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National Community Safety and Security School

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2025–2026 National Community Safety and Security School Fellowship Overview
2026 National Community Safety and Security School Overview

2025-2026 National Community Safety and Security School Fellowship Overview

APPLICATION IS DUE SEPTEMBER 19, 2025, MIDNIGHT EST

In June 2020, Vision Change Win received over one hundred (100) urgent security and safety training requests from several national networks and foundations.  In order to fully support over one hundred (100) organizations in deepening safety and security VCW launched the National Community Safety and Security School in August 2020. Now in it’s sixth year, this collaborative learning program is built on the understanding that no one organization can navigate safety, security, and surveillance threats in isolation.  

About the Security School Fellowship (November 2025- February 2026)
In 2025, VCW launched the Security School fellowship. The fellowship cohort is only available to those who have first completed and graduated from the beginner, first year security school track. The cohort is a (5) five-month training program which meets on the first (1st) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each month from November 2025 – February 2026. Trainings are each three hours long (4 – 7 pm EST) and focus on giving fellows an intermediate to advanced understanding of community safety and security practices.
 
 Participation in the program includes:

  • Twelve standardized virtual intermediate and advanced training sessions (over thirty hours of training)
  • Opportunity to attend and apply to co-train at an in-person three-day gathering in June, 2026
  • Up to two leadership coaching sessions
  • Access to our rapid response system
  • Access to office hours held three times monthly on Thursdays
  • Accompanying security and safety toolkit and training for trainers materials

The Security School Fellowship is a rigorous program which asks participants to increase their attention, capacity, and commitment to community safety work. The fellowship cohort is only available to those who have first completed and graduated from the beginner, first year security school track. The expectations for fellows are higher than that of beginner security school cohort participants. Fellows should plan to complete at least twenty-five (25) hours of in-session work, and at least thirty (35) hours of out-of-session work. 
 
 Security School Fellow Commitments:
 

  • Practice security culture within organizational and movement spaces, in personal relationships, and professional relationships. This includes practicing confidentiality, generative conflict, and giving and receiving grounded feedback. 
  • Attend at least 75% of training sessions (participants who miss more than four unexcused sessions will not graduate from the program and may be asked to leave the program without tuition reimbursement or refund) 
  • Complete Twenty (20) hours of community safety leadership practice within a chosen community safety specialty (practice hours may include: physical de-escalation training, co-facilitation, shadowing practitioners, rapid response support, safety planning support, etc) 
  • Complete an end of cohort community safety project and presentation 

Upon graduating from the program, fellows will have the opportunity to support, co-facilitate, or shadow VCW community safety programs. This work will be compensated through a fellowship stipend rate.  
 
 The 2025-2026 training dates are as follows (All ses
sions are 4 – 7pm EST): 

  • November: Tues, 11/4 | Wed, 11/5 | Thurs, 11/6
  • December:  Tues, 12/2 | Wed, 12/3 | Thurs, 12/4
  • January:  Tues, 1/6 | Wed, 1/7 | Thurs, 1/8
  • February: Tues, 2/3 | Wed, 2/4 | Thurs, 2/5

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Friday, October 24, 2025: $100 deposit due 
  • Monday, December 1, 2025: First tuition payment due 

Fellowship Training Topics 

  • Facilitation skills & practice
  • Safety and Security Values
  • Liberation Pedagogies
  • Verbal De-escalation (201 & 301)
  • Direct Action Security Teams  (201 & 301)
  • Organizational Safety  (201 & 301)
  • Digital Security  (201 & 301)
  • Implementing Safety and Security Practices  (201 & 301)
  • Safety Team Sustainability  (201 & 301)
  • Graduation

Cost
The total true cost per organization to participate in Security School is $10,000, however in order to make our trainings as accessible as possible Vision Change Win offers scholarships to groups representing BIPOC, low-income folks, Immigrants, Queer or Trans folks, Disabled folks or other marginalized communities as well as volunteer-run groups. As such, VCW offers Security School tuition on a sliding scale based on the applying organization’s budget: 

  • Tier 1: Organizational Budget $5 Million and above | $10,000.00 tuition for 1-5 representatives
  • Tier 2: Organizational Budget $1 Million – $5 Million | $6,000.00 tuition for 1-5 representatives
  • Tier 3: Organizational Budget $500,000- $1 Million | $2,000.00 tuition for 1-5 representatives
  • Tier 4: Organizational Budget under $500,000| $1,000.00 tuition for 1-5 representatives

Solidarity scholarships are offered for organizations with budgets under $1 Million. Payment plans are available for all Tiers. Information on Solidarity Scholarships and payment plans can be found in the application.

Applying to both Security School AND Security School Fellowship? Email us to find out about the Level Up discounted rate.

Fellowship Open Houses: Do you have questions about applying to Security School? We’ve got answers. Swing by anytime during one of our open houses to talk with our staff. Arrive late or leave early.

