Organizer School, one of the longest-running Nebraska Table programs, has been revamped for 2024! Started in 2018, Organizer School was created to train and support emerging leaders in the Nebraska Table network. While previous iterations of Organizer School hired and placed organizers directly with Table Member organizations, the updated program aims to make the Organizer School training accessible to all employees and volunteers working with Members in our network.
Organizer School Throughout the Years
Since launching in 2018, Organizer School has hired, trained, and placed 13 community organizers with Nebraska Table Member organizations across the state. Supporting these new organizers, the Organizer School program has helped nonprofits realize the benefit of having a full-time organizer on staff, gain measurable data to support their programs, build capacity, and secure future funding.
Rogelio Rodriguez Villalobos, an Organizer School participant at Unity in Action of South Sioux City, says of his experience with Organizer School: “Throughout Organizer School I was exposed to so many amazing people across the state of Nebraska who are doing the same work that I have now committed myself to. Meeting those who have been doing the work and seeing the diversity within that group of people has reshaped the way I see and approach the work we are doing.”
Organizer School participants have made meaningful change in their communities and helped nonprofits in the Nebraska Table network fulfill their mission. Many Organizer School participants continue to work within the Nebraska Table nonprofit network, strengthening the pipeline of talented and engaged advocates in underserved and underrepresented communities.
Organizer School 2024 and Beyond
During this critical election year, the Nebraska Table has reimagined Organizer School in order to better serve our entire network. The updated version of Organizer School is a full day of training and collaboration focusing on organizing tactics and strategies: Organizing 101, Voter Outreach, Volunteer Recruitment and Management, Field Planning and Field Math, and Safety and Security. By making organizing training more accessible, the revamped Organizer School works to provide valuable information about the foundational aspects of organizing to more nonprofit leaders in order to quickly scale up our collective efforts and build long-term civic engagement and organizing capacity across the state.
“We really want to give both new and seasoned organizers a foundation of fundamentals on which to build their organizing efforts going forward,” explains Riley Wilson, who helps lead this year’s Organizer School program. Whether participants are new to organizing or old pros, the revamped Organizer School provides an overview of essential organizing tactics and facilitates collaboration among participants and Nebraska Table staff. “Sharing our organizing histories and having conversations is an important piece of this version of Organizer School,” Riley says, “and is something we will definitely continue to prioritize in future trainings.” The combination of hands-on learning and relationship building makes this version of Organizer School accessible for more nonprofits looking to get started or bolster their organizing efforts in this critical election year.
Two Organizer School trainings have already taken place this year! Earlier this month, participants gathered in Omaha and Grand Island to learn about organizing fundamentals from Nebraska Table staff and share experiences with each other. Stay tuned for more updates as Organizer School 2024 continues!