Massachusetts Leadership Academy | Strengthening the Next Generation of Activists for Social Change

A Found Poem to Read to Your Children After Thanksgiving

by admin on Nov 22, 2012 • No Comments

THE CHILDREN AND I NEED SHELTER – LAST NIGHT WE SLEPT IN A CAR ( Massachusetts found poem)* Where were you sleeping before you slept in the car? How many nights have you spent in the car? Were your children with you? Do you own the car? Do you have the...

Featured / Resources / Trainings / Uncategorized

Organizing for Change – Reorganizing Your Internal Resources

by admin on Oct 15, 2012 • No Comments

I bet you can think of 10 MORE reasons why your organization might not want to spend the time and energy to reorganize you existing resources in order plan and implement a campaign to promote positive policy change in your town, in your county or in your state. I can...

Featured / Teens / Trainings / Uncategorized

Summer Leadership Program at Catholic Charities St Peter’s Teen Center

by admin on Sep 1, 2012 • No Comments

These great kids not only made it to an 8:30 am Leadership Program at Catholic Charities St Peter’s Teen Center in Dorchester every morning, but they stayed the whole 6 weeks and paid attention! They were representing other Counselors in Training and Peer Leaders from the St Peter’s Teen Center...

Featured / Trainings

New Videos from Freedom House + past Highlights

by admin on Jul 13, 2012 • No Comments

Parents on the March: Organizing for Quality Education in Boston Public Schools, June 2012 Gail Snowden, from Freedom House, hosted the recent session on organizing for quality education in Boston and introduces two of Boston’s greatest education advocates and organizers Rep. Byron Rushing and Sarah-Ann Shaw. ...

Featured / Uncategorized

The most fun message training ever.

by admin on Jun 27, 2012 • No Comments

What kind of story do you tell? So far, the most “fun” on-site coaching event is a very lively, interactive message development session which helps volunteer activists and professional advocates learn how to turn a Chicken Little story that people ignore, into a Little Train that Could story, that makes people want to...

Featured / Trainings

What Does it Take to Promote Positive Change in Our Communities?

by admin on Jun 13, 2012 • No Comments

Answer: One person or organization, willing to be a part of a greater network, fueled by a common vision for the right solution. Individuals, organizations, communities learning from each other, drawing from a comprehensive library of public policy resources and organizing tools. Leadership Academy Training Programs: Be part of the Academy’s...

Featured / Resources

Do you have Real Clout?

by admin on Mar 30, 2012 • No Comments

There’s no secret for how to win the policy change you’re looking for, just a series of planning and organizing activities that add up to a campaign. Start by learning how the policy-making process works: the Real Clout textbook was written to serve as a how-to manual for community activists who,...

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On the Agenda at Last! Immigration Reform — No Excuses

by admin on Jan 30, 2013 • No Comments

from Ali Noorani’s Huffington’s Post in part…. Less than a week to go till the March FOR America and the immigration blame game is kicking into full gear. Democrats are blaming Republicans, Republicans are blaming Democrats. Meanwhile, the DC punditry – aided and abetted by a front pageWashington Post story that doesn’t have a source to cite - is tripping...

advocacy / Featured / tax breaks

TAX BREAKS for Ben Affleck. Tax hikes for everyone else.

by admin on Jan 28, 2013 • No Comments

Joan Vennochi does it again. A sharp spin on a current hot debate — in this case revenues Here in part TAX BREAKS for Ben Affleck. Tax hikes for everyone else. As he calls for $1.9 billion in new taxes, that proposal didn’t add up for Governor Deval Patrick. So, he’s also proposing to cap the film tax...

advocacy / Autism / Resources

Michael Forbes Wilcox – One Man’s Mission: Bring much-needed assistance to autistic adults and others who are not now served.

by admin on Jan 26, 2013 • No Comments

Of course the campaign to bring much needed services to autistic adults and others is not just one man’s mission. In fact the effort is being led by The Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE) and they have taken the lead in drafting and promoting two bills to implement the highest priority recommendations of the...

advocacy / Featured / gun control

On the Agenda at Last Linsky Files Gun Violence Legislation

by admin on Jan 23, 2013 • No Comments

From the Brookline Patch in part The bill looks to close loopholes in existing state laws, require mental health background checks, strengthen gun storage requirements and require liability insurance for gun owners. The following is a press release sent by the office of state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick. State Rep. David P. Linsky announced today...

advocacy / domestic workers / Featured / Uncategorized

Refocusing Our Lens: Domestic Workers’ Rights Are a Neglected Feminist Issue

by admin on Jan 20, 2013 • No Comments

Fom RH Reality Check Domestic Workers Rights The attention gap for this issue is particularly unfortunate in light of how hard domestic workers are toiling not just in their jobs, but also to advocate for themselves. The successful campaign for a New York Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights which passed in 2010, and the campaign in California which...

Resources

A First Look at the Governor’s Proposals on Education, Transportation, and Revenue January 18, 2013

by admin on Jan 19, 2013 • No Comments

Just enough for you to know from the venerable Mass Budget and Policy Center: An (actually easy to read) analysis of the Governor’s proposals: Watch here for a detailed report when the Governor files his budget on January 23. In recent days, the Governor has introduced three major policy initiatives. 1) Increased funding for...

advocacy / Uncategorized

Commonwealth? 0f Mass. to end placing of homeless in motels – But you can’t do something with nothing

by admin on Jan 4, 2013 • No Comments

According to the Globe The state government plans to eliminate a controversial emergency shelter program that places about 1,700 homeless families in motels and hotels paid by taxpayers, but housing advocates are worried officials will not be able to come up with better alternatives. The money quote came from Chris Norris, executive director of the...

advocacy / Featured / Teens / Uncategorized

16 Candles and a Ballot in Lowell

by admin on Nov 30, 2012 • No Comments

Vote 17 Lowell — still working at setting an example for the rest of the country. We were very happy to be featured in the The New York Times Upfront magazine for students all across the country to read about our efforts to lower the voting age in Lowell! from the Free Library In 2009, city...

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