| Session
1 11:00AM-12:15 |
Lunch |
Session 2 1:30-2:45 |
Session 3 2:50-4:05 |
Session 4 4:15-5:30 |
| Women on Top: Lessons from
(and for) the Next Generation of Pennsylvania Progressive Women Leaders |
Meet the Row Officers |
Creating a Proactive Environmental Agenda in a Hostile
Political Climate |
From CAFO's to Fracking: The Fight to Protect Rural
Communities from Industrial Devastation |
Climate Change for Progressives: Science, Fairness, Policy and
Activism |
| By hearing from millennial
women leaders in progressive politics, we can share our successes and
encourage more women to participate at all levels of the political process.
Learn how important progressive victories are being achieved in Pennsylvania
by women in leadership roles. |
Friends of working families occupy all of Pennsylvania's row
offices for the first time since the Attorney General has been an elected
office. Learn what this means for Pennsylvanians, and what changes we can
expect in state government. Each row officer will outline her or his
priorities for the next few years. |
Panelists discuss a comprehensive and realistic strategy to
safeguard progress on environmental issues, enhance environmental protection
and move a targeted proactive legislative agenda in the 2013-14 legislative
session. The presentation includes a strategic overview of the General
Assembly, including opportunities and obstacles for moving environmental
legislation and preventing anti-environmental proposals. It also explores
opportunities to work with the offices of the Attorney General and Auditor General
to protect key environmental policies and enhance enforcement of
environmental laws. |
Rural Pennsylvanians suffer when powerful, multi-million dollar industries
infiltrate our communities with the support of state and local officials.
From Marcellus Shale to factory farming, this session explores the effects of
big business on the environment, public health, state and local government,
economics and the fabric of our communities. Rural activists have made great
strides with creative citizen monitoring initiatives and public participation
in regulation and enforcement. Learn what how some communities have responded
when regulatory agencies partner with the polluters -- and how you can work
with political allies to fight back effectively.
|
This session links environmental protection, job creation,
economic development, policy creation and grassroots action to one of the
most important issues of our time.
Panelists discuss opportunities for substantial near-term reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions, and explain why privatizing infrastructure is
the wrong way to go. The session offers a compelling and holistic set of
strategies for progressives to use in confronting the very real perils of
climate change. |
| Aubrey Montgomery, Finance
Director, Pennsylvania Democratic Party; Jessica Walls-Lavelle, Political
Director, SEIU State Council; Rep. Erin Molchany, PA House 22nd District;
Sophie Bryan, Director, Policy/Authorization, Charter School Office at School
District of Philadelphia; Aletheia Henry, Campaign Manager for Luke
Ravenstahl for Mayor; Colleen Kennedy, Founder of Save Upper Darby Arts;
Maisha Leek, Chief of Staff for Congressman Chaka Fattah; Yesenia Rosado,
Legislative Director for Senator Rob Tepliz; Audrey Ann Ross, Government and
Media Relations Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania |
PA Attorney General Kathleen Kane; PA Treasurer Rob McCord; moderated by Senator Daylin Leach |
Jan Jarrett, environmental policy, communications and outreach consultant; David Masur, Executive Director, PennEnvironment; Rep. Mike Sturla, PA House 96th District |
Maria Payan, Executive Director, Peach Bottom Concerned
Citizens; Kathy Martin, Civil Engineer/Petroleum Engineer/Environmental
Specialist; Melissa Troutman, Outreach Coordinator, Mountain Watershed
Association; Charlie Speer,
Environmental Lawyer, Rep. Jesse J. White, PA House 46th District |
Donald A. Brown, Scholar in Residence on Sustainability, Ethics, and Law, Widener University Law School; John Hanger, former Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; John C. Dernbach, Distinguished Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Environmental Law Center, Widener University Law School; Carol Ann Donohoe, lawyer and Berks Gas Truth activist |
| What's Next for Health Care
Reform |
|
When We're 64: Why You Should Care About Protecting Social
Security, Medicare and Pensions |
The Trillion Dollar Student Debt Crisis and What to do About
It: A Dialogue with Students, Economists and Educators |
Education Funding, Vouchers, and Charter School Accountability |
| What comes next after the
passage of the Affordable Care Act, especially when the Corbett
administration is dragging its feet on implementation of an insurance
exchange? Panelists offer a comprehensive overview -- including Medicaid
expansion in Pennsylvania, and nationwide industry sabotage -- and discuss
specific challenges, successes, and action steps. |
|
Conservatives in Washington and Harrisburg continue to
undermine Social Security, Medicare and pensions, yet at some point in their
lives, nearly every American will need these supports to keep poverty at bay.
