LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZING, AND ACTION
Learn How to Build the Power to Change the World
Leadership, Organizing & Action (LOA) is an immersive undergraduate course that introduces students to the craft of community organizing and movement leadership. Through hands-on learning, collaborative projects, and faculty mentorship, students don't just study social change — they practice it, developing the strategic skills to turn hope into action, relationships into power, and communities into forces for change.
Developed by renowned organizer Marshall Ganz at the Harvard Kennedy School, Leadership, Organizing & Action has trained generations of organizers. Once available only at Harvard and Stanford, the course is now offered at CUNY through LDSJ, making the university system the first public institution in the country to offer this groundbreaking curriculum.
Whether students are exploring organizing for the first time or looking to pursue a career in social change, LOA provides the practical leadership, organizing, and strategic thinking skills to lead effectively wherever their path takes them.
The Organizing Framework
Throughout the course, students grapple with three questions that sit at the heart of effective organizing:
Who are my people?
Develop a leadership story rooted in shared values while building the relationships that make collective action possible.
What challenges do we face?
Analyze power, identify the conditions shaping a community, and uncover strategic opportunities for change.
How do we transform our resources into power?
Develop strategies that turn people, relationships, and community assets into the power needed to create lasting change.
These questions become the framework for practice. Working in teams, students design a real organizing mini-campaign rooted in the strengths and resources of their own communities. Along the way, faculty and teaching fellows provide individualized coaching and mentorship, helping students test ideas, refine strategy, and build confidence as organizers.
The Course at a Glance
Leadership, Organizing & Action is an accelerated, 3-credit undergraduate course that combines immersive in-person learning with virtual instruction.
Students participate in:
Two in-person weekend intensives
Virtual lectures
Individual and team coaching
Collaborative campaign planning
Leadership reflection and skill-building
The course is open to CUNY undergraduate students across the university system.
Where LOA Can Take You
Students who successfully complete LOA become eligible to apply for the Social Change Fellowship, LDSJ's flagship undergraduate leadership program.
Building on the foundation established in LOA, the fellowship provides students with opportunities to deepen their leadership, gain professional experience, and explore pathways into careers in organizing, advocacy, public service, and the nonprofit sector through:
U.S. Social Movement History — An additional 3-credit course examining the history, strategies, and lessons of transformative social movements, and how they continue to shape organizing today.
Paid Internship — A paid, full-time summer internship with a New York City power-building organization, providing hands-on experience in community organizing and movement work alongside experienced practitioners.
Mentorship & Career Coaching — One-on-one guidance from experienced organizers with expertise across movements, offering professional mentorship, career coaching, and support in navigating career pathways.
Lifelong Alumni Network — Join a growing community of LDSJ alumni with ongoing opportunities for connection, professional development, and continued learning through events, programming, and peer networks.
Ready to Join the Next Class?
Leadership, Organizing & Action is offered each academic year.
View the current course page for this year's schedule, registration information, and important dates.