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In recent years, using A/B testing to drive more actions from email campaigns has become a common best practice among digital campaigners. But most people haven’t yet cracked the nut on how to use A/B testing to increase a campaign’s virality and reach a wider audience beyond their existing email list. In this training, we’ll explain what virality actually is, show you how you can use website and social media A/B testing to increase it and go over real examples of how organizations have done this. We’ll conclude with an exercise where you’ll have a chance to optimize your own simulated campaign and make it go viral.

Attendees should have some experience with digital campaigning and should be familiar with the concept of A/B testing.

Trainers: Angelica Morales, Jim Pugh

Can a c3 lose its tax status over a careless tweet? What happens when a politician “likes” your organization’s Facebook page? Social media can help an organization shape public policy, but it comes with its own set of rules and regulations. Many nonprofits are hesitant about engaging in online advocacy, but knowing these rules can strengthen your work! Join us for a training that will clarify the rules for using social media, blogs and email as part of your advocacy toolkit. Trainers will give concrete examples and invite the audience to discuss hypothetical situations to develop a deeper understanding of the rules that apply to online advocacy.

This training will provide the basics for those new to the c(3) world but is also a good refresher for more experienced organizers.

Trainers: Isaiah Castilla

How can you possibly connect with an audience that sees your skin color or your head scarf and thinks “terrorist”? How can you be an effective ally for Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities? With SCIENCE! This training will explore how the brain filters messages to reinforce or combat previous stereotypes, describe social psych techniques to diffuse bias and provide concrete examples of how to implement these techniques. Training includes examples from successful media campaigns to counter bias against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim (Arab, Sikh, South Asian), reflecting the socio-political climate of the past year.

This training is meant for activists and advocates in the field. Training level is beginner to intermediate.

Trainers: Zainab Chaudary

Congress is messed up. How can activists push the government to address pressing problems constructively amidst political polarization and gridlock? As Senator Elizabeth Warren noted in last year’s Netroots Nation keynote address, “personnel is policy.” One key takeaway is to make sure that the president aggressively enforces powerful laws already on the books. From the Sherman Antitrust Act and Clean Air Act to Dodd-Frank and the ACA, regulatory action and inaction shape the country in which we live. Join our panelists to learn who makes these decisions—and how activists can impact the direction of the executive branch.

Led by: Marcy Wheeler

Panelists: Alexis Goldstein, Angela McCall, Kurt Walters

We all know the right messages to get the environmental activist base on board with taking action on climate change. Now, what are the most compelling ways to talk to a broader audience to engage them in the fight for a just transition to a clean energy future? NextGen Climate has worked with pollsters, researchers and allied organizations to identify the best messages that work for diverse audiences. By talking about a just transition to a clean energy future, we know we can broaden the intersectionality of the climate movement. Come hear from message experts and organizers from the field as they discuss how we can broaden our movement through better messaging and engagement.

Led by: Andrea Purse

Panelists: Celinda Lake, Ben Wessel, David Winkler

In the 2016 election cycle, the Latinx and immigrant community have been demonized by Donald Trump. However, this framework and racism has been driving policy in America for generations. Meet Latinxs who are challenging the national discourse and owning perceived wedge issues to tackle the biggest issues of our time. As the Latinx community continues to grow, something is shifting and we’ve found power at the intersections. Hear from some wise Latinxs about how to build a path forward.

Led by: Hemly Ordonez

Panelists: Jessica González-Rojas, Zenen Jaimes Pérez, Nelini Stamp, Catalina Velasquez

In low-income, Black communities disenfranchised by the criminal legal system, millions of dollars are spent each year on courts and police that could be invested into public services to meet basic needs of the community and combat inequity. What if we could empower community members to envision how they would like resources to be spent to promote genuine public safety? What would it look like to hold political officials accountable to these community-led visions? Join grass roots St. Louis organizers as we chart a path to redirect resources from traditional policing and court models into public services that meet basic needs of the community and address root causes of crime.

Led by: Thomas Harvey

Panelists: Kayla Reed, Kennard Williams

From the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement to the impact Black people have on social media with platforms such as #BlackTwitter to the rising number of Black women running for office, it is clear that Black women’s work and voices in the progressive movement are monumental and significant. The discussion will focus on two elements—how Black women have shaped current social movements such as racial justice, criminal justice reform and reproductive justice; and how Black women have emerged as the largest voting bloc in the U.S. Panelists will engage the audience on why Black women matter in transforming our country.

Led by: Anay Bickham

Panelists: Jessica Byrd, Glynda C. Carr, Maria Chappelle-Nadal, L. Joy Williams

Want to learn how the LGBT and disability communities have been intertwined for years as they have helped each other achieve rights? Want to learn how to be an educated and effective ally with the disability and LGBT movements? Want to learn how to make lasting social change? If so, this panel is for you. Led by the first lesbian Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this panel of change agents from both communities will talk about stopping discrimination against people with disabilities and LGBT people – for real.

Led by: Chai Feldblum

Panelists: Rebecca Cokley, Anupa Iyer, Shannon Price Minter

Do you have a boss telling you to make everything go viral? It’s ok. This is a safe space. Upworthy returns to explain what can actually (maybe) make your content perform well (if you are lucky and strategic). We’ll share what we’ve learned about telling good stories in all forms, from Facebook videos to articles on your site. We’ll explain to your boss that if they ask you to make something go viral, they’re gonna have to send you to Hogwarts first because you aren’t magic. But most importantly, we’ll explain to your boss why telling great stories that build empathy are necessary to the rest of your organizing.

This training is ideal for those who want to learn more about strategic ways to improve your online presence, from Facebook video optimization to storytelling techniques to make challenging content accessible. And for folks who want to know how Facebook actually works. Bosses totally welcome.

Trainers: Adam Mordecai

The Democratic presidential primary has been intense. But nothing will be more intense, scary, and destructive than a Donald Trump White House. We all know that. Come hear how our side will unite and win the 2016 presidential election. Panelists include senior leaders from the Democratic presidential campaign, SEIU, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, NARAL, and MoveOn. Folks on both sides of the democratic primary. People on the inside and outside. If voters hear our message on wealth inequality, the fight for Black Lives, women’s access to abortion and health services, debt-free college, expanding Social Security, Wall Street reform, a humane immigration policy, and fighting Trump’s hate-filled agenda — we will win.

Led by: Adam Green

Panelists: Sasha Bruce, Anna Galland, Marlon Marshall

Over 40 million people in the United States are carrying debt from student loans worth $1.3 trillion, an average of over $30,000 a borrower. Many people struggle with making their monthly payments, while others worry that this debt will follow them throughout their life. The weight of this debt is having a massive impact on our personal and national economic well-being: people are putting off buying a home or starting a family, and money that could be spent on goods and services that could spur economic growth are going to service the debt accrued while financing an increasingly expensive college education. Further, student debt has a more profound impact upon communities of color and women.

However, the federal government has free programs available that can help many student loan borrowers lower their monthly payments and, in some cases, even have their debt forgiven. Unfortunately, these programs are not well known, and can be somewhat confusing – opening a space for scammers who charge borrowers to enroll in free programs.

The AFT recognizes that these programs can help a huge number of our members and their families. To that end, we are rolling out Student Debt Clinics, developed with the help of Jobs with Justice, to provide people with the information they need to enroll in income-driven student loan repayment programs and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. More importantly, these clinics are a member engagement and community engagement opportunity, and the run-up and follow-through for the clinics provide multiple opportunities to have meaningful conversations with members, and their communities, and organize them to take action to help student loan borrowers and make a college education more affordable before another generation finds themselves in debt.

