If you’ve ever organized alone in your community, wondering if anyone else is doing this work the way you are, Leadership Academy 2.0 was built for you.
Moms and caregivers from across the country gathered in the Hudson Valley, NY, for a weekend of hands-on training, strategy, and fearless conversation that happens when moms and caregivers get in the same room!
Twenty inspiring leaders were selected through a competitive application process. Stipends and on-site childcare meant nobody had to choose between showing up for this and showing up for their family.
Opening connections
The weekend began with a warm welcome gathering, giving participants time to meet one another, settle in, and start building the relationships that would carry through the rest of the training. By the time sessions started the next morning, people already knew each other’s names, teams, and what brought them there.
Then the real work started.
The training was designed to be practical. Leaders worked on skills they could bring home and use:
- Building strong teams and sharing leadership long-term
- Designing and running powerful campaigns with a clear strategy behind them
- Recruiting new members and confidently making an ask
- Using visual strategy to organize coordinated, distributed actions (with guidance from Look Loud)
- Planning strategic actions that can take their team’s work forward
What made it different from a webinar or a toolkit was the room itself. Leaders taught each other. People shared what worked in their communities, what didn’t, and what they’re trying next.
The best part, in their words
One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend was the opportunity to connect with others who share the same passion and commitment to climate justice and community organizing. Participants left not only with new skills, but with friendships, inspiration, and a feeling of belonging that they’re bringing back home:
What comes next
The momentum for Leadership Academy 2.0 will continue long after the weekend ends. Leaders are returning to their communities equipped with new skills, stronger relationships, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Thank you to the facilitators, support staff, caregivers, and families who made this possible. Most of all, thank you to the incredible leaders who showed up to learn, connect, and fight for a healthier, livable future together.
Feeling inspired to start something in your community?
Every MOF chapter started the same way. One person reached out. That’s it. Stage 0. You don’t need a team yet, you don’t need a campaign, you don’t need experience. You just need to care enough to raise your hand!
From there, it grows. You find one or two other caregivers. You host a house party. You form a core team and pick an issue that matters in your neighborhood.
Before long, you’re five people with clear roles, a campaign plan, and a timeline.
The leaders at Leadership Academy 2.0 didn’t start as organizers. They started exactly where you might be right now.
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