The Movement School is a program in which young people who want to radically remake society for the better: 

Live in a community dedicated to systemic change
Build and share knowledge and skills
Receive support and mentorship on organizing and leadership roles in social/climate justice projects

Program structure: Movement School is a summer and year long program, with the summer pilot running from June 2021 through August 2021. Participants in movement school can:

Live in an intentional community: Living spaces will include camping at action camps in Northern Minnesota, interspersed retreats at our Northfield farm, and the option to stay in shared housing in Northfield, MN. 
Learn through collective education and training: Learning will be both conceptual and applied. Discussions of the ecological, energetic, economic, and social roots of today’s injustices will be paired with trainings on organizing, strategy and tactics, and practical skills for a sustainable future. The program will emphasize the dual roles of participants as both learners and teachers and empower individuals to share their knowledge.
Participate in mentorship and self/collective reflection: Participants, with the help of program facilitators, will identify how they want to engage in group and individual accountability processes and evaluation to support their personal growth and the growth of other group members. 

Work on self-selected projects: Participants will be continuing involvement in current projects, designing their own projects, and/or joining existing projects of the Overstory Alliance, Cooperation Northfield, and other groups. Potential projects could involve:

  • Direct action and movement-building against the Line 3 pipeline in so-called Minnesota
  • Help grow the cooperative economy in Northfield (compost or a permaculture chicken farm)
  • Laying the groundwork for democratically-owned renewable energy infrastructure in Minnesota
  • Youth organizing and radical education
  • Workplace/union organizing 

Costs and Participation: Movement School is a free but unpaid program. Costs of living during the summer program, like food and transportation, are covered by the program. 

Program Facilitation: This program is run as a partnership between the Overstory Alliance and Cooperation Northfield. This collaboration amplifies the capacity and perspectives of both groups.