Cooperative Teach-In Initiative 
We at the Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) would like to announce the official launch of the“Cooperative Teach-In Initiative” as a part of the UN-Declared 2012 International Year of Cooperatives. The Cooperative Teach-In focuses on engaging colleges, universities, schools, and other communities on what co-ops are and how they positively change local and global communities. This initiative connects campuses with cooperatives, facilitating an exchange of information, ideas, tactics, and goals.
The Cooperative Teach-in allows people who are interested in a wide variety of issues to engage with the national cooperative movement and see how co-ops relate to them: from workers’ rights to economic development, democratic control, environmental justice, fair trade, community empowerment, social entrepreneurship, food justice, and small farmers. For the past few months, TESA has been piloting the program in New England. We have already organized over a dozen co-op events and three courses as a part of this initiative! This project has already connected co-ops with middle schools, high schools, after school programs, community colleges, and universities. Now, we are extremely excited for cooperatives and campuses across the United States to get involved.Here is what you can get out of this initiative and what you can do to get involved:
- Sign up for our “Campus – Cooperative Connections“,which puts you on a map that you can use to connect your campus with a cooperative, or your cooperative with a campus, to set up an event, program, or project on co-ops and the co-op movement. We will also help facilitate connections between co-ops and campuses.You can read testimonials here from people who’ve taken part in this initiative.
- Browse our ready-to-use educational workshops and resources to engage co-ops and campuses as well as our selection of recommended readings on co-ops. We’ve just started compiling these resources, so they will grow significantly as the year goes on. You can help us grow this library by submitting resources for all to use for free.
- Get in touch with us to access a team that will help you develop custom educational resources(projects, events, courses, programs, and more) for freeduring 2012. We will also help you make connections with a campus or a co-op to set up a cooperative education experience.
- In the near future, we will also have a showcase for highlighting campus projects, events, and programs on co-ops so that campuses, students, and co-ops can show off their work and make sure it’s make an impact in the world.
- Wondering what a co-op is and how they build stronger communities? Read our in-depth overview (with videos too!) here.
- Stay up to date with the Cooperative Teach-In by following us on Facebook and Twitter as well as signing up for our low-traffic e-mail list. Please also help us get the word out by sharing this project via e-mail and social media!
My best,
Brian Van Slyke
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The Cooperative Teach-In is a project being coordinated by The Toolbox for Education and Social Action as a part of the National Cooperative Business Association‘s activities for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). Go here to find out more about what’s happening in the U.S. for the IYC.
Cooperative Teach-In Initiative Launches