Interested in learning about community safety? Register for one of our monthly training series!
What is the Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.)?
The Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) is a chance for organizations to develop and deepen their safety and security infrastructure. Trainings happen virtually and at each level of the training series, organizations learn concrete strategies for identifying and addressing potential risks and developing safety structures that are scaled to the organization’s unique capacity, adaptive to changing conditions, and trauma-informed.
The Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) is successive so each training is meant to build off of the last. Participants must complete 101 prior to attending 201; participants must complete 101 & 201 prior to completing 301. Participants who plan to attend the full series may do so over multiple months but must complete within 4 months or re-register.
Registration ends 24 hours prior to each training please register by Tuesday at 2pm EST.
NEW! VCW will be offering a quarterly 401 training on Digital Security
What are best practices to safeguard against digital safety threats? How can my organization build digital safety practices in a safe, non-intimidating environment? This training will focus on key concepts and frameworks in digital security, how to assess your organization’s digital security situation, and essential elements to implement for your group. Participants do not need to attend 101, 201, or 301 to attend this training. See below for dates.
Facilitated by Jack Aponte
| (G.I.F.T.S.) LEVELS & TOPICS | ||
| 101: Introduction to Safety and De-escalation (No Prerequisites) | 201: Safety for Direct Actions and Events (Prerequisite: MUST complete 101) | 301: Organizational Security Culture (Prerequisite: MUST complete 101 & 201) |
| What does progressive safety and security look like? BIPOC and other oppressed communities have long been developing safety strategies outside of the state. This training introduces security culture core principles, a piece of the long generation legacy of safety work. Organizations learn the basic components of de-escalation including assessing risk and practice foundational verbal de-escalation tactics. | How can my group create safer events? How do we create a security team and who should be on it? Community Safety and Security work is collective work. In this session organizations learn how to develop safety protocols for an action or event, including how to create a security team, differentiate team roles, and make team decisions. | How can my organization maintain or grow our security team? Where do we start with building an organizational security plan? How do we ensure the safety plans we make are implemented? This training focuses on tactics to build and maintain safety structures including growing capacity of a security or safety team. Participants learn strategies for building a security team, training practice, and how to start a security plan. |
Questions? Email: [email protected]
Who is this for?
At VCW, we believe that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities have created safety outside of the police and prisons for generations. The Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) builds upon this long legacy by offering social justice organizations tools to develop and deepen their safety and security infrastructure. Our trainers have between 10 – 40 years of experience working directly on safety and security protocols, and all have experience coordinating community safety programs for communities that include BIPOC, LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, low-income people, people with disabilities, survivors of violence, and other marginalized communities.
How does it work?
The Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) is a sequential virtual workshop where you can advance to the next level after completion of the previous training. To help with advance planning, the series is offered based on the following schedule:
Upcoming Dates 2026 (Twenty-Twenty Six)
January
101: Jan 7 (Seventh), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
201: Jan 14 (Fourteenth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
301: Jan 21 (Twenty-First), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
401: Jan 28 (Twenty-Eighth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
Spanish Interpretation Available || Interpretación en español disponible
February
February GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in February.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
March
March GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in March.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
April
101: April 8 (Eighth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
201: April 15 (Fifiteenth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
301: April 22 (Twenty-Second), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
401: April 29 (Twenty-Ninth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
Spanish Interpretation Available || Interpretación en español disponible
May
May GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in May.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
June
June GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in June.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
July
July GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in July.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording201: GIFTS Anytime Recording301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
August
101: Aug 5 (Fifth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
201: Aug 12 (Twelfth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
301: Aug 19 (Nineteenth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
401: Aug 26 (Twenty-Sixth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
Spanish Interpretation Available || Interpretación en español disponible
September
September GIFTS is only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in September.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
October
101: Oct 7 (Seventh), 2-4 PM EST || Two to Four pm EST
201: Oct 14 (Fourteenth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
301: Oct 21 (Twenty-First), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
401: Oct 28 (Twenty-Eighth), 2-4 pm EST || Two to Four pm EST
Spanish Interpretation Available || Interpretación en español disponible
November & December
November & December GIFTS are only available as recorded Anytime sessions. There will be no live GIFTS sessions in November & December.
101: GIFTS Anytime Recording
201: GIFTS Anytime Recording
301: GIFTS Anytime Recording
Attendees can go at their own pace – E.g., complete all 3 trainings as fast as 1 month, or up to 4 months.
G.I.F.T.S Anytime sessions are asynchronous recorded sessions participants can complete anytime. Participants will have access to the sessions for 4 months. Live zoom sessions will also be available so participants can mix and match live and recorded sessions. For example, participants may complete 101 live and then complete recorded 201 and 301. Or they may complete recorded 101, then complete 201 live, and complete recorded 301. We still strongly recommend participants complete sessions in numerical order, i.e. participants must complete 101 prior to attending 201; participants must complete 101 & 201 prior to completing 301.
You will register using the same link for both the live & Anytime recorded sessions. The registration link will be available soon.
Have questions? Email [email protected] for more information!