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COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Pilsen Alliance is dedicated to providing innovative community education under the popular education philosophy of building social consciousness for collective transformation. This type of education aims to promote and facilitate the reflection and development of our social consciousness in order to develop a critical analysis of the political and social realities that affect our communities.
We view this important educational process as holistic; in that it integrates various spheres of influence to enact active social transformation. The process begins with different forms of personal development to increase peoples’ individual social conscious in order to promote free and critical thinking leading to liberation.
This process is reached through highlighting one’s personal reality and the culture in which we reside to further unmask the relationships of power. Through community education one begins to obtain a permanent analysis of the social, political, economic and cultural realities of our society.
We are working to overcome the political apathy, in which we are trapped, by building a movement on a grassroots level. Another integral piece of the educational process is to continue to create schools of social justice and to develop leadership that take place throughout the Pilsen community. Led by residents, we utilize this educational model to collectively mobilize and inform our communities in order to create equality, justice and solidarity leading to social transformation.
School of Social Justice and Leadership
Pilsen Alliance’s first School of Leadership and social justice kicked off in the summer of 2007. Twenty participants graduated from the seven week training, most of which remain active within our organization as well as being engaged in other social justice work throughout Chicago.
Pilsen Alliance Leadership Curriculum
We spent a great deal of time researching, discussing, designing, and reflecting on leadership and organizing for our first leadership development and organizing manual. The curriculum was designed to be a vibrant and evolutionary tool that advances our political analysis and organizing campaigns to build community power and create social change. Our aim is to design curriculum that incorporates traditional organizing strategies with participatory educational principles and techniques. The curriculum includes various forms of art, poetry, theatre, and other interactive activities reflective of the centuries of struggle of women, immigrants, and people of color.
To view a couple sample activities please click here.