A Student Debt Clinic is 75-90 minute session where attendees are educated on the systemic injustices of our current student debt national crisis. Participants are encouraged to shift their perspectives and stop seeing student debt as just a personal issue, but rather a shared national crisis that will require collective action to address. Participants are then guided through enrolling in Income-Driven Repayment programs – where monthly payments can be as little as $0/mo – and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, two under-utilized programs that work in tandem to lower payments and forgive debt. Following a Q&A session on the programs, participants are presented an organizing ask.

Panelists: Samantha Jordan, Justin Tzuanos

Storytelling is one of the most sought-after ways to change cultural and political landscapes; however, sometimes the ways in which stories are collected, shared, and used can replicate the same systems of oppression we seek to disrupt. How can centering Black women’s expertise in storytelling and story sharing move policy and culture? Participants will leave this session with an understanding on how to approach, respect, and uplift the expertise of Black women story tellers.

Led by: Quita Tinsley

Panelists: Jessica Byrd, Suzette Gardner, Regina Mahone

In order to break the toxic grip that Fox and other right-wing outlets hold over so many of our fellow Americans, progressives need to have a deeper understanding of how right-wing media manipulators work, what forces enable their continued success, and how to fight “The Fox Effect” where they are—be it at family dinner, at church, or on the doors during a field canvass. Attend this session and you’ll leave with insights, tools, techniques, and motivation to help counter the misinformation and divisive influence of right-wing media in our relationships, politics, and culture.

Panelists: Dave Ninehouser, Erin Ninehouser, Jen Senko

Last year, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law an aid-in-dying bill that had been defeated six times before. This was in large part thanks to 29 year old Brittany Maynard, a terminally ill woman who used her last days to advocate for the cause. Thanks to Brittany and her husband Dan Diaz, we were able to recruit and train others to use the power of their experience to create dialogue and understanding on an issue as complex, divisive and difficult to broach as death and dying. Join us for a look at lessons learned in recruiting, training and maintaining the best storytellers and the most effective ways to maximize their impact in all aspects of a grassroots campaign.

This training is geared toward the more seasoned staffer who has some experience working with storytellers and can benefit from lessons learned. Ideal for those who have the capacity to coordinate between members of communications, fundraising and outreach staffs.

Trainers: Dan Diaz, CHRISTAL SMITH

Improving your fundraising is critical, whether you’re running a small grassroots campaign or running for office. Our exercise-based curriculum will help you learn hands-on how to research donors and ask for money more effectively. And when progressives can raise more grassroots dollars, we win more. It’s that simple. This training received rave reviews at Netroots Nation last year, and we’re excited to offer it again!

This training is ideal for beginners.

Trainers: Abigail Collazo

NetChange Consulting (formerly Communicopia) recently released a report that maps the strategies and practices that made today’s most successful advocacy campaigns work while so many others fail to create lasting change on the issues they address. The result of a deep dive into nearly 50 case studies, the Networked Change report puts special focus on what we’re calling “directed network campaigns,” a model for building people-powered movements that are centrally framed and managed in a way that leads to staying power and concrete wins. What’s a directed network campaign? Look no further than the four hottest movements of the moment: #Fightfor15, BlackLivesMatter, Keystone/Tar Sands/Climate, and Bernie Sanders. Our session will unpack the strategic and operational elements common to these campaigns, and panelists will share real stories from the front lines running innovative campaigns that reflect these principles.

This panel features NetChange principal consultant Jason Mogus, Marissa Franco, the Campaigns Director at Not1More Deportation and Mijente.net, Faith Cheltenham, President of #BiNet, and Kyle Tanner, the Digital Director at #Fightfor15.

Led by: Jason Mogus

Panelists: Faith Cheltenham, Marisa Franco, Kyle Tanner

This year has seen a nearly unprecedented rise in the political targeting of refugees—from bigoted rhetoric to xenophobic legislation on the state and federal levels. Fear-mongering from Trump and other politicians has opened up space for anti-refugee sentiment to move into the mainstream, but the groundwork for this explosion of bigotry was laid by the increasing collaboration of the organized anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim movements. This panel will expose the drivers of anti-refugee policy and rhetoric and discuss how our communities can—and must—fight back.

Led by: Lindsay Schubiner

Panelists: Asha Noor, Stephen Piggott, Faizan Syed

We have a rape culture problem in the progressive movement. After the high-profile closure of FitzGibbon Media and the rise of a survivor-justice movement, addressing everyday sexism, sexual harassment and assault in the movement has become a hot topic. But how do we fix it? The reality is this abuse is not just the product of a few isolated actors, but the result of a permissive and often supportive culture in our organizations. Serial abusers move from one group to another for years, making our movement a toxic and sometimes dangerous place. This panel will discuss how to address this issue, what a positive structured response could look like and how to make our progressive organizations and movement safer.

Led by: Mariana Ruiz Firmat

Panelists: Molly Haigh, Austen Levihn-Coon, Bridget Todd, Wagatwe Wanjuki

Join us for a session on how to use email to increase your organization’s activism, fundraising, and web traffic reach. This session is for those with an existing email program that are looking to up their game.

Trainers: Chris Bowers

The Master Class program is focused on the specific tools that organizers use every day, and helping intermediate users become efficient, effective power users. Feel free to bring tool-specific questions to the session.

This master class will focus on the tactics for smart rapid response campaigning on NationBuilder. We’ll also cover some important new features that are particularly relevant for progressive campaigners looking to collaborate, build coalitions, and win together. We’ll focus on four pillars of smart rapid response: aying the groundwork (translating your ladder of engagement into paths and goals), identifying your audience and asks (smart targeting through advanced filtering), creating and launching campaign assets including action pages, and working in coalition (leveraging “tag sharing” for shared growth, mutual data enrichment, and building power.)

Trainers: Emily Schwartz, Alex Stevens

Wondering how to take your Facebook content to the next level? How to create and plan content to maximize your reach and impact? Join a session with Facebook strategists to see the latest trends, understand the newest tools, and get the most out of your time on Facebook.

Led by: Crystal Patterson

Panelists: Kaiya Waddell

We’ve seen that storytelling can give visibility to the invisible, destigmatize experiences considered controversial, and mobilize social justice movements. Join us as people with diverse identities and experiences discuss their strategies for relating personal stories through art, social media, spoken word, and other genres to achieve innovative activism.

Led by: Daniela Ramirez

Panelists: Renee Bracey Sherman, Julio Salgado, Leora Tanenbaum, Sonya Renee Taylor

On her way to the store with a group of friends, Chrishaun Reed “CeCe” McDonald was attacked. In fighting for her own life, a man was killed. After a coercive interrogation, CeCe was incarcerated in a men’s prison in Minnesota. An international campaign to free CeCe garnered significant support from media and activists, including actress and executive producer Laverne Cox. Laverne uses her platform to explore the roles race, class, and gender played in CeCe’s case.

CeCe emerges not only as a survivor, but as a leader. Documentarian Jac Gares pushes past everyday narratives of victimhood that surround the lives of trans people, to foreground the way CeCe and other trans people are leading a growing movement to critically interrogate and disassemble the prison industrial complex.

CeCe will be present for Q&A and discussion, along with filmmaker Jacqueline Gares, and activist Joshua Allen, a Black trans-feminine organizer and abolitionist whose work revolves around issues of race, gender and policing.

Panelists: Jacqueline Gares, CeCe McDonald

First-time Netroots attendee? Want to find to find your crew of people to conquer the conference with? This session’s for you. Meet other first-timers and hear long-time attendee Shayera Tangri’s tips for having a great convention.

(If you haven’t joined the first-timer Facebook group, there’s still time! Check it out.)

