Resources
(This list is growing fast! Please check back soon for more links, or write kate@prosocialpower.org. Organizations with a * are located in Chicago, or have local chapters in Chicago.)
Tools for Building Transformative Movements
Beautiful Solutions From worker-owned cooperatives to participatory budgeting, time banking, and partiipatory democaracy, Beautiful Solutions "gathers the most promising and contagious strategies for building a more just, democratic, and resilient world."
The Center for Story-based Strategy (CSS) "Harnessing the power of narrative for social change"
Lead with Love Take the pledge and get inspired to envision with "fierce love", organize community, and resist violations to our civil rights
Love With Power: Practicing Transformation for Social Justice A beautiful downloadable book with stories from various movements who are just as clear about what they are for as what they are against.
Organizing for Power, Organizing for Change A treasure trove of info about organizing, leadership, & strategy, including resources in Spanish, and peace & justice song sheets
People's Movement Assembly An organizing handbook for "building power through radical democratic, participatory spaces that respect and trust the collective voice of people in struggle."
Popular Education News Resources for democratic education by the people, for the people
What is Transformative Movement Building? Free webinars and resources
Caregiver, Teacher, & Student Movements
The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools “A national alliance of parent, youth and community organizations and labor groups fighting for educational justice and equity in access to school resources and opportunities.”
ASAN - Autistic Self-Advocacy Network "Nothing about us without us!"
Caring Economy Campaign Public policy and education to make caring work more visible and valued.
*ChiChiCo - Chicago Childcare Collective provides childcare for parents doing racial and economic justice work, and volunteer opportunities for those who want to support intergenerational activism.
COPA – Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action “COPA’s Mission is to develop the leadership skills of ordinary people to engage effectively in public life”
Hand in Hand “A national network of employers of nannies, housecleaners and home attendants working for dignified and respectful working conditions that benefit the employer and worker alike.” They sponsor the Fair Care Pledge to help employers promise to pay fair wages.
*Logan Square Neighborhood Association Parent Engagement Institute Authentic parent engagement, cultivating bilingual English/Spanish parent mentors, and transforming schools into community centers for intergenerational learning
*MASK – Mothers Against Senseless Killings This "army of moms" and allies organizes neighborhood patrols, free meals, grief support groups, & know-your-rights trainings
Mothering Justice "By empowering mothers to influence policy on behalf of themselves & their families, Mothering Justice hopes to change the future of families in Michigan for the better."
*National Domestic Workers Alliance “Community. Dignity. Care. A vibrant network of nannies, housecleaners, & care workers.” Check for local partners in your area.
*Raise Your Hand and Raise Your Hand Action Parent advocates and allies for fair funding and democratic community control of Illinois public schools
*Teachers for Social Justice "Working toward classrooms and schools that are anti-racist, multicultural / multilingual, and grounded in the experiences of our students."
*UPLAN United Parent Leaders Action Network “A parent-led action network of parent leaders and parent leadership initiatives across the nation.”
For Families of Children with Developmental Differences & Children in Early Intervention
*Access Living Advocacy, legal advice, resources and outreach for people with disabilities
EI Clearinghouse Learn about early intervention, and borrow great books & educational DVDs by mail.
Equip for Equality Learn your rights on education, discrimination & abuse, and get free legal advice
First Signs The ASD Video Glossary illuminates differences between typical & atypical development.
Getting started with EI - DHS Office Locator If your child is under three, you can get a free evaluation to see if they qualify for in-home therapy
Parent Rights in Illinois Special education glossary, your legal rights, and what to know about IEPs
When I'm 3, Where Will I Be? A guide to transition from Early Intervention to Pre-K in Illinois
More links coming soon:
IEP advocates
Technology lending library
Resource Center for Autism & Developmental Delays
UIC Child & Family Development Center
More Movements for Justice & Liberation
*Grassroots Illinois Action works "to unite Chicagoans in an effort to build real independent political power in and for our communities." Join the mailing list to participate in meetings, canvassing, and actions to connect the dots between education justice, affordable housing, progressive taxation & more.
*Lifted Voices "is an action oriented organization aimed at defending the lives and rights of women and non binary people of color. Through direct action, community dialogue and self defense curriculums, we seek to empower and protect ourselves, and one another."
*Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration "is an intergenerational membership based organization that builds the collective strength and power of mothers directly impacted by racial, and economic injustice in Chicago."
*People's Response Team "is a multi-racial, intergenerational group committed to supporting efforts to end police violence in Chicago."
*Project NIA's "mission is to dramatically reduce the reliance on arrest, detention, and incarceration for addressing youth crime and to instead promote the use of restorative and transformative practices."
*SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) has 100+ chapters around the country to organize primarily (but not exclusively) white people to educate one another about racial justice and support actions for liberation led by people of color.
