Community Organizer Training Available

Hey Folks -

I recieved this email (below). I know nothing about the organization, but it sounds legit. If anyone is interested, there is info below and there is a website:

www.thedartcenter.org


- Uke Man




Dear P Thomas Harker,


Happy thanksgiving. My name is Ben MacConnell. I am a
community organizer working with a national network of
congregation-based community organizations working
toward social and economic justice called the Direct
Action & Research Training (DART) center. I got your
email address from the unitedforpeace.org directory and
noticed you were the local contact for Ukuleles for
Sanity.


I was hoping you could assist in our efforts to train
a new generation of community organizers by forwarding
along the simple announcement below regarding our
paid training positions available to appropriate
listserves, field organizers, volunteers, interns, or anyone
within the Ukuleles for Sanity network with an interest
in social and economic justice. Our paid training
program starts June 16, 2008 and runs through October 5,
2008, but our application deadline is right around the
corner on January 1, 2008


I realize that multiple announcements about our
positions can be a bit pesky, but this is an amazing
opportunity for those with an interest in improving the lives
of people living in low-moderate income
neighborhoods. Please broadcast the message below as widely as
possible. I also attached a brief e-flyer in case
something printed up may be helpful for upcoming meetings.


Thanks.


Sincerely,


Ben MacConnell

Recruitment Director

DART Network

ph: (785) 841-2680

email: ben@thedartcenter.org

www.thedartcenter.org

**************************

Message to forward:


The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center is
currently accepting resumes from those interested in
social and economic justice issues for their paid,
four-month community organizing training program known as
the DART Organizers Institute. The application
deadline for this program is January 1, 2008.


The DART Center has built non-partisan community
organizations throughout the country that have won
important improvements on a broad set of issues affecting
low-moderate income people including:


. Education reform in low-performing public schools

. Job Training

. Drugs and Violence

. Affordable Housing

. Criminal Recidivism

. Neighborhood Revitalization, etc.


The DART Organizers Institute starts June 17, 2008 and
combines a 7-day classroom with 15-week field
training. Organizer Trainees will learn such things as:


. Entering a community

. Identifying and training local leaders

. Strategic planning and issue cutting

. Relationship and community building

. Direct Action on community issues

. Fundraising


This is a paid training program designed to promote
successful graduates into permanent salaried positions
making up to $35,000/year in starting salaries, plus
benefits. Graduates from the DART Organizers Institute
have gone onto accept Executive Director and Associate
Community Organizing positions throughout the country.
We continue to train the best of those working to
build the power of low-moderate income neighborhoods to
win victories on important issues in their community.


To understand what graduates of the DART Organizers
Institute have accomplished, please take a moment and
read through a few examples:


1. Jeff Modzelewski finished his undergraduate degree
in 2004 at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. After
working for two years in the business world, he then
was accepted into the DART Organizers Institute. Eight
months after Jeff's paid community organizing
training, he organized over 750 community leaders in
Columbus, Ohio to reign in payday lending operations that prey
upon the most vulnerable by charging exorbitant fees
and interest on short-term loans. As a result, State
Senator Miller introduced statewide legislation that
will equitably regulate the rampant misuse of payday
lending. With the momentum of the State Senator's
commitment, Jeff and coalition leaders are now building a
statewide power base to ensure passage of this
legislation.


2. Leah Woodward finished her masters in film in 2005
at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and
then graduated from the Organizers Institute in 2005.
She then accepted a job with the FAST organization in
St. Petersburg, Florida. Using the training provided,
Leah and another organizer mobilized 1,800 people from
28 congregations to take action on affordable housing.
As a result of this action, County Commissioners
agreed to create a $10 million dollar housing trust fund
that will set public monies aside for building housing
that low- to moderate-income families can afford. In
addition, the commission unanimously approved a
mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance that will compel
builders to include affordable units in their developments
for years to come.


3. Andy Lee graduated from Michigan State University
and went into the DART Organizers Institute in 2004 and
was hired onto staff with the BUILD organization in
Lexington, Kentucky. Andy organized with local leaders
to create a drug recovery program in the women's jail
in 2006. During an in-depth research phase facilitated
by Andy, leaders discovered that over 80% of the jail
population in Fayette County are there for problems
related to drugs and alcohol, and with treatment the
re-arrest rate drops from 66% to 19%. While a drug
recovery program existed in the jail for men there was no
program for women. After initially denying any
consideration of BUILD's plan to add the needed $175,000 to
the city's annual budget for the program, the mayor
eventually agreed to do so after being confronted by 1,010
people from 20 congregations all pressing for the
program at a community action on March 20, 2006. Two
months later the Urban County Council made it official by
approving the Mayor's budget, and later that summer,the drug recovery
program in the women's jail opened. The program is
expected to save millions of dollars in tax money
previously spent on re-arrests, while also demonstrably
improving the lives of thousands of women who would have
continued wrestling with drug addiction and crime. Andy
is now the Executive Director of another community
organization in Broward County, Florida known as BOLD
Justice.


4. Virginia Lynch finished her undergraduate degree at
Emory University with a degree in religious studies
and then entered the DART Organizers Institute in 2004.
Following training she accepted a position on staff
with the PEACE organization in Lakeland, Florida. Using
the training provided by DART, Virginia led an
organizing drive that mobilized over 800 community leaders
to publicly call for action on health care related
issues. As a result of her work, the organization won the
approval of a permanent half cent sales tax that will
provide over $35 million dollars annually to fund one
new health clinic a year for the next five years and
increase indigent patients seen from the current 2,000
to 45,000 patients per year. Virginia is now the
Executive Director of a the RISC organization in Richmond,
Virginia.


While these are clear-cut victories with measurable
results, they are only snapshots in time depicting the
work of three of the graduates of our training program.
Along with over 30 others, Andy, Leah, Jeff, and
Virginia continue to organize and regularly express a
long-term commitment to the field. To apply, please send
an updated resume to: Ben MacConnell, the Recruitment
Director at: institute@thedartcenter.org before
January 1, 2008. You can also call him with questions: (785)
841-2680. To find out more about the DART center,
check out our website: www.thedartcenter.org.