Over the past year, the LGBTQ movement has struggled to find direction in dealing with the right-wing backlash after winning marriage equality. From over 100 attacks in state legislatures, to the unending murders of trans women of color, to the recent massacre at a gay club during Latinx Night, LGBTQ people are still very much fighting for our liberation. Join this session to learn more about the challenges the movement is facing, as well as how you can join the fight for LGBTQ liberation.

Led by: Michael Crawford, Heather Cronk, Reuben Hayslett

Special Event for Media & Influencers with the Leaders of Netroots Nation, New Media Ventures and Attentively. Light lunch to be provided.

Many of the challenges facing progressive political tech startups are unique. VCs are inherently skeptical of poli-tech and the measure of early success is often much different than it is in Silicon Valley. Whether you’re weighing a startup or are already past early stage, this session will offer insight from entrepreneurs at all stages of the startup cycle.

Led by: Kate Maeder

Panelists: Jessica Hyejin Lee, Jason Putorti, Perry Rosenstein, Kendall Tucker

For 40 years the Hyde Amendment has targeted poor women, women of color, and young women by banning abortion coverage from Medicaid, condemning many to unsafe procedures or unwanted pregnancies.Women of color in the reproductive justice movement have risen up to take on Hyde—and with it, 40 years of stigma and silence. In five years, organizations like All* Above All introduced the EACH Woman Act and proactive state and local policies and mobilized thousands of grassroots supporters to stand up against Hyde. This year, for the first time ever, both Democratic candidates have called for the repeal of Hyde. Learn how our leaders are braving a political hornet’s nest and where we’re going next with this fight.

Led by: Morgan Hopkins

Panelists: Ravina Daphtary, Jessica González-Rojas, Yamani Hernandez

Since 2008, the Alliance for Climate Education has engaged more than 2 million young people. ACE recently launched a digital youth climate action campaign powered by a social automation platform: the Get Loud Challenge. Since launch, more than 130,000 young people from all 50 states have signed up, growing their mobile subscriber list by more than 60 percent, and tracked 265,000 new actions. ACE worked with ShareProgress to run a series of tests to find effective ways of using social media advertising and interactive web experiences to engage young people on climate change. Join us to learn best practices for working with younger audiences, both online and offline, and understand how to use testing with paid social to evaluate messaging and tactics.

This training is intended for anyone familiar with digital campaigning and interested in engaging young people.

Trainers: Sandhya Anantharaman

In many organizations, social media work is handed over to just one person—and is usually just one of many responsibilities that staffer has. But like the name suggests, strategic social media is best practiced with others, as you share ideas, lessons learned and each other’s content. In this training, we’ll give you the tools to manage day-to-day and long-term social media work as a team of one, while also introducing you to communities and resources that are already in place to support your digital efforts.

This training is for beginning to intermediate level digital or communications staffers, especially those at smaller organizations with limited budgets and resources.

Trainers: Beth Becker, Hilary Woodward

You only have one chance to make the most of one of the biggest moments of your online campaign. A successful launch offers an opportunity for huge gains—and failure to take full advantage of the moment can set the tone for the rest of your campaign. In this workshop, we’ll break down the components to a successful launch: how to set up tech infrastructure, coordinate partners, run ads, get a splash page or a website live and plan an email calendar. Join us and you’ll be set up for victory from Day 1.

This training is for all skill levels. Participants should attend with a goal of understanding the machinery behind a successful launch.

Trainers: Raffi Appel, Kirin Jessel

Back by popular demand! Earned media can be one of the most important (free) resources on your campaign, especially if you are strapped for cash. Our exercise-based curriculum will help you learn hands-on how to plan and execute a great press event—and generate thousands of dollars in media for your campaign.

This training is good for beginners and more advanced participants. We’ll cover the basics and go more in-depth with case studies.

Trainers: Marissa Barrow, Kait Sweeney

We have a Black jobs crisis on our hands—and the impact that race has played in our ability to obtain employment has devastated many of our communities. From Black unemployment rates in the double digits to the severe underemployment of Black transgender women, this panel will discuss the history of our economy built on slave labor, the current crisis the Black community faces as we strive for full employment, and actions our organizations and communities can take as we look forward to true employment equity.

Led by: Carmen Berkley

Panelists: Elle Hearns, Fareed Michelen, Bill Spriggs

Join Progress Missouri and leaders from four coalition partners to discuss the importance of building strong coalitions and sticking together in the face of seemingly non-stop attacks. Attendees of this panel will come away with new strategies and ideas for their organizations to survive—and even thrive—when operating in states where they are part of a significantly out-numbered minority. This honest discussion will bring to light debates, strategies, disagreements and solutions necessary for carrying out the missions of progressive organizations in the very real world of red state politics.

Led by: Laura Swinford

Panelists: Ashli Bolden, Nancy Cross, Molly Fleming, Katie Stuckenschneider

The old funding models have stopped working well for 21st Century progressive movements, but the new ways are still being created. Join this session for an informative and dynamic discussion about some new models for funding movement-building work that are being implemented among progressive donor networks, individual small-dollar donors, and social-change organizations themselves. Funding of movements has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. Are our current models working to support real social change? What has worked and where are we failing? What new models can we lift up that free us to do the real work of organizing? Join us and help reinvent what it means to be a movement philanthropist.

Led by: Jenifer Fernandez Ancona

Panelists: Tram Nguyen, Sara Velten, Howard Watts III

This panel will center Black women and femmes who explicate on their experiences, Black feminist resistance and popular culture analysis to dissect and examine the ways in which Black women are constantly surviving violence, voyeurism and erasure while being the most important demographic for political shifting and public policy implementation. From Beyonce getting us InFormation to Love & Hip Hop politicking, there is a power and politicization within popular culture that is created by Black women and femmes that links to how public policy around Black women and femme bodies is shaped. Topics addressed in this panel will include public policy, reproductive and sexual rights, consent, #BLM and labor/wage justice.

Led by: Ashleigh Shackelford

Panelists: Rian Brown, Bri Carter, Tyrell Cooper

In the past year, organizations across the progressive space have done amazing work measuring the digital tactics and tools that do and don’t work for a variety of persuasion and mobilization campaigns. Come learn from some of the cutting edge techniques that agencies and vendors are building and using to optimize programs—and the outstanding questions that organizations should keep top of mind for planning programs in 2016.

Led by: Amy Kelleher

Panelists: Brandt McCool, Tatenda Musapatike, Dan Scarvalone, Aaron Strauss, Ben Wessel

The 2015 Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality brought with it a slew of blatantly discriminatory bills against the LGBTQ community from state-to-state. This harmful legislation most frequently includes religious exemption bills and bathroom regulations directly targeting the transgender community. The ultimate goal of these bills is to prevent transgender people from transitioning, or even functioning on a day-to-day basis. In this panel discussion, we will hear from statewide and national advocates and activists on how to address these bills, from messaging and organizing on how to defeat these proposed laws, to strategic responses in states in which these measures passed. We will also discuss where these bills are coming from, and how we are coordinating with organizations to challenge them legally and constitutionally in court.

Led by: Zack Ford

Panelists: Jaimie Hileman, Kirstin Palovick, Brynn Tannehill, Kayley Whalen

Introduce yourself to fellow filmmakers, producers, presenters, activists and movie-lovers at our annual Filmmaker Caucus. All are welcome, whether you’re participating in the Screening Series or just interested in hearing about a range of projects and meeting other people creating progressive change through film.

Led by: Justin Krebs

The Master Class program is focused on the specific tools that organizers use every day, and helping intermediate users become efficient, effective power users. Feel free to bring tool-specific questions to the session.