Vital Articles
Abandon Parenting, and Just Be a Parent Lessons from anthropology on easing up, trusting ourselves and our children
Affordable Child Care: The Secret to a Better Economy "High-quality child care is a win-win, helping to raise earnings now and increase productivity over the long term while enriching the lives of children."
How to End the Criminalization of Black Mothers "Other countries provide childcare and income supports for poor mothers; in the United States, we arrest them."
On the Wildness of Children "The revolution will not take place in a classroom."
The PIC is... An online 'zine about the prison industrial complex, and why dismantling it is so important to racial and education justice
Prison Culture Veteran organizer Mariame Kaba describes her blog as "a running work journal; a place to catalogue all of the ideas, thoughts, musings, and resources that I have about mass incarceration, transformative justice and the prison industrial complex (PIC)." It's also a great resource for budding organizers, and folks looking for ways to resist the Trump agenda.
Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional (and 3 Ways to Practice It) A must-read for white feminists learning to connect the dots
Books
The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collective Groups, by Starhawk. "A comprehensive guide for groups seeking to organize with shared power and bottom-up leadership."
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall Rosenberg
The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics, by Riane Eisler
Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Frontlines, Edited by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai’a Williams "None of us are here unless we are mothered. We are mothered by our movements, our families of origin and chosen family configurations and we all still struggle to mother ourselves and each other. Turning to visionary mothers from the 1970s to today as guideposts, Revolutionary Mothering activates mothering as the answer to the key questions for our species: (How) will we continue to exist? How do we imagine a future beyond ourselves? How do we relate to resources and time in a life-giving, life-renewing way, for real?"
Documentaries, Films & Short Videos
Autism the Musical - link coming soon
How to Start A Babysitting Co-op - a webinar on collaborating to meet needs outside the market
How to Understand Power - a 7-minute video with Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University. "Power is no more inherently good or bad than fire, or physics. It just is... Learning how power operates is key to being effective and being taken seriously."
Neurotypical - documentary - link coming soon
Own the Change: Building Economic Democracy One Worker at a Time "A short, practical guide for those considering worker owned cooperatives"
The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation An eye-opening series about the power of universal childcare and other pro-family, pro-equality policies
What Teachers Make This explosive 3-minute poem by Taylor Mali may inspire you to reframe your life's work as having far more value than society gives you credit for.
Wretches and Jabberers Many autistic people are not "nonverbal" at all, when they have the right technological supports. Watch them travel the world, arranging cross-cultural meetings and typing out incredible insights on their devices.
Tools for Building Transformative Movements
Beautiful Solutions From worker-owned cooperatives to participatory budgeting, time banking, and partiipatory democaracy, Beautiful Solutions "gathers the most promising and contagious strategies for building a more just, democratic, and resilient world."
The Center for Story-based Strategy (CSS) "Harnessing the power of narrative for social change"
Lead with Love Take the pledge and get inspired to envision with "fierce love", organize community, and resist violations to our civil rights
Love With Power: Practicing Transformation for Social Justice A beautiful downloadable book with stories from various movements who are just as clear about what they are for as what they are against.
Organizing for Power, Organizing for Change A treasure trove of info about organizing, leadership, & strategy, including resources in Spanish, and peace & justice song sheets
People's Movement Assembly An organizing handbook for "building power through radical democratic, participatory spaces that respect and trust the collective voice of people in struggle."
Popular Education News Resources for democratic education by the people, for the people
What is Transformative Movement Building? Free webinars and resources
Caregiver, Teacher, & Student Movements
The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools “A national alliance of parent, youth and community organizations and labor groups fighting for educational justice and equity in access to school resources and opportunities.”
ASAN - Autistic Self-Advocacy Network "Nothing about us without us!"
Caring Economy Campaign Public policy and education to make caring work more visible and valued.
*ChiChiCo - Chicago Childcare Collective provides childcare for parents doing racial and economic justice work, and volunteer opportunities for those who want to support intergenerational activism.
COPA – Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action “COPA’s Mission is to develop the leadership skills of ordinary people to engage effectively in public life”
Hand in Hand “A national network of employers of nannies, housecleaners and home attendants working for dignified and respectful working conditions that benefit the employer and worker alike.” They sponsor the Fair Care Pledge to help employers promise to pay fair wages.
*Logan Square Neighborhood Association Parent Engagement Institute Authentic parent engagement, cultivating bilingual English/Spanish parent mentors, and transforming schools into community centers for intergenerational learning
*MASK – Mothers Against Senseless Killings This "army of moms" and allies organizes neighborhood patrols, free meals, grief support groups, & know-your-rights trainings
Mothering Justice "By empowering mothers to influence policy on behalf of themselves & their families, Mothering Justice hopes to change the future of families in Michigan for the better."
