Register for our Advocacy Cohort now!

Kindred’s Advocacy Cohort is a space for caregivers / parents, educators, and community members to deepen their advocacy skillsets and networks and to build partnerships with decision-makers—to ultimately influence systemic change in DC education policy.

We’re so excited to invite you to register for Kindred’s 2023-2024 Advocacy Cohort!

Why you? You’re someone who is

• deeply invested in equitable education for all students,
• committed to bettering school spaces for all stakeholders—especially our students, caregivers, and educators on the front lines, and you’re
• ready to start or continue collaborating with DC’s decision-makers, to advance our community.

Your commitment to disrupting racism and fostering spaces where belonging, inclusion, and community power are at the forefront let us know that you’re the perfect advocate and organizer for this program!

As a cohort member, you’ll have the opportunity to

• strengthen your citywide advocacy skillset
• engage directly with multiple stakeholders, public officials, and decision-makers
• discuss DC’s policy and law practices and their relationship to anti-racism and equity
• receive testimony writing support
• build connection and community power within your cohort of organizers

We deeply value the time and mental currency of our cohort members. We know that there’s no compensation that can match your spent resources, so we thank our cohort members by providing meals for each session and a monetary gift at the culmination of the program.

Register for our Advocacy Cohort now!

Overview of Cohort Membership

We’re here to support you. Please reach out to advocacy@kindredcommunities.org with any questions.

We are actively seeking BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) caregivers / parents, educators, and community members who can engage in 50% or more of the planned cohort programming (outlined below). While folx who aren’t BIPOC are still welcome and encouraged to sign-up, we want to be clear about our intent: build a cohort that can speak to the consequences and impact of racially discriminatory education policies from their own lived experiences. That said—we know that so many folx have complex identities that help us collectively surface additional advocacy priorities (like academic programming, mental health supports, and ability-specific learning needs). Advocates in the cohort are likely members of one or more of these community groups:

• Community members who are also residents of DC and / or have children who attend DCPS or DCPCS
• Community members who are employed by DCPS, DCPCS, or DC-based education community
• Community members who are deeply invested in equitable education for all DC’s students

Calendar Overview

Kindred-led Sessions

Dec 7     Session 1: Welcome to Advocacy w/Kindred

Jan 11    Session 2: State Board of Education: Unpacking its History + Partnering Ahead

Jan 25    Session 3: DC City Council: Unpacking its History + Partnering Ahead

Feb 8     Session 4: From Hearings to Being Heard! → Testimony Writing Workshop