This workshop covers the why, how and what we must do to protect these vital
programs, and why citizens of all ages should be paying attention now -- not
when it is too late. |
Rising tuition and skyrocketing student loan debt threaten to
undermine access to higher education, undercutting equal opportunity and
weakening our economy and democracy.
Learn from a roundtable discussion with college students about the
crisis in higher education access, its impact on students and families, and
possible solutions. |
Funding for effective education solutions has been challenged
by organizations that promote privatization of education services and school
vouchers. The 2012 state elections put education back on the agenda, and the
clash between these competing interests will be front and center over the
next two years. Panelists explore the debate between the pro-privatization
agenda and solutions that actually work, discuss the upheaval of
Philadelphia’s school restructuring plan, and report on the likelihood of
real charter school reform in 2013. |
| Valerie Arkoosh, MD, Immediate
Past-President, National Physicians Alliance; Wendell Potter, whistle-blower
and author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How
Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans; Athena Ford,
Advocacy Director, Pennsylvania Health Access Network |
|
Jennifer Blatz, Pension Coordinator, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO;
Mike Brunelle, Executive Director, SEIU State Council; Steve Herzenberg,
Executive Director, Keystone Research Center |
Scot Ross, Executive Director, One Wisconsin NOW; Doug Brown,
Public Policy Researcher, Association of Pennsylvania State College and
University Faculties (APSCUF); Caroline Allen and other students from
Pennsylvania colleges and universities |
Mike Crossey, President, Pennsylvania State Education
Association; Ian Moran, Program Manager, Education Voters of Pennsylvania;
Donna Cooper, Executive Director, Public Citizens for Children and Youth;
Rep. Steve McCarter, PA House 154th District |
| Blood From a Stone: Corbett’s
2013 Budget |
|
Usury 101: Payday Lending and the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage
Campaign |
Holding Big Business Accountable: The Truth About Tort Reform |
Commonwealth For Sale: Standing Up to Privatization |
| Governor Corbett’s first two
budget made significant cuts to public investments, reduced taxes on
profitable businesses and helped worsen Pennsylvania’s economic condition.
This panel will unpack the newly released 2013 budget and discuss the big
issues of the year including the push to close tax loopholes and the
opportunity to increase health coverage to 700,000 Pennsylvanians. |
|
Working families have become a profit center for predatory
payday lenders and low-wage employers. This session explores the dangers of
payday lending and outlines the current legislative campaign to keep
predatory lenders out of Pennsylvania.
Panelists also review the benefits of raising the minimum wage and
discuss this and other ways to create more broadly shared prosperity in
Pennsylvania. |
The Chamber of Commerce and the far right are trying to pass
laws that cap damages and immunize corporations from being held accountable
for their conduct. This session will demonstrate how we can counter those
efforts and advocate for progressive pro-consumer legislation. |
Privatization of public services and infrastructure is being
sold as the way to provide better services at lower cost in an era of
cash-strapped states and cities. However, selling off state assets and
agencies leads to job losses, lower wages and poor service. Panelists discuss current proposals in
Pennsylvania to privatize state assets, the consequences of those proposals
and how we can stand up to those who want to put Pennsylvania up for sale. |
| Mike Wood, Research Director,
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center; Rebecca McNichol, State Director of
the Coalition for Labor Engagement and Accountable Revenues (CLEAR); Miriam
Fox, Minority Executive Director of House Appropriations Committee; Josh Shapiro,
Montgomery County Commissioner; Senator Vince Hughes, PA 7th District; Kate
Atkins, Outreach Coordinator, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center |
|
Rick Bloomingdale, President, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; Kerry
Smith, Staff Attorney, Community Legal Services; Mark Price, Labor Economist,
Keystone Research Center; Robin Stelly, Keystone Progress/PennAction |
Scott B. Cooper, President, PA Association for Justice (PAJ);
Matthew C. Monroe, PAJ; Rep. Brandon Neuman, PA House 48th District |
John Meyerson, Director of Legislation and Political Action,
UFCW 1776; Rebecca McNichol, State Director of the Coalition for Labor
Engagement and Accountable Revenues (CLEAR); Ellen Dannin, Fannie Weiss
Distinguished Faculty Scholar and Professor for Law, Penn State University |
| Stop Preaching and Start
Selling Your Ideas |
|
The Fourth Estate: Cracking the Code on the Role of Journalism
in Government and Politics |
The Progressive Economic Narrative: Using Story to Organize
Around Shared Goals |
Social Media 101 |
| Politics and policy are
discussed in a marketplace of ideas that are bought and sold like products in
any other market. The “idea products” progressives want to "sell"
must have the same fundamental characteristics of any other product: a compelling
value proposition, backed by a trusted brand and a clearly identified