Join this advanced Salsa session and learn how to level up your next campaign with our powerful advocacy and email tools, featuring tips and tricks for power users. Stick around for a sneak peek of our new, easy-to-use DIY tools that will turn even the most casual of users into an all-star campaigner.

Trainers: Meghan Apfelbaum

Momentum is key to 21st-century movements. Whether built over years or in days, campaign velocity necessitates effective planning and response to real-time situations on the ground. Bridging the gap between your offline and online advocacy efforts can be made easier with the right technology and strategy.

Budget constraints should no longer dictate the reach or size of your campaigns. Join us to hear from seasoned experts in grassroots coalition building with experience in winning local, state, and federal campaigns that have developed a blueprint for winning campaigns how you can leverage from the 4-year election cycle.

Led by: Michael Moschella

Panelists: Ximena Hartsock, Bo Shuff

Over the past 10 years, Democrats and progressives have built a superior campaign data and technology infrastructure and a more effective ground-game than Republicans. What’s been our secret weapon and how will we continue innovating and expanding upon our “progressive tech edge”? This panel will feature key leaders in progressive tech to discuss what has contributed to our current tech advantage, and what types of technology progressive campaigns are building to continue winning up and down the ballot for elections to come.

Led by: Amanda Coulombe

Panelists: Kassia DeVorsey, Josh Hendler, John Lee, Matthew Saniie

You might hear white members of your organization say things like, “I don’t see race” or “We should focus on economic inequality; that will take care of everyone.” Knowing how to respond to such comments—especially if people are scared, defensive or paralyzed by guilt—can be a challenge. The burden to end systemic racism cannot be left only to people of color. With an interactive mix of real-world tools, some history and theory, and a little role-play, this practical training will provide participants with tools and strategies for better understanding systemic racism. In order to build diverse coalitions and truly embrace intersectionality, white people must confront white supremacy. So let’s get to work!

This training is appropriate for anyone who wants to learn and discuss strategies for talking to white people about dismantling white supremacy.

Trainers: Karen Gaffney

Engagement isn’t a trend; it’s how we win. The problem is that most content strategies with engagement in mind are based on the idea of posting or emailing from a pre-determined timeline, which is just one way to engage people. We’ll show you a powerful new tactic to dramatically increase engagement with this one idea—responding to people as they talk about your campaign on social media. Know what people are saying on social media and who is influential, so you’re able to boost engagement and drive action when people are most excited about your campaign. We’ll walk you through social listening and offer game-changing strategies for multi-channel engagement.

This training is ideal for organizers who are already using social media but want to increase engagement.

Trainers: Beth Becker, Rosalyn Lemieux

SEO is straight up magical. It’s free, easy, and can drive millions of visitors to your website. I’ll show you how I used SEO to secure top Google placement for almost any search related to voting, driving millions of visitors to LongDistanceVoter.org. We’ll share our case study on how LDV registered 100,000 voters in 2012 on just $5000. During the training, you’ll learn five things you can immediately do to your website to improve your search engine ranking and reach more visitors without spending any more money.

This is an intermediate to advanced level training for people who love the internet, love user-generated content, know HTML and have administrative access to at least one website. Bring your laptop and your admin password so you can get under the hood of your website and start making changes.

Trainers: Debra Cleaver

You’re an organizer, a policy advocate, a culture-shifter. You make change happen. Yet far too often, you or your allies struggle to keep the lights on, buy supplies and get paid. We all know this work takes money. Yet far too many funders are stuck in outdated modes of philanthropy—from misinformed reluctance to fund social justice to outdated ideas of what it means to be a good funding partner. In this training, we’ll debunk all those grantmaking excuses about funding advocacy and organizing, give you tools to advocate for the concrete impact of your work, and share platforms to push back on that funder-grantee power dynamic, holding philanthropy accountable to live up to its potential.

This training is geared toward nonprofits, activists, community leaders and funders who want to see a philanthropic sector that is a stronger ally to movements for social justice. Attendees don’t need to have advanced legal knowledge or an intimate understanding of philanthropy.

Trainers: Isaiah Castilla, Yna Moore

Flint and Detroit Public Schools were both assigned the same Emergency Manager, and in both cases, infrastructure crumbled, resulting in a disastrous impact on local communities. In Flint, residents were subject to lead-poisoned water, and in Detroit, students were subjected to toxic mold in their schools. Democracy was subverted by this law, and communities had an unrepresentative manager who did not respond to their needs. We’ll examine the underlying issues of democracy and austerity and how they ended up harming public health. We’ll also talk about what can do to prevent disasters like these in other parts of the country.

Led by: Chris Savage

Panelists: Emily Figdor, Bishop Brenadel Jefferson, Terrence Martin, Vien Truong

It’s 2016, so why are we still seeing male dominance within the progressive movement? It’s not uncommon to see issues of particular importance to women—especially reproductive health, rights, and justice—sidelined as “social issues” while the progressive agenda is defined by economic issues that are framed as somehow separate. Yet reproductive and sexual self-determination are core economic issues, as is freedom from identity-based discrimination. In this panel, we’ll talk about why the progressive movement can and must move beyond brogressives, mansplaining and unhelpful comments targeting activists who speak up on Twitter and how we can work toward greater inclusion and an agenda that offers meaningful opportunity to everyone.

Led by: Erin Matson

Panelists: Gregory Cendana, Imani Gandy, Atima Omara, Erica Prosser

TRUTH, a collaboration between Transgender Law Center and GSA Network, is a national storytelling and movement-building campaign led by transgender and gender nonconforming young people from across the U.S. Through videos, selfie campaigns and other creative new media projects, TRUTH empowers trans and gender nonconforming youth to share their stories as a way to challenge media narratives, create community with other young people and build empathy. This discussion of youth leaders will allow the audience to hear directly from trans and gender nonconforming young people about their experiences and work building an intersectional movement.

Led by: Juniper Cordova-Goff

Panelists: Violet Martinez, Ka'Milla McMiller, Foster Noone, Zeam Porter

Save Kesha! #OscarsSoWhite and & #StopWhiteWashing are just some of the powerful campaigns our panelists have waged to influence Hollywood, pop music and even the comic book industry. Because pop culture shapes the public imagination, activists are fighting for diversity both behind the camera and in front of it. Campaigns around popular culture provide opportunities to expose oppression that can go unnoticed and unchallenged. Online activism is already making a difference in the entertainment we consume. We’ll teach you how to do it!

Led by: Elana Levin

Panelists: Brandi Collins-Dexter, Cayden Mak, Audine Tayag

Over the last decade, a number of states have enacted laws that aim to keep juveniles out of adult prisons and court systems—a reversal of the tough-on-crime legislation of the 1980s and 1990s. The new laws stem from concerns about teenage suicides in adult jails and new research showing that young people held in adult courts are more likely to be repeat offenders than juveniles not held in adult jails. Youth of color particularly are disproportionately impacted by this practice. Join us for a discussion about the long-term impacts of treating children as adults in the criminal justice system.

Led by: Brian Evans

Panelists: Alton Pitre, Angel Sanchez, Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker

While it has always been true, it seems today’s life or death stakes, high-stress environment means front-line activists face increasing amounts of stress, pressure and violence or threats of violence in their daily work. With the urgency of our work so acute, it can feel selfish to take care and do essential healing work for ourselves. But love is justice and justice is love—especially when that love means developing practices of self-care and healing that are as expansive as our vision and as rigorous as our task. Engaging and creating communities that can help us find space to develop personal practices keeps us sane, healthy and balanced for the long run, which both history and the current moment tells us is likely the path before us. Join us to explore strategies and tools to show up for the work that needs be done, while creating the space needed to heal, care for and resource ourselves so we can thrive along the way.

