An education initiative in International Year of Co-ops

An education initiative which will see institutions such as universities and schools engage with the co-operative sector has been launched in the United States.

The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) call their initiative the "Co-operative Teach-In" and was prompted by part of the International Year of Co-operatives.

Its aim is to raise awareness in these teaching institutions about co-operatives and the benefits they have in enacting change in local and global communities.

"This initiative connects campuses with co-operatives, facilitating an exchange of information, ideas, tactics, and goals," says TESA in an information release. "The Cooperative Teach-in allows people who are interested in a wide variety of issues to engage with the national co-operative movement and see how co-ops relate to them: from workers’ rights to economic development, democratic control, environmental justice, fair trade, community empowerment, social entrepreneurship, food justice, and small farmers."

The initiative has been piloted in New England for several months and is now being taken nationwide.

TESA suggests several ways of taking part:

Sign up for our “Campus - Cooperative Connections”,which puts you on a map that you can use to connect your campus with a co-operative, or your co-operative with a campus, to set up an event, program, or project on co-ops and the co-op movement. We will also help facilitate connections between co-ops and campuses.You can read testimonials here from people who’ve taken part in this initiative.
Browse our ready-to-use educational workshops and resources to engage co-ops and campuses as well as our selection of recommended readings on co-ops. We've just started compiling these resources, so they will grow significantly as the year goes on. You can help us grow this library by submitting resources for all to use for free.
Get in touch with us toaccess a team that will help you develop custom educational resources (projects, events, courses, programs, materials, and more) for free during 2012. We will also help you make connections with a campus or a co-op to set up a co-operative education experience.
In the near future, we will also have a showcase for highlighting campus projects, events, and programs on co-ops so that campuses, students, and co-ops can show off their work and make sure it’s make an impact in the world.
Stay up to date with the Cooperative Teach-In by following us on Facebook and Twitter as well as signing up for our low-traffic e-mail list. Please also help us get the word out by sharing this project via e-mail and social media!