Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council Annual Meeting 10/15/2016 Jennifer L. Wood Deputy Secretary/General Counsel Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Mission Building student power to ensure that young people have a fair say in improving their education.

Vision Providence Student Union aspires to be a genuinely youth-led union for students based in Providence, Rhode Island. Through PSU, young people will freely unite to develop leadership skills, organize for ground-up improvements to their schools, and ultimately win a fair say in their education system.

History The Providence Student Union was formed in the spring of 2010 when students from Hope High School joined together to protect their school’s popular block schedule from being dismantled. These young leaders formed PSU’s first chapter—Hope United—and began a series of campaigns to improve their school. After achieving a number of school-based victories, the group began organizing chapters across the Providence School district. Currently, PSU chapters in 6+ schools across Providence are working together to increase the collective power of all students.

Structure Leaders – Organizational Decision Making Members – Skill Development Base – Youth Solidarity Constituents – Systemic Change Organizers – Mentorship and Support

Olneyville Neighborhood Association The Olneyville Neighborhood Association (ONA) organizes low-income families, immigrants communities, and people of color in Olneyville and beyond to create a diverse, community-led movement that wins economic, social and political justice. ONA envisions a community where the social, economic, political, cultural and ecological conditions are such that every human being is equal in dignity and rights.

The RI ACLU performs its work in three major ways: litigation, legislation and education. The cases that we take, the bills we lobby on and the public education activities that we sponsor, are designed to help preserve and protect the civil liberties of all Rhode Islanders against government infringement.

For ten years, Young Voices has empowered more than 600 youth to achieve, succeed, and become confident civic leaders in their communities. Young Voices is Rhode Island’s only state- wide organization that gives low-income youth the tools to have a voice – to master the skills needed to understand an issue, think strategically, speak out articulately and persuasively, and assume roles of leadership. They gain the skills to interact with the adult world in any context, creating measurable success.

Marriage Equality RI

CDR partners with Disability Rights activists across the city, state, and country in order to achieve the goal of independence, integration, and civil rights of all people with disabilities. To achieve this goal, CDR uses a “pitchfork” strategy of advocacy, including Legislative: Working with our representatives to create or enforce laws or ordinances that will improve the lives of people with disabilities. Legal: Employing the legal process, including assisting with lawsuits, when the rights of people with disabilities have been violated. Media: Educating the public about Disability Rights issues through media, social media, and direct outreach. Direct Action: Organizing non-violent civil disobedience, protests, and demonstrations against government entities and public accommodations that discriminate against people with disabilities. Administrative: Training leaders in the Disability Rights Movement to serve in leadership roles in the government, businesses, and organizations to help influence those establishments and ensure that accessibility and disability rights are engrained in entities throughout our community.

SYSTEM CHANGE What is the change that you want to create? Wield the Magic Wand

Culture Change

Moving the Needle Set Goals Prioritize Goals Sequence Goals Organize a Campaign Identify Actions Form Sub Groups Take Action Assess Progress Replan

Coming Together as an Organization Mission Vision Values Who decides? How do you decide? What are you working on now? What are you working on long term?

Building Leadership

Establish Credibility

Build and Maintain Coalition

You’ve Got to Start Somewhere