Make the Road New York

Make the Road New York provides comprehensive skills training to low-income New Yorkers on leadership skills, media advocacy, civics, community and electoral organizing, and strategic policy advocacy. Leadership development is a core component of our work with adult and youth members; we have hundreds of graduates of a variety of trainings each year who can effectively speak for themselves and others as part of our community organizing and advocacy campaigns.

Our weekly organizing committee meetings provide the primary venue for training for our members. Through regular training opportunities during these meetings, members develop organizing, analytical and group work skills, while deepening their understanding of New York City government, the history of organizing, as well as the city, state, and federal legislative landscapes. Additionally, 50 to 60 member leaders active in each of our organizing areas meet quarterly for additional leadership development opportunities, as well as to discuss opportunities for cross-committee collaboration and the overall strategic direction of the organization.

We create opportunities for experiential learning by sponsoring frequent trips to relevant community and government institutions that we have discussed in workshops. For example, we have brought participants to public hearings of the New York City Council and to local Community Board meetings.

Our legal department provides regular "Know Your Rights" trainings on subjects ranging from the Tenant's Bill of Rights to disability benefit eligibility to what to do if stopped by the police, all with the goal of increasing our members' ability to enforce their own rights while building their practical knowledge of the laws that affect them most.