Panelists: Carla Goldstein, Andrea Cristina Mercado, Rod Owens, Jasmine Sydeullah, angel Kyodo Williams

News and entertainment media can act as a mirror to our understanding of abortion in the U.S. It It can also be a platform for moving society by generating programming that questions existing practices. We will explore how the media talks about abortion, from right-wing examples of abortion stigma to examples of media dismantling stigma and discussing it with authenticity and facts. Examining ways in which media can be used as a tool to shift stigma, we will highlight fresh efforts to tackle abortion stigma creatively through culture and art. We will share best practices on how to talk about abortion outside of the political paradigm and creative ways to reach new audiences whose support is critical for the longterm fights ahead. And we’ll touch on what things are being done to protect—and expand—access to abortion around the country.

Led by: Lauren Himiak

Panelists: Kathy Plate, Rachel Tardiff

Film showcases present several films in one session by showing 10-15 minutes of each, then inviting a presenter from each film to participate in a moderated discussion. Lineup subject to change. This showcase includes “Making a Killing,” “LGBT Equality Act” and “Just a Judge.”

“Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA” tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims’ families. The film exposes how the powerful gun companies and the NRA are resisting responsible legislation for the sake of profit—and thereby putting people in danger. The film looks into gun tragedies that include unintentional shootings, domestic violence, suicides, mass shootings and trafficking—and what we can do to put an end to this profit-driven crisis. Through this film and campaign, Brave New Films will work with partners to fight for a country where public safety is more valued than profit.

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. Many Americans saw this momentous decision as the end of a decades’ long struggle for LGBT equality. In truth, it was only the beginning. Not long after the SCOTUS decision, the Center for American Progress began its campaign in support of the Equality Act, a piece of federal legislation that would essentially serve as a modern Bill of Rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. The Act would extend comprehensive non discrimination laws to universally outlaw practices like denying same sex couples service in places of public accommodation, or firing someone simply for because of who they are. A major part of that campaign was a multifaceted video series that raised awareness around LGBT discrimination and the need for the Equality Act through explainer videos and personal stories of discrimination. We teamed up with YouTube sensation HeartBeat for a series of explainers on how the Equality Act protects LGBT Americans. And we embarked on a series of emotionally resonant stories of discrimination faced by LGBT Americans, including a lesbian couple whose baby was denied medical care because of her parents’ sexual orientation, and a Virginia man who was fired for being gay. The videos were seen nearly a million times by people across a variety of social networks, and have been an integral part in CAP’s work to educate elected officials and the general public of the need for comprehensive LGBT anti-discrimination laws.

Thanks to the classic Schoolhouse Rock video, we all know how a bill becomes a law. But with the current vacancy on the Supreme Court and 90 vacancies in our lower courts, you might be wondering—how does a person become a judge? Taking inspiration from the “Just a Bill” video, we follow the journey of Martha, a fictional aspiring federal judge, from appointment to confirmation and show the many ways that justice can be delayed along the way. Our goal was to turn a sometimes dry topic into a fun and accessible product everyone can understand and rally behind.

Led by: Matthew Filipowicz

Panelists: Regina Clemente, Laura Durso, Anisha Singh

The Action Network is an easy-to-use, full-featured toolset for digital organizing. In this training, you’ll get an overview of the Action Network’s top features and an opportunity to ask questions about how you can use Action Network to organize your best online campaigns. This session is ideal for folks who are interested in exploring new tools to run their digital programs and existing partners that are new to Action Network. To learn more about our toolset before the session, visit www.actionnetwork.org/toolset.

This training is sponsored by Action Network.

Trainers: Misha Cornelius

The systematic oppression of people of African descent is woven into the fabric of the United States and its institutions. The uprising in Ferguson following the killing of Michael Brown was a pivotal moment in the ongoing movement against America’s system of policing, which is responsible for the killings of countless Black lives. Join This Week in Blackness to hear from local and national organizers in Ferguson and around the country who are working to resist, empower and build.

Check out the highlights as told by Netroots Nation attendees on social media.

Jen Senko, a documentary filmmaker, looks at the rise of right-wing media through the lens of her WWII vet father who changed from a life-long, nonpolitical Democrat to an angry, right-wing fanatic after his discovery of talk radio on a lengthened commute to work. In trying to understand how this happened, she not only finds this to be a phenomenon, but also uncovers some of the forces behind it: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon to create a media for the GOP; the Lewis Powell Memo, urging business leaders to influence institutions of public opinion, the media and the courts; and under Reagan, the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine—all of which helped to change the entire country’s direction and culture, misinformed millions and divided families and even the country itself. The film will be introduced by Charles Chamberlain of Democracy For America, which is planning screening parties of this film throughout the summer.

Panelists: Charles Chamberlain, Jen Senko

The Advancement Project and Ben & Jerry’s invite you to join the fight to protect the right to vote. As the state legislature moves to implement a new  era of Jim Crow voting restrictions and barriers to the ballot, grassroots groups are building a movement to protect a just democracy for all. Come for the free Ben & Jerry’s EmpowerMint ice cream and stay for the movement!

The Daily Show co-creator and LPJ co-founder, Lizz Winstead has gathered some of the most hilarious comics working today to create a multimedia comedy show that uses stand-up, sketch and videos, to expose the sexism and anti abortion extremism that dominates our political and social landscapes. The LPJ team hilariously reminds us of the challenges that come with walking the earth with a uterus in 2016.

Join us at 6:30pm on TWIB stage! Starring Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show Co-creator), Leah Bonnema (IFC’s Comedy Drop), Joyelle Johnson (Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train) and UCB theatre’s sketch group Buzz Off, Lucille.

Join us for what’s become an annual tradition at Netroots Nation! Whether you can’t hold a tune or have ambitions to be on The Voice, we want you on that stage. This event is generously sponsored by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Drink tickets to get you in the singing mood will be provided. This event will be held at 400 Washington Avenue, just a few short blocks from the convention center and HQ hotels.

Generously sponsored by Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

In 2015, a shocking report from the Reflective Democracy Campaign found that 79 percent of the 2,437 elected prosecutor positions in the U.S. are filled by white men, and only 1 percent by women of color. When it comes to sheriffs, women are only 1.3 percent of the 3,081 sheriffs in this country. From district attorneys to sheriffs to elected judges and attorneys general, it is our duty to elect representatives who reflect the diversity of our communities to ensure a truly just application of the law. This panel will discuss and share strategies and approaches to recruiting women—specifically women of color—to run for elected law enforcement offices in order to dismantle racist structures within our judicial system and police departments.

Led by: Brenda Choresi Carter

Panelists: Kim Foxx, A'shanti Gholar, Melba Pearson

Though it’s long been an issue, recent high-profile incidents have highlighted the persistent problem of so-called progressive people, businesses, and organizations that ostensibly fight for justice and equality, yet sexually harass, assault, and otherwise abuse their fellow activists, colleagues, and employees behind closed doors. How can we address this issue, through organizational accountability and restorative justice models? How do we balance the need to keep people—particularly girls, women, and members of the LGBTQIA community—safe, while also making space for people to learn from and overcome harmful mistakes? Join us for a participatory working session to develop movement-wide solutions.

Led by: Sabrina Joy Stevens

Panelists: Robyn Swirling, Rachel Tardiff, Bridget Todd

Organized racist movements use sophisticated messaging platforms to advance their bigoted agenda. Pushing back in this political climate requires effective, consistent messages to marginalize your opponents, frame the issue based on your vision and values, and reclaim the debate. In this session, participants will learn how to identify effective oppositional messaging, how to break down the tactics and talking points of your opponents and how to build oppositional messaging frames. We’ll also talk about pitfalls to avoid as we share lessons drawn from real examples of effective responses to organized anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim movements in the United States.

