Education: Combahee Drylongso Community Organizing Institute - Introduction

Combahee Drylongso Community Organizing Institute (formerly Kressley Institute) is ONE DC's three year pilot program in training local grassroots organizers.

ONE DC is seeking talented individuals with a recognized commitment to community organizing, policy change, and a social-justice based education process to submit applications for Combahee Drylongso Institute. The Institute is designed to support and train local organizers through an intensive 6-day training institute, and seeks to build the capacity of individuals and/or organizations working district-wide around resident-led campaign development and action planning.

While the Institute is seeking individuals who have an interest in professional community organizing, we are especially interested in community leaders who are working at the grassroots level to build the collective power and leadership of their fellow community members. The training is based on the “know-why” and “know-how” approach concentrating on: Conceptual skills (i.e. values, theory and culture); and Practical skills (i.e. hands-on training, campaign development, action planning, coalition building, behavior driven performance and outcome based results, etc.). The Institute will focus on the use of progressive and strategic community organizing, policy change, and popular education.

Project Description

The Institute is designed to support and train local organizers through an intensive 6-day intensive training (with some evenings), which will be followed by monthly check-ins and year round technical support. While the Institute is seeking those individuals who have an interest in pursuing professional community organizing, we are especially interested in community leaders who may not work within formal organizing institutions, but are working at the grassroots level to build the collective power and leadership of their fellow community members. For those 20 – 25 participants who are selected, their training will concentrate on:

• Conceptual skills (i.e. values, theory and culture of residents)
• Practical skills (i.e. door-to-door organizing, recruitment, campaign development, action planning, and coalition building)

For more information, contact Gloria Robertson at 202-232-2915 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .