Co-op Ed Center is committed to building democratic worker-owned businesses in Chicagoland that contribute to a strong local economy and invest in community development. Its purpose is to train and develop worker-owned cooperatives in communities of color that abide by democratic and social justice values. We do this through...
Training
We offer different types of trainings for all worker-owned cooperative needs, some of these include:
1. Co-op 101 Workshops
These workshops provide a basic understanding of the cooperative model, including principles and values and history as well as the current worker cooperative efforts and impact on local economic and community development. It is targeted to the general public including community members, leaders, staff, and board members.
2. Incubator Exploratory Meetings
These meetings are designed for organization's leadership, including staff and board members, to learn about the various worker-owner cooperative development phases and to assess commitment and capacity of potential incubators.
3. Cooperative Culture Trainings
These trainings introduce participants to a culture of cooperation and tools needed for collective work and decision-making. In addition to a theoretical framework, these trainings work to build an internal culture of trust, solidarity, and trust among participants through popular education.
1. Co-op 101 Workshops
These workshops provide a basic understanding of the cooperative model, including principles and values and history as well as the current worker cooperative efforts and impact on local economic and community development. It is targeted to the general public including community members, leaders, staff, and board members.
2. Incubator Exploratory Meetings
These meetings are designed for organization's leadership, including staff and board members, to learn about the various worker-owner cooperative development phases and to assess commitment and capacity of potential incubators.
3. Cooperative Culture Trainings
These trainings introduce participants to a culture of cooperation and tools needed for collective work and decision-making. In addition to a theoretical framework, these trainings work to build an internal culture of trust, solidarity, and trust among participants through popular education.
ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
We are building a network of mentors and technical experts to assist in the on-going development of the worker-owned cooperatives that we work with. If you are interested in sharing your small business or cooperative expertise and becoming a volunteer mentor, please reach out on our Get Involved Page.
So far, we partnered with Elizabeth L. Carter, Esq., LLC, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC School of Law, Women for Economic Justice, and Food Partners to build an ecosystem of support for the creation and sustainability of worker cooperatives that are owned and controlled by immigrant, Latinx-women who face structural barriers limiting their growth, including labor exploitation and systematic and interpersonal violence.
So far, we partnered with Elizabeth L. Carter, Esq., LLC, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC School of Law, Women for Economic Justice, and Food Partners to build an ecosystem of support for the creation and sustainability of worker cooperatives that are owned and controlled by immigrant, Latinx-women who face structural barriers limiting their growth, including labor exploitation and systematic and interpersonal violence.
Community Engagement + EDUCATION
In addition to working with all stages of cooperatives, we prioritize engaging with the community around the restorative economy and the worker cooperative model. For instance, we are currently working in partnership with the Coalition of Spiritual and Public leadership (CSPL) to promote a restorative economy model in the Western Suburbs.
Our objectives include:
What is Restorative Economy? Learn more here.
Our objectives include:
- Offer community leaders an in-depth understanding of the Restorative Economy to spark conversations around how to create RE initiatives.
- Gauge interest and promote connections between interested individuals and organizations.
- Provide opportunities to deepen relationships for those interested in creating a RE framework.
- Spark a conversation with local government officials and other stakeholders around RE principles and framework, such as participatory budgeting, worker cooperatives, and community land trusts.
- Create a public space centered around BIPOC well-being.
- Create and strengthen a network of support for the Restorative Economy.
What is Restorative Economy? Learn more here.