This training is for anyone who speaks to the media about progressive campaigns and receives pushback, particularly from organized racist opposition. The training is open to all levels of experience in communications and media work.

Trainers: Kalia Abiade, Lindsay Schubiner

Many multi-issue organizing groups, even some with impressive scale, work on issues that deeply impact women but don’t use an explicit gender lens in determining their strategies, messaging or policy asks. As a result, the unique needs, experiences and perspectives of women, especially women of color, often remain out of view and an enormous amount of potential is left on the table. Make It Work has developed an engaging and accessible set of tools and a training curriculum to help progressive organizations close this gap. We know that organizing with an intersectional gender lens is a powerful tool for change, and has the potential to significantly impact the reach and scale of organizing efforts. We’ll show you how to do it.

This training is open to all levels of grassroots organizers or organizational staffers.

Trainers: Jordan Fitzgerald, Alicia Jay

Join us for a community conversation about language and intention. In this training, we’ll move beyond the usual LGBT 101 to how to best affirm and honor LGBT community members we interact with in daily life. Directed intention will be placed on how multiple identities intersect, and how those identities impact LGBT community members in unique and varied ways. We cannot create change until we have dialogue, and we cannot have dialogue until we have a language to use.

This training is for those who might say, “I don’t know any gay people,” and also great for more seasoned LGBT advocates.

Trainers: Elizabeth Fuchs, A. Eugene Potchen-Webb

This session offers a welcoming space for organizers to take a first step into analytics through a series of interactive activities that raise up the value of practices they already do well—relational work, storytelling practices and strategic planning. We’ll also offer analytics pros a chance to learn how to talk their work in the language of community organizing so they can better connect with colleagues, managers and volunteers.

This training is for grassroots organizers, campaigners and candidates who are new to analytics and may not (yet!) think of themselves as tech leaders for their organizations or campaigns. Also ideal for analytics and targeting folks who don’t have tons of experience with the craft of grassroots organizing or campaign field work.

Trainers: Aliya Rahman

When Bernie Sanders calls for a “political revolution,” he isn’t thinking just about the race for the White House. Bernie knows that the political revolution involves millions of people standing up to transform our country by electing progressive leaders up and down the ballot, especially candidates for Congress. This panel will explore how we can elect bold new candidates—taking the political revolution to Congress.

Led by: Charles Chamberlain

Panelists: Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Rep. Alan Grayson, Alexandra "Alex" Rojas, Misty Snow

Over the last several years, we’ve seen grassroots organizing turn the tide and deliver progressive victories on several key climate battles, including the Keystone pipeline and Arctic drilling. Now, the Keep It in the Ground movement is building on those victories and turning to an even-more ambitious goal: ending all new leases for coal, oil, gas and tar sands extraction on our citizen-owned federal public lands. Sen. Jeff Merkley, the lead author of the Keep It in the Ground Act, will join others in the climate movement to discuss the successes of the past few years and how the progressive community can work with grassroots organizers, Congress and the Administration to take even bolder steps to save our planet.

Panelists: May Boeve, Senator Jeff Merkley, Tom Steyer, Murshed Zaheed

Despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision to put a temporary hold on the Clean Power Plan, climate and public health advocates and activists are still making one thing clear: it won’t revive the fortunes of the coal industry, slow the transition to clean energy or disrupt progress toward meeting the climate commitment the U.S. made in Paris last year. As the Supreme Court legal process unfolds, something else will continue unfolding as well—the steady progress of activists to retire dirty coal-fired power plants and replace them with clean, safe energy sources. Learn about the judicial process related to the Clean Power Plan and how to keep telling positive, progress stories that beat out the noise of opponents.

Led by: David Weiskopf

Panelists: Aliya Haq, Mary Anne Hitt, Michelle Romero

Distributed organizing has proliferated across the advocacy space. Far from the early create-your-own-petition sites, many organizations are running programs that give members a larger role in campaigning strategy and execution, putting their trust in members’ abilities. The benefits are huge, including list growth from people engaged in heartfelt causes and a powerful leadership pipeline. There are also challenges: balancing the needs of growth and impact, wrangling campaign support resources, avoiding brand damage and finding the right technology. Join us for a conversation with Color of Change, MoveOn, 350.org and Fission Strategy about what’s working, what’s not and what’s next as we move toward more participatory campaigning.

Led by: Josh Nelson

Panelists: Emily Figdor, Allyse Heartwell, Yeshimabeit Milner, Hemly Ordonez

As the movement for Black lives increases in visibility, so do the voices and strategies of those working on and offline to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people. As we work to shift culture and change the way people think and behave toward one another, we employ bold, visionary digital and traditional communications tactics rooted in the Black experience. Hear from organizers and communicators who work at the intersection of race, digital strategy and communications about how they organize and mobilize people to broaden international conversations about the impact of state violence on Black communities and drive critical conversations from the ‘hood to the White House about an authentic transformation of American democracy.

Led by: Miski Noor

Panelists: Malkia Cyril, Mervyn Marcano, Autumn Marie

Many non-Black progressives profess anti-racist values online and in conversation but fail to show up when action is needed. How do we move people with privilege up the ladder of engagement to riskier actions? How do we get them to show up — in the streets, in the office and in institutions—and is showing up enough? Solving the puzzle of turning out groups that aren’t most affected by our issues is critical to building strong movements. Panelists on the front lines of social justice campaigns will share case studies and lessons learned from turning out co-conspirators to protest, donate and lead.

Led by: Julien Burns

Panelists: Heather Cronk, Cayden Mak, Johnny Mathias, Dara Silverman, Monique Teal

Film showcases present several films in one session by showing 10-15 minutes of each, then inviting a presenter from each film to participate in a moderated discussion. Lineup subject to change. This showcase includes “Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank” and “House Not Home.”

“Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank” is a rollicking tale of one of America’s longest serving and most outspoken liberal legislators.

“House Not Home” is a firsthand account of Terran, an African American gender fluid teenager navigating bullying, violence and rejection from their father and peers before finding their courage and voice to come out. Written by Skyler Edge and directed by Joshua Butler.

“Spotlight California” is a documentary web series exploring the California you won’t see on postcards. In this episode, host comedienne Kiran Deol heads to Los Angeles to investigate the hidden costs of pollution. Spoiler alert: we pay for it! 3.3 million Californians have asthma, and nowhere is pollution more rampant than in low-income communities.

Panelists: Sheila Canavan, Stephanie Wahome-Lassiter, Ben Wessel

The Master Class program is focused on the specific tools that organizers use every day, and helping intermediate users become efficient, effective power users. Feel free to bring tool-specific questions to the session.

You’ve boosted a post here or there, dabbled in the Ads Manager, maybe even taken a peek into Power Editor once or twice, but now you’re looking to take your Facebook campaigns to the next level. Join Facebook Client Parnter Chase Mohney to learn tips and tricks to help you streamline your campaigns and better achieve your organizational goals with Facebook advertising. Topics covered will include: Objective-based campaign structure, creative, and bidding; Facebook ad interfaces (Ads Manager and Power Editor); basics of Facebook ads reporting; and leveraging the Facebook Pixel.

Trainers: Chase Mohney

Anti-worker advocates in the Show Me State’s Legislature have in recent years tried to repeatedly push through bills that would curb workers’ collective bargaining rights and their ability to contribute to their union through so-called right-to-work and paycheck deception legislation. Those efforts have been fueled by corporate dollars. But Missouri isn’t the only state where this is going on. This panel will discuss the struggle for workers’ rights.

