: 3 in Spanish in the fall/winter of 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14,and two in English in the spring 2012 and 2013. Over 130 Organizers, Directors, Leaders and Activists from the following 50 organizations have participated in the Institutes: CSIO has offered 5 Institutes to date: 3 in Spanish in the fall/winter of 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14,and two in English in the spring 2012 and 2013. Over 130 Organizers, Directors, Leaders and Activists from the following 50 organizations have participated in the Institutes:
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