Register for a 2025 Open House
  • Wed, September 3, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST      
  • Wed, September 17, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST    

About Vision Change Win:
Vision Change Win Consulting (VCW) is a Black-led team of queer and trans people of color with between ten (10) – twenty-five (25) years of experience within social justice movements, working to support organizations in fully manifesting their missions, visions, and values.  Founded in 2014, VCW’s goal is to support social justice organizations to become more effective, aligned, and liberatory.
  
For more information, find us at www.visionchangewin.org 
 
Questions? Reach out to [email protected] for more information

2026 National Community Safety and Security School Overview

APPLICATION IS DUE JANUARY 23, 2026, MIDNIGHT EST


In June 2020, Vision Change Win received over one hundred (100) urgent security and safety training requests from several national networks and foundations.  In order to fully support over one hundred (100) organizations in deepening safety and security VCW launched the National Community Safety and Security School in August 2020. Now in its sixth year, this collaborative learning program is built on the understanding that no one organization can navigate safety, security, and surveillance threats in isolation.  

About the Security School (March 2026 – July 2026)
The beginner cohort is a (5) five – month training program which meets on the first (1st) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each month from March 2026 – July 2026. Trainings are each three hours long (4 – 7 pm EST) and focus on giving participants an introduction to foundational community safety and security practices.
 
 Participation in the program includes:

  • Personalized organizational safety and security assessment
  • Fifteen standardized virtual training sessions (over fifty hours of training)
  • In-person three-day training
  • Up to two implementation coaching sessions
  • Access to our rapid response system
  • Access to office hours held three times monthly on Thursdays
  • Accompanying security and safety toolkit.  

The 2025-2026 training dates are as follows (All sessions are 4 – 7pm EST): 

  • March: Tues, 3/3* | Wed, 3/4 | Thurs, 3/5
  • April:  Tues, 3/31 | Wed, 4/1 | Thurs, 4/2
  • May:  Tues, 5/5 | Wed, 5/6 | Thurs, 5/7
  • June: Fri, 6/5 | Sat, 6/6 | Sun 6/7**
  • July:  Tues, 7/7 | Wed, 7/8 | Thurs, 7/9*

*Open to the public
 **We are assessing the possibility of an in-person session amidst the uncertainty that COVID brings. We will be updating participants on this session as the school progresses. Session topics are subject to change but session dates are firm. 
 
Organizations may apply to send between two (2) – five (5) representatives to join the school. Organizations may request to send more than five (5) representatives, and these requests will be approved or denied based on space and capacity. Each organization must have at least two (2) confirmed representatives in order to apply.
 
 IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Monday, February 16, 2026: $100 deposit due 
  • Friday, March 20, 2026: Organizations must confirm all representatives
  • Friday, April 3, 2026: First tuition payment due 

School Training Topics 

  • Legacy of Safety and Security Work Panel 
  • Safety and Security Values
  • Verbal De-escalation
  • Direct Action Security Teams
  • Disability Justice and Healing Justice within Safety Teams
  • History of Security Culture Panel
  • Organizational Safety
  • Digital Security
  • Implementing Safety and Security Practices
  • Safety Team Sustainability 
  • Transformative Justice
  • Graduation

Cost
The total true cost per organization to participate in Security School is $10,000, however in order to make our trainings as accessible as possible Vision Change Win offers scholarships to groups representing BIPOC, low-income folks, Immigrants, Queer or Trans folks, Disabled folks or other marginalized communities as well as volunteer-run groups. As such, VCW offers Security School tuition on a sliding scale based on the applying organization’s budget: 

  • Tier 1: Organizational Budget $5 Million and above | $10,000.00 tuition for 2-5 representatives
  • Tier 2: Organizational Budget $1 Million – $5 Million | $6,000.00 tuition for 2-5 representatives
  • Tier 3: Organizational Budget $500,000- $1 Million | $2,000.00 tuition for 2-5 representatives
  • Tier 4: Organizational Budget under $500,000| $1,000.00 tuition for 2-5 representatives

Solidarity scholarships are offered for organizations with budgets under $1 Million. Payment Plans are available for all Tiers. Information on Solidarity Scholarships and payment plans can be found in the application.

Applying to both Security School AND Security School Fellowship? Email us to find out about the Level Up discounted rate.

Open Houses: Do you have questions about applying to Security School? We’ve got answers. Swing by anytime during one of our open houses to talk with our staff. Arrive late or leave early. 

Register for a 2025 Open House
Register for a 2026 Open House
  • Wed, September 3, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST      
  • Wed, September 17, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST    
  • Wed, January 7, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST 
  • Wed, January 21, 2026, 5:00 – 6:00pm EST  

About Vision Change Win:
Vision Change Win Consulting (VCW) is a Black-led team of queer and trans people of color with between ten (10) – twenty-five (25) years of experience within social justice movements, working to support organizations in fully manifesting their missions, visions, and values.  Founded in 2014, VCW’s goal is to support social justice organizations to become more effective, aligned, and liberatory.
  
 For more information, find us at www.visionchangewin.org 
 
 Questions? Reach out to [email protected] for more information

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