Led by: Tyler Longpine

Panelists: Theresa Hester, State Senator Jamilah Nasheed, Sean Soendker Nicholson

The Metro Trans Umbrella Group of St. Louis has multiple presentations and a robust multifaceted educational program. The MTUG Trans 101 presentation is designed to answer basic questions about Trans people and experiences, and to clarify terminology and define best practices for Trans cultural competency. It does so with plenty of time for personal narrative from the facilitators and Q & A

Trainers: Jaimie Hileman

The topic of climate change often brings to mind images of melting glaciers and starving polar bears. For too long we’ve failed to connect the direct impact of environmental injustices, including climate change, on our lives, families, and communities. The effects of climate change are widespread: people die from exposure to toxins from coal fired power plants and are sickened from breathing toxic ask from mountain top removal. Drought and flooding impact the availability of nutritious food and increase the likelihood that those in flood-prone cities will lose their homes and livelihoods. And communities of color and low-income communities are usually hit the hardest.

Join us for a plenary session on the intersection of climate change and environmental justice and a look at what needs to happen to stem the effects of climate change for our most vulnerable communities. You’ll hear from Tom Steyer, president of NextGen Climate; Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Green for All Executive Director Vien Truong; and Anthony Rogers-Wright, Policy and Organizing Director for Environmental Action.

Check out the highlights, as told by Netroots Nation attendees.

Panelists: Jacqui Patterson, Anthony Rogers-Wright, Michelle Romero, Tom Steyer

The unexpected death of the late Justice Antonin Scalia has opened a rare window of opportunity to undo perhaps the most despised Supreme Court decision of the modern era: Citizens United. With a new 4-4 divide on the high court, and with the hope of a progressive court majority in 2016 or early 2017, the time to chart a course for reversing Citizens United and its doctrinal predecessor, Buckley v. Valeo, has finally arrived. It’s time for campaign finance and corporate power reformers to move from defense to offense, and to heed a new call to redeem the promise of American democracy.

Led by: John Nichols

Panelists: John Bonifaz, Spencer Overton, Zephyr Teachout

It’s time for progressives to have a serious discussion about how Israel has become an apartheid state. For nearly 50 years, the Palestinian people have lived under a military occupation by a foreign government that limits their freedom of movement and equal access to water, forces the usage of segregated roads and buses, and allows for the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians in what the U.S. State Department has described in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices as “institutional and societal discrimination against Arab citizens, in particular in access to equal education and employment opportunities; societal discrimination and domestic violence against women.”

Led by: Dan Goldman

Panelists: Ali Abunimah, Max Blumenthal, Rania Khalek, Ari Wohlfeiler

The votes and support of Black people are imperative to winning any election. But appropriating Black culture will not make us vote for you, nor does it make us relate with candidates who have proven to not care about Black people in praxis or in policy. In holding political agents accountable, this training will provide consciousness raising around how Black people must be centered in political engagement within organizing and public policy. What is anti-Blackness and how does it affect political systems and voting? Learn how to actively disengage from anti-Black politicking and political organizing. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how Black people can be centered in political campaigns and organizing.

This session is for all audiences.

Trainers: Shan Davis, Ashleigh Shackelford

Great actors save mediocre plays—but great plays never save mediocre actors. What is more memorable: the message or the messenger? In today’s celebrity culture, skilled media talent dominates the narrative. The messenger’s presence and authenticity is more important than ever. In this 10th anniversary edition training, renowned media trainer Joel Silberman once again demystifies the art of media performance with take-away skills that have been used by countless performers, elected officials, progressive spokespeople and media stars. This rare public opportunity to look behind the camera and speakers platform through the eyes of a master trainer is offered publicly only at Netroots Nation. A 10-year, standing-room-only training!

This training is for anyone—beginner to advanced professional.

Trainers: Joel Silberman

Using the power of the Racism Decoder Ring to identify and decode racial stereotypes in the media, social justice superhero Helvetika Bold will demonstrate the transformative power of a values-based messaging strategy. This election cycle perfectly demonstrates what our research and experience have long taught us: that people’s underlying beliefs will trump facts every time. So how do we speak about racism across ideology? Join Helvetika Bold, that moxiest maven of media messaging, to learn how to build a messaging strategy that has the power to change hearts, minds and policy. Together, we can not only decode, but dismantle racist messages in the media and build a positive vision for racial justice that appeals to a broad audience. Although we use racial justice as a starting point, this workshop will develop core communications strategy principles that can be used for any issue.

This training is best suited for those who are new to values-based messaging and/or for those who would appreciate a space to develop and try out new narratives and message framing for their issues.

Trainers: Helvetika Bold, Jamila Brown, Eva-Marie Malone

Government actions such as racially explicit zoning, public housing segregation and federal requirements for white-only suburbs systematically segregated African Americans—setting the stage for the protests and racial tension following Michael Brown’s death. Join us for a conversation about how truly moving forward as a nation will require addressing the century of public policy that created our segregated metropolises. Remedies for our racial problems will be unlikely unless we understand how this racial landscape was created.

Led by: Chris King

Panelists: Sherrilyn Ifill, Richard Rothstein

On September 29, a diverse coalition came together to deliver more than 2.4 million petition signatures, hold more than 350 events nationwide and organize hundreds of thousands of pink-clad women, men and young people to #PinkOut and #StandwithPP online and off. The coalition—which included MoveOn, CREDO, DFA, Sierra Club Rise, UltraViolet, ACLU, NARAL, SEIU, NLIRH, Color of Change and others—stepped up to #StandwithPP and its patients after a group of anti-abortion extremists attacked Planned Parenthood in July 2015. This panel will go behind the scenes and discuss how we did it—including the importance of that moment, coalition building, our online-to-offline presence, and why the campaign was so successful.

Led by: Beth Lynk

Panelists: Stephanie Castro, Emily Figdor, Heather Holdridge, Sara Hutchinson Ratcliffe, Brad Lichtenstein, Anne Pfrimmer

What is the role of art and culture in movement building? How are we developing artist leadership in cultural organizing? How do we create structures which support cultural work in our organizations? Based on their new book “When We Fight, We Win! 21st Century Social Movements and the Activists that are Transforming our World,” Greg Jobin-Leeds joins forces with AgitArte, Paulina Helm-Hernandez of SONG and other organizers and artists to further the discussion on the role of cultural work within our organizations, communities and movements. This panel will consider the mutual impact that arts and social movements have on each other and explore how the arts as cultural forms contribute to social transformation.

Led by: Jorge Díaz

Panelists: Sasha Costanza-Chock, Paulina Helm-Hernández, Dey Hernández, Greg Jobin-Leeds

Prosecutors may be the most powerful people in our criminal justice system. They have broad discretion to choose if and how to charge. Too many refuse to hold police accountable when they kill Black people while over-prosecuting and incarcerating Black folks for far less damaging crimes. Most prosecutors are chosen by the people, but who do they really serve? Nationwide, there are nearly 2400 elected prosecutors, yet more than 70% run unopposed. Prosecutor elections offer an opportunity to make voting feel meaningful for so many people by holding bad actors accountable. How do we shift the narrative in prosecutor races and create a framework that truly responds to our communities’ needs? And where are the best opportunities to unseat bad prosecutors in the future?

