Tola Organizing Academy

TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TRAINING TO INDIVIDUALS: STOCKTON EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECT (EOP) WAS A PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAN JOAQUIN A+ AND OUR GOALS WERE TO INCREASE CITIZEN AWARENESS OF THE STATE OF STOCKTON SCHOOLS AND BUILD LEADERSHIP CAPACITY AND ORGANIZING SKILLS OF LOCAL STOCKTON RESIDENTS.TOLA HIRED TWO PROJECT LEADS WHO THEN RECRUITED A COHORT OF 20 RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 14-WEEK PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS RECEIVED SIX SEMINARS ON VARIOUS EDUCATION TOPICS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING THEMES. TOLA PROVIDED THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THESE 20 RESIDENTS TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH A SURVEY TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE STOCKTON SCHOOLS. TOLA PROVIDED THE SURVEY, THE TECH SUPPORT FOR VOTER OUTREACH, AND OPERATION AND COORDINATION OF PHONE BANKING EVENTS, CANVASSING EVENTS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A MODEST STIPEND OF $2,500.COLLECTIVELY THE GROUP HAD OVER 5,000 CONVERSATIONS AND COLLECTED 1,500 SURVEYS.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TRAINING TO ORGANIZATIONS:IN-ADVANCE TRAINING SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE IN-ADVANCE'S ORGANIZING TEAM ON THE EMERALD NEW DEAL PROJECT. IN-ADVANCE: A FORWARD INVESTMENT IN STRENGTHENING MOVEMENTS, CAME TO TOLA FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS THE ORGANIZING TEAM WAS BEGINNING OUTREACH TO GAIN RESIDENT SUPPORT FOR THE EMERALD NEW DEAL (END). THE E.N.D IS AN OAKLAND INITIATIVE THAT PROPOSES TO REDIRECT 100% OF THE CITY'S EXISTING CANNABIS BUSINESS TAX TO A FUND THAT WILL SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST FROM THE WAR ON DRUGS. TOLA WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE DIRECTOR AND FOUR ORGANIZERS TO PROVIDE TRAININGS ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, SUPPORT AT KEY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, AND ASSISTED IN COORDINATING VOLUNTEER EVENTS. THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS EXTENDED BY AN ADDITIONAL MONTH. THE IN-ADVANCE TEAM IS NOW POISED TO SEEK SUPPORT FROM THE OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL TO PLACE THE POLICY ON THE NOVEMBER 2022 BALLOT.LATINOS UNIDOS FOR A NEW AMERICA (LUNA) SOUGHT TOLA STAFF TO PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE LEADERSHIP COACHING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND SKILL-BUILDING TRAININGS AND COACHING TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING STAFF. TOLA HAS BEGUN WORKING WITH THIS SMALL SAN JOSE NONPROFIT TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP COACHING TO THE DIRECTOR AND TRAININGS TO THE 4-MEMBER ORGANIZING TEAM. THE DIRECTOR IS NEW TO THE POSITION AND THE ORGANIZING TEAM HAS LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING. IN DECEMBER, 2 OF THE 4 SESSIONS WERE COMPLETED AS ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SESSIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.IN EARLY 2021, TOLA ENGAGED WITH BRIGHT RESEARCH WORK TO HOLD PROVIDE A UNIQUE TRAINING TO 4 OF THEIR PROJECT COORDINATORS TO HELP CONTINUE THEIR EFFORT OF EDUCATING COMMUNITY ON THE HARM OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS. TOLA HELD A ONE 1-HOUR ASSESSMENT MEETING TO IDENTIFY THE ORGANIZATION'S UNIQUE PROJECT NEEDS AND TO DISCUSS DESIRED TRAINING OUTCOMES. AFTER THIS MEETING TOLA HELD TWO VIRTUAL 2-HOUR TRAINING WITH FOUR PARTICIPANTS PERSESSION. THE SESSIONS FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE ORGNAIZATION'S PROJECT COORDINATORS AND THEIR ECL'S. THE FOCUS WAS ON THE USE OF MEDIA AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDIA PLAN IN A CAMPAIGN AND COLLECTING COMMUNITY SURVEYS.WHILE CONVERSATIONS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS DBA LA FAMILA, OUR WORK TOGETHER TOOK OFF IN 2021. TOLA AND LA FAMILIA WORKED TO RAISE COMMUNITY ASWANRESS ON THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND TOLA PROVIDED TRAINING TO THEIR STAFF ON AN ONGOING EFFORT TO ADVOCATE FOR A SMOKE-FREE MULTI-UNITHOUSING ORDINANCE. TOLA CONDUCTED AND FACILITATED MEETINGS TO OUTLINE STRATEGY AND MESSAGING FOR EDUCATIONAL VISITS WITH MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COUNCILS COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' OFFICES. TOLA ALSO FACILITATED MEETINGS TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS AND EVALUATING THE PROGRESS OF OUTREACH.