In the last few months, the primary focus of NASCO’s staff has been preparation for NASCO Institute, which is just around the corner! Registration and scholarship applications are open, the conference schedule and course list are on our website, and posters have been mailed to hundreds of co-ops and organizations across North America. We’ve finalized programming for the Staff & Managers Pre-Conference, recruited keynote and plenary speakers, wrapped up Hall of Fame inductions, and are confirming the route for the Detroit Tour. This is shaping up to be an excellent conference, and we hope you’ll be joining us in Ann Arbor next month!
Beyond Institute preparations, we’ve been very busy this summer visiting our member co-ops, supporting various cooperative conferences and events, and supporting co-ops that are forming or expanding. NASCO staff have been working closely with co-ops in HAUS (Houston, TX), The Hive (Ann Arbor, MI), Qumbya Co-op (Chicago, IL), Student Cooperative Organization (Athens, OH), UKSHA (Lawrence, KS), Horizontal Housing (Baltimore, MD), and Steel House (Moscow, ID), assisting them with the purchase of new properties.
The NASCO board met in Boulder, Colorado this summer and learned from local co-op members about their efforts to reform Boulder’s restrictive housing laws and spoke with City Council members about the benefits of cooperative living. NASCO staff are actively supporting individuals in Minneapolis who are working to reform similar restrictive zoning laws. The NASCO board is currently preparing for NASCO Institute and the Annual General Meeting. The board is bringing two bylaw change proposals to the AGM - keep an eye out for further announcements.