Cooperative Teach-In Initiative Launches

Cooperative Teach-In Initiative

We at the Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) would like to announce the official launch of the"Cooperative Teach-In Initiative" as a part of the UN-Declared 2012 International Year of Cooperatives. The Cooperative Teach-In focuses on engaging colleges, universities, schools, and other communities on what co-ops are and how they positively change local and global communities. This initiative connects campuses with cooperatives, facilitating an exchange of information, ideas, tactics, and goals.

The Cooperative Teach-in allows people who are interested in a wide variety of issues to engage with the national cooperative movement and see how co-ops relate to them: from workers' rights to economic development, democratic control, environmental justice, fair trade, community empowerment, social entrepreneurship, food justice, and small farmers. For the past few months, TESA has been piloting the program in New England. We have already organized over a dozen co-op events and three courses as a part of this initiative! This project has already connected co-ops with middle schools, high schools, after school programs, community colleges, and universities. Now, we are extremely excited for cooperatives and campuses across the United States to get involved.Here is what you can get out of this initiative and what you can do to get involved:

• Sign up for our "Campus - Cooperative Connections",which puts you on a map that you can use to connect your campus with a cooperative, or your cooperative with a campus, to set up an event, program, or project on co-ops and the co-op movement. We will also help facilitate connections between co-ops and campuses.You can read testimonials here from people who've taken part in this initiative.
• Browse our ready-to-use educational workshops and resources to engage co-ops and campuses as well as our selection of recommended readings on co-ops. We've just started compiling these resources, so they will grow significantly as the year goes on. You can help us grow this library by submitting resources for all to use for free.
• Get in touch with us to access a team that will help you develop custom educational resources(projects, events, courses, programs, and more) for freeduring 2012. We will also help you make connections with a campus or a co-op to set up a cooperative education experience.
• In the near future, we will also have a showcase for highlighting campus projects, events, and programs on co-ops so that campuses, students, and co-ops can show off their work and make sure it's make an impact in the world.
• Wondering what a co-op is and how they build stronger communities? Read our in-depth overview (with videos too!) here.
• Stay up to date with the Cooperative Teach-In by following us on Facebook and Twitter as well as signing up for our low-traffic e-mail list. Please also help us get the word out by sharing this project via e-mail and social media!

My best,
Brian Van Slyke

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The Cooperative Teach-In is a project being coordinated by The Toolbox for Education and Social Action as a part of the National Cooperative Business Association's activities for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). Go here to find out more about what's happening in the U.S. for the IYC.

Job Opening: Development, Sales, and Partnerships for the Toolbox for Education and Social Action

See idealist.org listing.

About TESA

The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) is a worker-owned, next-generation publisher of participatory resources for social and economic change. TESA also provides services to support individuals and organizations developing and implementing their own educational materials, programs, and digital resources.

TESA is a worker cooperative that is democratically owned and managed by its workers. http://toolboxfored.org

In our young history, TESA has worked on a number of causes and pioneered an array of exciting resources and programs. Our in-house projects include the incredibly successful Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives (http:coopolygame.com), Cultivate.Coop (http:Cultivate.Coop), and more. We are currently working with the South Bronx Green Worker Cooperatives to build a co-op academy in New York City and with the National Cooperative Business Association to develop and implement a nation-wide Cooperative Teach-In program, to name a few recipients of our services.

Our other work has addressed such topics as immigration solidarity, people’s history, and anti-war organizing. In addition, we have other projects that we are currently working to launch.

Job Description

TESA is looking to contract for a “Development, Sales, and Partnerships Specialist” that can take our efforts to the next level. This role will primarily focus on increasing sales of our products, fund-raising for our other initiatives, and developing partnerships between TESA and other organizations in order to launch innovative projects. This position will begin as an independent contractor, with the potential to develop into an employee, worker-owner position over time. (See below.)

TESA often initiates great project ideas and then seeks out other organizations (non-profits, associations, other co-ops, etc.) to partner with in order to collaboratively fund-raise, develop content, and maximize impact.

Your responsibilities will include:

Fundraise and Partnerships:

• Find organizational partners and fund-raise (through crowd-funding, partnerships, and grant writing) for in development anti-war curricula as well as a social justice graphic novel, and other projects.
• Fundraise (through crowd-sourcing, partnerships, and grant writing) for an exciting and major expansion to Cultivate.Coop as well as for our national Cooperative Teach-In program.

Sales:

• Focus sales of Co-opoly, “10 Reasons Co-ops Rock” poster, and upcoming releases (curricula, posters, games, etc.) to retailers, individuals, and allied organizations.

Development, sales, and partnerships would be your main focus. However, within this broad range of responsibilities, we are willing to consider someone who is strong is one area (for example, sales and marketing) and willing to learn others, such as crowd-sourcing or grant-writing.

Location

Proximity to the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts is a major preference, but is not required. Our office is in Northampton, MA. We prefer someone who can be in the office, when needed. However, we are willing to consider someone that is based in other locations, such as New York or DC, if he or she is the right candidate

Qualifications

An ideal candidate should have an interest in or basic knowledge about cooperatives and a desire to learn more.

Skills

• Sales and/or marketing experience
• Fundraising experience - grant writing, crowd-funding platforms
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Basic social media skills
• Spanish skills are a bonus, but not required

Qualities

• Interest in education
• Ability to collaborate and work well in groups
• Organized and self-motivated
• Dedication to social and economic justice
• Able to juggle more than one project at a time
• Fast learner and self-starter
• Ability to manage and develop projects
• Creative
• Ability to foster relationships with other organizations

Compensation

This position will start out as a three month contractor position. If you are a good fit for TESA, the contract will be extended. A good fit for TESA grows sales with our established products, shows ability to fundraise for current projects, and is able to recruit and develop new partnerships. After 8 months as a contractor, upon review by TESA, you will become eligible to become an employee and worker-owner of TESA, and, upon mutual agreement, your independent contractor status will end.

Payment: $2,000 - $2,300 a month. Possibly more, depending on experience.

Keep in mind that this position is meant to boost our sales and fund-raising significantly, so if done right, this compensation will grow.