Past PAC training opportunities
PAC offered the following training opportunities to activists in recent years. They are offered here to demonstrate subject matter and our partnerships with other organizations.
April 2025
How Best Do We Use Our Energies? Indivisible We Rise Meeting, Clarion Free Library, Clarion, PA. We helped people on a personal and organizational level understand how best to use your energies for generating a better future for our region, state and country. Topics included the importance of our emotional state, how to talk to people dismayed or feeling buyer’s remorse related to the recent election, working with small pods/teams of 3 to 4 people, the importance of visioning the Islands of the New In the Sea of the Old. There was a De-escalation mini-workshop, a brief description of Power-Mapping and follow-up research, planning next steps, evaluating, learning and continuing, faith that others are getting involved across the state and country (Penn Garvin and Jim Highland)
March 2025
Power-Mapping Training, Mifflinburg, PA. In coordination with Rural Organizing Center (Penn Garvin)
August 2024
This is a Time for Bold Action: Sailboats, Boardgames and Strategic, Nonviolent Organizing
(first follow up meeting after Penn Garvin’s Strategic Organizing and Nonviolent Direct Action
Workshops from April 2024), Fellowship Hall, Community of Reconciliation Church, Pittsburgh, PA. How do we take Bold Action? Some are not used to it. Some don’t know exactly what it is. How do we plan it and generate it? We’ll be talking about the voyages of the Golden Rule (Marshall Islands, 1958, to prevent atmospheric nuclear weapons testing), and the Phoenix (North Vietnam, 1967, to take medical supplies to the Red Cross in North Vietnam) and what those dramatic, narrative, long-distance actions could inspire for the crisis in Gaza, Ukraine, Environmental Justice crises, and in other social justice struggles. (Penn Garvin, Jim Highland)
April 2024
Strategic Organizing and Nonviolent Direct Action Workshops, Community of Reconciliation Church, Pittsburgh, PA. Sessions included trainings on Power-mapping, talking to people across the Spectrum of Allies about contentious issues, and a training on the roles and work involved in holding a successful Nonviolent Direct Action. (Penn Garvin)
May-July 2023
Campfire Gathering Follow Up Meetings, Moraine State Park in Western PA. These meetings brought together activists from Citizens’ Environmental Association of the Slippery Rock Area (CEASRA), Save Slippery Rock Creek (SSRC) and an organizer from Unity Council for EP Train Derailment (East Palestine, OH). Trainings included planning to apply for joint grants and organizing advice for growing membership and donation networks. (Veronica Coptis (Taproot) and Heaven Sensky (Center for Coalfield Justice))
March 2023
Campfire Gathering with George Lakey and Veronica Coptis, Slippery Rock University. The event brought together a total of 70 people from environmental organizations across Western PA to learn about power-mapping, speaking to people at different points on your Spectrum of Allies, and related techniques for better organizing and protesting related to environmental justice. About a dozen participants also participated in a Nonviolent Direct Action Training (NVDA) led by long-time organizer, Penn Garvin.