Certification in Social Justice and Community Organizing
Cohort Four Dates Spring 2027
One day in person retreat, Saturday, January 23rd 9 am - 5 pm
Meets online Tuesday nights starting January 26th 7 - 8:30 pm
Graduation Celebration Dinner in person Thursday, April 22nd, 5-9 pm
The application for the 2027 Cohort is now LIVE! Click here to apply!
Please contact program director Holly Roach for questions hroach2@queens.edu
This non-academic certification program at Queens University equips participants with political education and practical skills to effectively organize for social change. Participants are equipped with the knowledge and skills to bring together their communities around areas of common concern, build power, influence community decisions and create just outcomes in the various personal and professional contexts in which they work and live.Description: A ten-week program to train and equip participants with the education and practical skills to effectively organize social justice in their individualized contexts.
Locally and Nationally Recognized Speakers – Each week, participants learn online from experienced BIPOC speakers who are leaders within the social justice & community organizing space.
Praxis Organizing Project – Participants engage in self-directed organizing project or internship of their choosing.
Microgrants – Overseen by a BIPOC decision-making body, this microgrant fund serves as an equity measure embedded in the SJCO Certification program, shifting financial resources to local, grassroots, neighborhood, and BIPOC-led organizing for social justice in Charlotte. Awardees applied for community groups to stimulate community action, lead community organizing, and short-term projects. These are bottom-up efforts that support great grassroots ideas!
Mentorship – Participants are matched with experienced mentors who, through group and one-to-one meetings, support participants in discerning how to integrate the praxis project or micro-internship into their learning and connect them with additional opportunities in organizing.
Culminating Event – A culminating in-person seminar and final event. As part of our praxis, participants organize a public event to apply and demonstrate the skills learned in this course.