Identity-Based Caucuses
Caucuses are spaces for participants with shared identities to raise issues, build connections, and organize for change within NASCO, their own co-ops, and our larger communities.
For the first time this year, we have two rounds of caucuses at Institute!: one on the first weekend and one on the last weekend of our Institute month. Both rounds of caucuses are spaces for networking and sharing experiences, ideas, and strategies. In addition, the first round of caucuses leads up to Diversity Congress and includes electing representatives and bringing proposals to Diversity Congress.
Diversity Congress, taking place on October 2, can bring proposals to NASCO’s Annual General Meeting and elects representatives to NASCO’s board of directors.
See Identity-Based Caucuses and Diversity Congress here.
Growing Back Together
This course track embodies the Institute theme of Growing Back Together, with sessions focused on leadership development within our co-ops, building connections through roundtable guided discussions and social spaces, and collaborative visioning towards NASCO’s future and the future of the cooperative movement. Our keynote by Kai Cheng Thom offers tools for community resiliency.
See Growing Back Together courses here.
Staff and Managers
This year’s co-op staff track brings co-op staff together to build strong connections, share best practices, and learn new ways to tackle the unique issues they face, leaning into our conference theme of Growing Back Together. Sessions include a series of knowledge shares centered around specific staff roles and several opportunities to participate in our popular peer consultation sessions, as well as a number of sessions focused on concrete skills.
See Staff and Managers courses here.
Co-op Basics
Keeping your co-op running smoothly requires a wide range of skills and a wealth of collective knowledge. Workshops in this course track will focus on building essential tools for maintaining your cooperative—from understanding member, board, and staff roles to dynamic facilitation and fair housing. This series is ideal for anyone who hopes to leave NASCO Institute with a foundation of knowledge and concrete skills to take back to their co-op.
See Co-op Basics courses here.
Cooperative Leadership
A cooperative approach to leadership connects the human needs of members to a co-op’s mission and the day-to-day work needed to maintain strong organizations. Practicing cooperative leadership requires self-awareness, active listening, and gratitude when receiving criticism. Any cooperator can practice leadership when they uplift the voices of fellow members and actively work to share power equitably. This course track creates space for attendees to learn and practice core leadership skills and includes a sampling of the content from NASCO’s Cooperative Leadership Certification program.
See Cooperative Leadership courses here.
Creating A Co-op
With the cost of living constantly on the rise, the demand for affordable housing solutions—like housing co-ops—is greater than ever. NASCO has pulled together a team of experts to take future co-op founders through the process of starting a new housing co-op, from clarifying the initial concept to drafting your business plan. Workshops in this series provide a comprehensive, step-by-step training program on the development process.
See Creating a Co-op courses here.
Thank you to Shared Capital Cooperative, the Course Track Sponsor for our Creating a Co-op track.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Working together with other cooperatives is a core part of what it means to be a co-op (it’s one of the seven Cooperative Principles!). Solidarity between co-ops helps each co-op serve its members most effectively and strengthens the cooperative movement as a whole. This course track features the work of cooperators across different sectors and highlights how housing co-op members can become more involved in the cooperative movement at large. Join us in these sessions to be inspired, expand your horizons, and dream big.
See Cooperation Among Cooperatives courses here.
Thank you to The Ralph K. Morris Foundation, the Course Track Sponsor for our Cooperation Among Cooperatives track.
Applied Anti-Oppression
Creating an inclusive community requires more than saying everyone is welcome. To make everyone welcome in practice, we need to confront the ways systems of oppression impact current and potential community members. The courses in this track focus on identifying and actively resisting institutional and interpersonal forms of oppression, as well as building alternative models of community that are rooted in the fight for equity and justice.
See Applied Anti-Oppression courses here.
Thank you to New Economy Coalition, the Course Track Sponsor for our Applied Anti-Oppression track.