Organizing 101

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Organizing 101 is an introductory training designed to equip participants with the core principles and tools of grassroots organizing. The session covers how to build power through collective action, identify issues that move people, develop strategic campaigns, and engage communities for lasting change. Participants learn the fundamentals of one-on-one conversations, base building, leadership development, and power mapping. Rooted in real-world examples, Organizing 101 emphasizes that effective organizing isn’t about speaking for people—it’s about helping them find and use their own voices to challenge systems of injustice and win tangible improvements in their lives and communities.

Wade Kyle, moderator, is an educator-turned-labor organizer and civic candidate rooted in Los Angeles County. Born in Long Beach, California, he holds a Bachelor’s from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s from California State University, Dominguez Hills. For over two decades he taught in K-12 classrooms and internationally (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan).

In his labor organizing role, Kyle rose through the ranks of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) by chairing its Political Action Council of Educators and served as an at-large director for the National Education Association (NEA).  His platform centered on  

Paloma Nafarrate is a filmmaker and community organizer who has served as president of the ACLU of Southern California’s Pasadena-Foothills Chapter and has been active with the Democratic Socialists of America. A longtime advocate for progressive causes, she volunteered as an organizer for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and has spent more than a decade advancing social and racial justice through grassroots activism and civic engagement. 

MaryLinda Moss is an activist with the Alliance for Democracy and an artist whose work explores humanity’s deep connection to the earth and the physical, emotional presence of space. She founded Source Art, an initiative that merges creative expression with social awareness, and has maintained a studio practice with the Los Angeles Art Association since 2006. Beyond her art, Moss became widely known in 2018 after she was caught in a life-threatening hostage situation at a Los Angeles supermarket, where she stayed composed, served as an intermediary between the gunman and police, and played a key role in peacefully de-escalating the crisis.

Ryan Andrews is an experienced English teacher in Los Angeles high schools and middle schools. He was a delegate to the 2025 California Federation of Teachers Convention and region field director for the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign.