The CivicLab has launched the POWER Institute (People Organizing to Win, Engage & Resist) to get you TRAINED to ORGANIZE and WIN a Chicago and a world that we all deserve and can prosper in. Our trainers are super experienced in grassroots democracy with over 60 years of public campaigns between them!

The sessions are $40 each. You may get all three sessions for $100!

All attendees will get a copy of the book with the answers - "Chicago Is Not Broke. Funding the City We Deserve." Read about the book from this front page article from Gazette Chicago.

Session #1 - Wednesday, September 13 - 7-9pm - "Chicago 101" - What are the basics for preparing to organize and win in a city dominated by the Democratic Machine for 75 years? You will learn about the geographic and political history of Chicago from the 1800's through the present day. The past is prologue. Get smart in order to win.

Session #2 - Wednesday, October 11 - 7-9pm - "Organizing 101" - Did you know Chicago is the home of modern community organizing? Learn the basic skills and mindsets of a community change maker. This will be a highly interactive workshop where participants will construct a Power Matrix around a real issue and plan a campaign. We will talk about Chicago's history of organizing, what distinguishes organizing from other forms of helping efforts, the key attributes of a great organizer and much more! Get trained to win.

Session #3 - Wednesday, November 8 - 7-9pm - "Grassroots Campaigning" - Learn the basic steps toward putting together a principled grassroots campaign for change and justice. Attendees will analyze the election prospects of their own aldermen based on election results from the the 2011 and 2015. All attendees will receive the chapter "Organizing a Campaign" from Winning Elections in the 21st Century by Dick Simpson and Betty O'Shaughnessy. Make plans to win.

Classes will be at the Loyola University Law School, 25 E. Pearson Street, Chicago - Room 1303.

These sessions are $40/person per session $100 will get all three "101" sessions. All attendees will receive a copy of "Chicago Is Not Broke" and access to a private wiki space loaded with resources and links to more in-depth materials.

Participants at our first round of "101" sessions said...

• "I wish it could be more than two hours a session"

• "I was really inspired by the class and appreciate thinking about Chicago history and politics."

• "I learned so much! Thank you!"

• "Very excited about the organization and class - learned a lot today!"

• "I loved the first session and am looking forward to learning more in the forthcoming seminars. I haven't been able to stop talking about CivicLab with colleagues and friends."

• "I wish the workshops were more often and closer together!"

• "More time! I would pay more :)"

The simple URL for this EventBrite page = https://power-institute-fall_2017.eventbrite.com.

** WE ARE ALSO OFFERING A FULL-DAY CAMPAIGNER'S WORKSHOP ON OCTOBER 14! **

Your trainers will be Jonathan Peck and Tom Tresser.

Jonathan Peck, is the Development Manager for Alternatives, Inc., where he also served as the South & West Side Coordinator for Restorative Justice. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tucson Urban League and has over 25 years experience working within the community development field facilitating projects, coalitions, and alliances at the neighborhood, citywide, regional, national and international levels. Jonathan worked as a community organizer, and later as Associate Director of the Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC), a Chicago based organization dedicated to the healthy development of low-income children, youth and families. Jonathan Peck has extensive experience in the international arena, most notably working on the ground in Southern Africa and Nicaragua. Jonathan has worked and visited over 15 countries across North and Latin America, Europe and Southern Africa. Mr. Peck has extensive experience as an Advisor and Consultant, providing strategic advice in the areas of organizational development, strategic planning, and nonprofit executive leadership and business management. Mr. Peck is a Master Facilitator, Organizer, Trainer, Coach and Mentor and has provided these services to over 5,000 individuals. Jonathan recently served on the Community Relations Working Group of the Police Accountability Task Force of the City of Chicago.

Tom Tresser is a civic educator and public defender. His first voter registration campaign was in 1972. In 2008 he was a co-founder of Protect Our Parks, a neighborhood effort to stop the privatization of public space in Chicago. He was a lead organizer for No Games Chicago, an all-volunteer grassroots effort that opposed Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. With Benjamin Sugar Tom co-founded The CivicLab, a co-working space where activists, educators, coders and designers came to work, collaborate, teach, and build tools for civic engagement. Located in Chicago’s West Loop, the space operated for two eventful years closing on June 30, 2015. He is the lead organizer for the TIF Illumination Project that is investigating and explaining the impacts of Tax Increment Financing districts on a community-by-community basis. Tom is the organizer and editor for Chicago Is Not Broke. Funding the City We Deserve, which has triggered 54 public meetings across the city. That's 54 MORE meetings than Mayor Emanuel attended to discuss his 2017 budget!