Led by: Scott Roberts

Panelists: Josie Duffy Rice, Johnny Mathias, Blake Strode

More than 50 years have elapsed since the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and communities of color are still fighting for their right to vote. This panel looks at how the SCOTUS decision in Shelby County v. Holder opened the floodgates for discriminatory voter suppression laws nationwide, what’s being done to fight back, and what it means to fight for voting rights in the age of #BlackLivesMatter. Leaders from the movement to #RestoreTheVRA will discuss both defensive strategies that protect voters and offensive strategies that seek to secure the right to vote and increase voter turnout. The panel will also focus on strategic communications and how to push back against harmful narratives that support voter suppression.

Led by: Jennifer Farmer

Panelists: Judith Browne Dianis, Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Kayla Reed

Our political system is out of touch with an electorate that is more diverse and demanding than ever before. This session explores bold strategies such as engaging new voters, providing alternative candidates, and revamping political structures that hold back nontraditional candidates. Through specific examples and data, the panelists show that it’s possible to reclaim our power even in the face of expensive campaigns, special interests and entrenched incumbents.

Led by: Aimee Allison

Panelists: Sayu Bhojwani, Carol McDonald, Steve Phillips

It’s seemingly nigh impossible to know what will and won’t hit when it comes to online shareable media, whether it be a tweeted meme graphic, a short want-so-badly-to-be-viral video or a please-let-this-hit-at-the-right-moment microsite. That’s why we’ve assembled a room of experts who eat, live and breathe this stuff, and won’t whisper to anyone a word of what happens inside the room. Got a video or graphics series you’re planning for after the conference? Test-screen it here, and we’ll give you our take on how to give it the best shot at spreading possible. Got something that flopped, but not sure why? We’ll help you dissect what went right, what went wrong, and what you can learn for next time.

Led by: Josh Bolotsky

Panelists: Meena Hussain, Mohammad Khan, Sonya Spann

The Master Class program is focused on the specific tools that organizers use every day, and helping intermediate users become efficient, effective power users. Feel free to bring tool-specific questions to the session.

Communicating with your supporters is more effective when you can easily deliver the information they want most. In this training, you’ll say ‘Goodbye’ to sending every single update to your entire list and learn new ways to target the right kinds of emails to the right supporters. Whether you’re new to the Action Network or an experienced user, come learn how Action Network makes advanced email targeting easier and faster, so you can run a more effective online organizing program. Learn how to create action pages and use our email targeting, report targeting, and query tools to reach any segment of your email list, as well as A/B testing made simple. There will also be time for Q&A, so if you have questions about specific features The Action Network offers, please bring them with you!

Trainers: Misha Cornelius

During this election season we have seen insults and offensive rhetoric to demean different ethnic groups and pit them against each other. And we all know that when working people are divided, corporate interests win. The wealthy few focuses on our divisions to encourage working people to attack each other instead of fighting for new rules that will level the playing field and make the economy fairer. The outcome of the 2016 election cycle will determine union rights, voting rights, campaign finance reform, free speech rights, corporate rights, and reproductive rights for many years too come.

This panel will focus on how to unite working people around an agenda that will level the playing field for all Americans and fight for a more inclusive democracy. This agenda includes restoring the Voting Rights Act, delivering on comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, driving sentencing reforms for nonviolent drug offenses, and for an end to school disciplinary practices that push kids into the mass incarceration system.

Led by: Gregory Cendana

Panelists: Neidi Dominguez, Denise Feriozzi, Cietta Kiandoli, Michael Podhorzer

Led by: Samhita Mukhopadhyay

Panelists: Malkia Cyril, Cayden Mak, Autumn Marie, Rashad Robinson, Linda Sarsour, Joseph Torres

In this workshop, you’ll learn enough HTML/CSS to create (and understand how to edit) your very own microsite. We’ll show you how to get your new website hosted for free on Github Pages, how to attach a custom domain name to your newly launched site and how to create your own online community (including how to embed a signup form) using platforms like Slack, Facebook, or Mailchimp. Plus, the technical skills you’ll learn can be applied to other parts of your work, allowing you to master tasks like creating email templates and modifying WordPress sites.

This training is an introduction to web development for online organizers who want to learn how to launch their own microsite for free. No prior experience with HTML, CSS or Git is needed.

Trainers: Linda Peng

Join us to learn how down-ballot and local candidates and issue advocacy campaigns can utilize cutting-edge technology to reach registered voters wherever they go online. You’ll learn how to create, place and evaluate your digital advertising campaign. We’ll highlight the technologies available regardless of your campaign’s size or budget and provide you with a step-by-step training that gives campaigns at every level the tools it takes to win.

This training is ideal for those who want to learn more about digital advertising and which tools they can take advantage of in order to create an effective digital campaign on the local level. Prior digital advertising knowledge is not necessary.

Trainers: Christopher Massicotte, Mallika Sharma

How can we as campaigners learn from the traditional branding world to develop cult followings around the social issues we care most about? Introducing Action Brands, built by campaigners, for campaigners. Action Brands have the unique ability to unite a community around a common identity and provide a sense of belonging, while also motivating community members to get more involved. This training will walk you through how to create brands that are authentically ownable by members of your community. You’ll leave with an actionable toolkit you can use to name and brand your own campaigns.

This is an introductory training. No prior experience in branding is necessary, but experience in communications is a plus.

Trainers: Emma Bloomfield, John Kapenga

Join us to identify common challenges in getting your supervisors and co-workers to help you be successful. We will discuss buy-in, managing up, “proof of concept,” peer-to-peer informal training and other ways of moving your co-workers from being obstacles to being facilitators. We’ll talk about how to elevate digital to equal footing with other departments and approaches and offer learning strategies that will help improve organization-wide data management practices. This training is aimed at people with digital responsibility inside organizations that may not be digitally native.

This training is for digital staffers working as the only digital staffer or within small digital teams inside organizations that are not digitally native. This training is for all skill levels and emphasizes the “soft skills” necessary to help persuade colleagues of the value of your work to the overall success of the organization.

Trainers: Elana Levin

Behind the scenes of the Movement for Black Lives, strategic communicators work to amplify the movement’s visibility and maintain a national dialogue about police brutality and the criminalization of people of color. This panel discussion will offer a unique opportunity to hear directly from these strategists about the most effective tools and strategies they employ in their work. The panel will emphasize the movement’s focus on amplifying the voices of organized communities of color from the local to the national level and explore the innovative, next-generation tactics they’ve used to affirm the lives of people of color.

Led by: Danielle Belton

Panelists: Malaya Davis, Chelsea Fuller, Ian Mann

This election cycle is a pivotal moment for the Supreme Court. For decades, the Court has been profoundly conservative, standing against progress on issues from voting rights to guns to racial and economic justice. The bitter lesson is that it matters who serves on our courts, particularly the Supreme Court. Now, in the throes of a political battle over one vacancy, we must remember that the next president will likely fill three additional seats, controlling the Court for a generation. Join us as we discuss the issues at stake and how activists can make a difference in judicial selection—including tools for local activism and advocacy.

Led by: Nan Aron

Panelists: Renee Bracey Sherman, Keith Ellison, Senator Jeff Merkley, Ambar Pinto, Anisha Singh

Could debt-free college be to 2016 what healthcare reform was to 2008? A huge grassroots push in 2015 put debt-free college center stage in the presidential debate and political lexicon. Clinton and Sanders both endorsed it, and it has come up in every Democratic presidential debate. Over half of Senate Democrats and more than 100 members of Congress have endorsed it—and candidates across the country are running on it. This panel will explore the history of student debt activism and discuss how debt-free college became a hugely popular issue in 2016. We’ll also discuss how to build bridges between lawmakers and the grassroots so that we enter 2017 with a mandate and an inside-outside legislative strategy to pass debt-free college into law.

Led by: Natalia Abrams

Panelists: Keith Ellison, Mark Huelsman, Ann O'Leary, Kayla Wingbermuehle