UACT develops powerful social justice facilitation and organizing skills 

for people who work in worlds of power and difference

 

We know how challenging it is to develop and sustain learning spaces that challenge people to work together, across differences, in a way that recognizes and invites rigorous collective work toward social change. UACT facilitation training develops the capacity for sustained, dynamic, inspired learning, both inside our own organization as well as in other university and community organizations that seek our partnership. Skilled facilitation -- the ability to create and hold collective space, to involve all participants in rigorous engagement with issues of power across lines of difference, and to develop context-appropriate participatory structures -- creates the conditions for social justice work and community building that is deep, broad, and effective.

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Our facilitation, training, and events aim toward the development of alliances and coalitions in which everyone can take part and which cultivate the leadership and wisdom of those directly affected by injustice.

 

Advanced UACT staff, including student trainers, MA students in the Community-Engaged Research and Practice concentration, and the faculty Director, develop partnerships toward this end within the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with organizers and coalitions in the region, and with programs in diverse higher education institutions. Please contact us if you are interested in working together.

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Past Trainings, Workshops, and Course Participation

 

Other university departments, student organizations, events, and community organizations for which UACT has conducted training and workshops, and that have participated in our courses, include:

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• Social Justice Student-Taught Colloquium (UMass’ STPEC Program in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and AFSC)

• Eco-Rep Program (UMass School of Natural Sciences)

• Sustainable Living Undergraduate TAs (UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture)

• Real Food Challenge Internship (UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture)

• Preserving Food Culture from the Homeland (Nuestras Raíces in Holyoke, UMass Stockbridge, and UMass Community Engagement and Student Learning)

• Student Bridges (UMass)

• Summer Institutes in Sustainability and Filmmaking (UMass Commonwealth Honors College)

• Peer Health Educators Program (Hampshire College)

• Student Union (Hampshire College)

• UMass Student-Run Businesses

• Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice

• Public History/Histories of Incarceration Graduate Course (UMass History Department)

• Women of Color Leadership Network (UMass Center for Women and Community)

• IMPACT National Civic Engagement Conference

• American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting

• UMass Collaborative Leadership Conference

• Loretta Ross' "Calling In the Calling Out Culture" conference

• Pioneer Valley Workers Center

• Western Mass Cosecha

• Resource Generation

• La Mariposa Colectivo

• UMass Student Government Association

• UMass Divestment Campaign 

• Hampshire College's Center for Ethics and the Common Good

• UMass Amherst Women of Color Leadership Network

• UMass Dissenters

• Western Massachusetts Asylum Support Network

• Smith Mutual Aid Collective

• Decarcerate Western Mass

• Neighbor to Neighbor

• Graduate Employee Organization

 

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