Vision Change Win is now inviting applications to be part of the third cohort of Security School (2023 – 2024).
Open House
Want to learn more about Security School? Join us for an upcoming free open house to hear from trainers & learn more. Drop in anytime during open house hours to ask questions or learn more about the school.
June 27, 5:00 – 6:30 pm EST
July 11, 5:00 – 6:30 pm EST
July 25, 5:00 – 6:30pm EST
August 3, 5:00 – 6:30pm EST
Questions? Safety[at]visionchangewin.org
No one organization can navigate safety, security, and surveillance threats in isolation.
What is Security School?
The school is a nine (9) – month training program which meets on the first (1st) Tuesday and Thursday of each month from September 2023- June 2024. Trainings are each three hours long (3:30pm-6:30pm EST) and focus on giving participants an introduction to foundational community safety and security practices.
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.
Participation in the program includes:
School Schedule:
Security school meets on the first Tuesday and Thursday of each month Oct-June with an open session* in late September and in early April**.
School Topics Include:
*There are two sessions that are 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. Because the political climate is rapidly changing we have made space for two emergent session topics.
Implementation Consultations
After completion of the program each participating organization would have access to two implementation consultation sessions (up to 60 minutes per session) customizable to the organizational need, with recommended consulting around:
Security and Safety Toolkits, Worksheets, and Assessment Tool
Participants will receive community safety worksheets, a toolkit for implementing organizational protocols, and a security and safety assessment tool.
Movement and Relationship Building
Participants would be guided through shared learning sessions with built-in tools and exercises to create relationships, think through how organizations can support each other, and establish peer learning within the framework of the cohort. These relationships will be deepened during the in-person regional trainings in order to support organizations to develop shared safety and security practices amongst each other.
Eligibility and Selection
Organizations must have a demonstrated commitment to grassroots social justice organizing, and a commitment to transformative justice, community safety, and abolitionist politics. The cohort is designed to support between 20-50 organizations, with a maximum of 100 participants.
Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer, and Trans- Led organizations will be prioritized. Organizations will be selected based on their capacity and commitment to implement and absorb the support, their need for safety and security work, and their demonstrated political commitment to abolitionist safety and security processes.
Who should be a Security School representative?
Representatives should be one or more of the following: an organizational leader who will implement, practice, or evaluate new safety practices, an organizational decision maker, an organizational policy/agreements writer or implementer, and/or an organizational leader who knows about the organization’s history of safety threats.
Do all representatives need to be confirmed now?
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. Organizations will be asked to confirm all representatives by August 30, 2023.
What does participation in Security School 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:
The cost includes:
Organizations are expected to commit to attend all sessions, as each session builds upon the previous session. Organizations should also maintain at least two consistent attendees. As circumstances are quickly changing, the program is designed to be flexible based on organizational needs. VCW cannot cover the cost of travel to and from the in-person retreat but will provide travel scholarships for select groups.
Scholarships
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 invites groups with an annual budget under $1 Million to apply for a Solidarity Scholarship and/or payment plan. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the Organization Application.
Application
Click Here for the 2023-2024 Security School Application (Due August 7, 2023, MIDNIGHT EST)
Who should fill out the Application? The application should be filled out by (or in coordination with) someone who is also planning to be a representative of your group in the school. This application includes payment information and scholarship information. (All organizations, including those who have been sponsored by a funder, must fill out both the organization applications)
What information is needed to fill out the application?
Please contact safety[at]visionchangewin.org with any additional questions.
Why We Started Security School
In June 2020, Vision Change Win received over 100 urgent security and safety training requests from several national networks and foundations. In order to fully support over 100 organizations in deepening safety and security VCW launched the National Community Safety and Security School in August 2020. Now completing its fourth year, this collaborative learning program is built on the understanding that no one organization can navigate safety, security, and surveillance threats in isolation.