Spring 2027
Leadership, Organizing, and Action
Class-SSC 31169
Overview
Leadership, Organizing & Action is an accelerated, 3-credit undergraduate course where CUNY students learn the fundamentals of community organizing through immersive learning, collaborative projects, and individualized coaching. Working in teams, students develop a real organizing mini-campaign rooted in the strengths of their own communities while building practical skills in leadership, strategy, and power-building.
Semester: Spring 2027
Location: City College, Room TBD
Units: 3 (Undergraduate)
Instruction Mode: Hybrid Synchronous
Instructor: Anjali Rodrigues (arodrigues1@ccny.cuny.edu)
Spring 2027 Schedule
Virtual Lectures
Students will attend two virtual lectures prior to the weekend intensives, one January and another in February
After the Weekend Intensives, students will meet for an additional two virtual lectures in March and April, where they will receive individual or team coaching from a teaching fellow
Weekend Intensive 1 (February 19-21) - Foundations of Leadership & Organizing
During the first weekend intensive, students will explore the foundations of community organizing by identifying their personal motivation for movement work, building skills in relational organizing and leadership development, analyzing power structures, and forming organizing teams
Weekend Intensive 2 (March 5-7) - Strategy & Action Planning
During the second weekend intensive, students will apply these foundations by developing strategic organizing frameworks, designing team-based mini-campaigns rooted in collective power, creating action plans for community-driven change, and refining their campaign strategies through coaching with teaching fellows
Continuing the Learning
Following the weekend intensives and virtual lectures, students will attend an in-person closing session during the first week of May
How to Enroll
If you are interested in registering for the Leadership, Organizing, and Action Course, please complete the Pre-Course Survey.
If you are not a CCNY student, you must go through the ePermit process and adhere to all the guidelines and deadlines to successfully register for the course. Please check with your advisors and financial aid offices how the course can count towards your degree. Each campus has different requirements per major.
For additional questions, please reach out to Ricardo Anez Carrasquel at ranezcarrasquel@ccny.cuny.edu.
Interested in Going Further?
Leadership, Organizing & Action is the first step toward the Social Change Fellowship.
Students who successfully complete the course become eligible to apply for LDSJ's 2027 Social Change Fellowship, a year-long leadership development program for CUNY undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in social justice and movement building. Applications for the fellowship will open on February 8, 2027. Selected applicants will be notified by April 10, 2027.
The fellowship builds on the organizing skills introduced in Leadership, Organizing & Action through:
A second academic course exploring the history of U.S. social movements
A paid summer internship with a New York City power-building organization
One-on-one mentorship and career coaching
Leadership development programming
A lifelong alumni network
Still curious? Learn more about LDSJ’s Social Change Fellowship here!