Movement leaders aren’t born, they’re trained

Over the last 50 years, The Public Interest Network has provided hands-on, apprenticeship-style training and professional development that molds new changemakers into expert advocates, smart organizers and movement leaders.

Fresh from fall campaigns driving youth voter registration and turnout, promoting a 100 percent renewable future, calling for a pandemic response that puts saving lives first, and much more, our newest staff took their next steps toward movement leadership by participating in our advanced training series this November and December.

We’ve taken our time-tested training program fully into the virtual world, so that, while working remotely, our current staff benefit from the same high-quality training and support that we’re proud to have offered to thousands of our alumni when they worked for us. Here’s what four of The Public Interest Network’s newest class of changemakers had to say about the value of the classroom and ongoing training they’ve received and its impact on their work and their lives.

Photo by Staff | TPIN

Brynn credits our training and mentorship program with enabling her to do meaningful work that she loves: “Graduating from Georgetown, I knew I wanted to work with policy to make change. But I didn’t know organizing was a job I could do: talking to people, talking to decision-makers, working to bring them together to do good. It’s crazy that I get to go to work every day — virtually, of course — and actually make a difference. And even though energy efficiency was not exactly my childhood passion, I have completely fallen in love and may even have found my calling.”

Photo by Staff | TPIN

Olivia Sullivan, U.S. PIRG Zero Waste Associate

Nearly one year into her work to address our nation’s growing waste crisis, Olivia is preparing to launch the first campaign of her own, Waste is Out of Fashion, in January. “Clothing and textiles are the fastest growing waste streams in America,” Olivia reports. “We’re going to focus first on overstock waste because it makes no sense to overproduce clothes just to end up throwing them away.”

She adds, “At a very basic level, training has given me more confidence. I’ve learned to do some daunting things, such as reaching out to PhDs in textile management or working within and building a big fashion waste coalition. The advanced coalition-building training I just took part in was perfectly timed! It’s been helpful to have the chance to work things out in a classroom setting — and even more helpful to get real-world experience doing important work.”

Photo by Staff | TPIN

Malia Libby, Environment America Conservation Associate

Malia’s top priority is Environment America’s Save The Bees campaign, which promotes pollinator-friendly policies and practices. Reflecting on her training experience, she noted, “There’s so much to learn! I’m glad I got exposure to so many different skills. Connecting with new staff from diverse backgrounds and all the learning and practicing we did together helped me to find my voice.”

Malia has put her newfound communications skills to good use, from publishing an op-ed promoting ocean conservation in her hometown paper, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, to drafting a popular blog about how sustainable farming helps give bees a chance.