*National Domestic Workers Alliance “Community. Dignity. Care. A vibrant network of nannies, housecleaners, & care workers.” Check for local partners in your area.
*Raise Your Hand and Raise Your Hand Action Parent advocates and allies for fair funding and democratic community control of Illinois public schools
*Teachers for Social Justice "Working toward classrooms and schools that are anti-racist, multicultural / multilingual, and grounded in the experiences of our students."
*UPLAN United Parent Leaders Action Network “A parent-led action network of parent leaders and parent leadership initiatives across the nation.”
For Families of Children with Developmental Differences & Children in Early Intervention
*Access Living Advocacy, legal advice, resources and outreach for people with disabilities
EI Clearinghouse Learn about early intervention, and borrow great books & educational DVDs by mail.
Equip for Equality Learn your rights on education, discrimination & abuse, and get free legal advice
First Signs The ASD Video Glossary illuminates differences between typical & atypical development.
Getting started with EI - DHS Office Locator If your child is under three, you can get a free evaluation to see if they qualify for in-home therapy
Parent Rights in Illinois Special education glossary, your legal rights, and what to know about IEPs
When I'm 3, Where Will I Be? A guide to transition from Early Intervention to Pre-K in Illinois
More links coming soon:
IEP advocates
Technology lending library
Resource Center for Autism & Developmental Delays
UIC Child & Family Development Center
More Movements for Justice & Liberation
*Grassroots Illinois Action works "to unite Chicagoans in an effort to build real independent political power in and for our communities." Join the mailing list to participate in meetings, canvassing, and actions to connect the dots between education justice, affordable housing, progressive taxation & more.
*Lifted Voices "is an action oriented organization aimed at defending the lives and rights of women and non binary people of color. Through direct action, community dialogue and self defense curriculums, we seek to empower and protect ourselves, and one another."
*Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration "is an intergenerational membership based organization that builds the collective strength and power of mothers directly impacted by racial, and economic injustice in Chicago."
*People's Response Team "is a multi-racial, intergenerational group committed to supporting efforts to end police violence in Chicago."
*Project NIA's "mission is to dramatically reduce the reliance on arrest, detention, and incarceration for addressing youth crime and to instead promote the use of restorative and transformative practices."
*SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) has 100+ chapters around the country to organize primarily (but not exclusively) white people to educate one another about racial justice and support actions for liberation led by people of color.
Vital Articles
Abandon Parenting, and Just Be a Parent Lessons from anthropology on easing up, trusting ourselves and our children
Affordable Child Care: The Secret to a Better Economy "High-quality child care is a win-win, helping to raise earnings now and increase productivity over the long term while enriching the lives of children."
How to End the Criminalization of Black Mothers "Other countries provide childcare and income supports for poor mothers; in the United States, we arrest them."
On the Wildness of Children "The revolution will not take place in a classroom."
The PIC is... An online 'zine about the prison industrial complex, and why dismantling it is so important to racial and education justice
Prison Culture Veteran organizer Mariame Kaba describes her blog as "a running work journal; a place to catalogue all of the ideas, thoughts, musings, and resources that I have about mass incarceration, transformative justice and the prison industrial complex (PIC)." It's also a great resource for budding organizers, and folks looking for ways to resist the Trump agenda.
Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional (and 3 Ways to Practice It) A must-read for white feminists learning to connect the dots
Books
The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collective Groups, by Starhawk. "A comprehensive guide for groups seeking to organize with shared power and bottom-up leadership."
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall Rosenberg
The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics, by Riane Eisler
Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Frontlines, Edited by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai’a Williams "None of us are here unless we are mothered. We are mothered by our movements, our families of origin and chosen family configurations and we all still struggle to mother ourselves and each other. Turning to visionary mothers from the 1970s to today as guideposts, Revolutionary Mothering activates mothering as the answer to the key questions for our species: (How) will we continue to exist? How do we imagine a future beyond ourselves? How do we relate to resources and time in a life-giving, life-renewing way, for real?"
Documentaries, Films & Short Videos
Autism the Musical - link coming soon
How to Start A Babysitting Co-op - a webinar on collaborating to meet needs outside the market
How to Understand Power - a 7-minute video with Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University. "Power is no more inherently good or bad than fire, or physics. It just is... Learning how power operates is key to being effective and being taken seriously."
Neurotypical - documentary - link coming soon
Own the Change: Building Economic Democracy One Worker at a Time "A short, practical guide for those considering worker owned cooperatives"
The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation An eye-opening series about the power of universal childcare and other pro-family, pro-equality policies
What Teachers Make This explosive 3-minute poem by Taylor Mali may inspire you to reframe your life's work as having far more value than society gives you credit for.
Wretches and Jabberers Many autistic people are not "nonverbal" at all, when they have the right technological supports. Watch them travel the world, arranging cross-cultural meetings and typing out incredible insights on their devices.