marketing plan that connects the value with the need. Learn how to sell your ideas to audiences
beyond your core constituencies and get the independent and non-partisan
support you need for long-term success. |
|
What impact do factors such as bottom lines and corporate
ownership have on the types of stories that get covered in the press? How do
social media and slimmer budgets affect the quality of investigative
journalism in Pennsylvania? Why do some stories have more staying power than
others? How do reporters view their role in shaping political landscape of
our state? How do they strike a balance between getting at the truth and
maintaining access? Join moderator John Micek for a self-reflective
conversation with his press corps colleagues. |
The Progressive Economic Narrative is a powerful tool
pioneered by USAction to mobilize diverse constituencies around a meaningful,
shared goal through the power -- and strategic use -- of story. Panelists
review the five planks of the
narrative and demonstrate how to apply the narrative to work in local
communities. |
This basic yet invaluable session offers useful dos and don'ts
for the successful use of social media in political advocacy. Creative
strategies for Twitter, Facebook and other platforms will be shared along
with case studies. |
| Jon Deutsch, Principal and
Founder, Capital D Strategies |
|
Eric Bohem, PA Independent; Tara Auchey, Roxbury News; Will
Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News "Attytood" Columnist; Chris Comisak,
Capitolwire; moderated by John L. Micek, Editorial Page Editor, Patriot
News/PennLive |
Brenda Barron, Regional Field Director, USAction; Robin
Stelly, PennAction/Keystone Progress Regional field Organizer |
Beth Becker, Partner, Indigo Strategies, and Director of
Special Assignments, Progressive Congress |
| A Conservative Walks into a
Bar: The Politics of Political Humor |
|
Legalizing Marijuana: Pennsylvania's 14-Point Play |
Does Michele Influence Policy? How Does Barack Stay Healthy?
Ask the White House |
The Space Between Fighting Back and Moving Forward: Emotional
and Stress Management for Activists |
| Political humor is a tricky
business, but done well, it can get the point across -- and loosen people up
-- like nothing else. Very few elected officials use satire to communicate
with their constituencies as effectively as Pennsylvania's own Senator Leach.
Dr. Dagnes, as a political scientist, has studied the role and consequence of
modern political comedy and satire in America today. Join us for an animated
and illuminating confab on the politics of being funny. |
|
Legalizing marijuana could save Pennsylvanians an estimated
$325 million in arrest, prosecution and incarceration costs, and raise much
needed revenue for transportation, education and health care. Learn what's
going on in Pennsylvania as policies and public opinion shift nationwide on
the sale, use and legality of marijuana. |
Want ask the White House a question? Here's your opportunity.
Representatives from the White House will listen to your concerns and answer
questions. |
Activists are experts at tapping into strong emotions to
motivate others to act, but living in a constant of emotional arousal can be
damaging to individuals and detrimental to the integrity and goals of groups.
Effective emotional self-management will reduce burnout, cynicism, and
dropout rates. Groups can also reap the benefits of skillful emotional
management by experiencing less in-fighting and greater cohesion.
Participants in this session learn how to reduce and manage negative
emotions, increase positive emotions, and understand how advocacy and
political campaigns can be organized to reduce the emotional stress of
organizing. |
| Dr. Alison Dagnes, Associate
Professor of Political Science, Shippensburg University, and author of A
Conservative Walks Into a Bar: The Politics of Political Humor; Senator
Daylin Leach, PA 17th District, occasional political satirist, blogger and
lover of anchovies |
|
Senator Daylin Leach, PA 17th District; Roseanne Scotti, New Jersey State
Director, Drug Policy Alliance; Sabrina Fendrick, National Director NORML
Women's Alliance; moderated by Zach Hoover, Chief of Staff for Senator Daylin
Leach |
Brad L. Jenkins, Associate Director, White House Office of
Public Engagement |
Patricia J. Fox, a licensed
Clinical Psychologist focusing on psychotherapy for women’s issues, the
treatment of anxiety and depression, and volunteer development in non-profit
organizations; Gabrielle Shimkus, former Media Analyst for the PA House of Representatives
Democratic Caucus, currently getting a Masters in Mental Health counseling;
Marc Stier, writer, activist and former HCAN State Director from
Philadelphia
|
| Pennsylvania Legislative
Update |
|
Lobbying from the Legislator's Point of View |
The Unfairness Doctrine: Fighting Back Against the Right-wing
Campaign to Rig Elections |
|
| With conservatives in charge
of all three branches of government, what bills will move this session in
Harrisburg? Will the majority get everything they want with education
funding, transportation, privatization of the PLCB and Lottery -- or do
progressives have a change to change the dynamic? Hear members of the 2013 PA General
Assembly discuss the upcoming legislative battles and get the inside scoop on
what they think will really happen. |
|
Lobbying is one of the best ways for engaged citizens to communicate with
their elected officials. What makes an effective lobbyist? What do
legislators think when they get 500 of the same email from online groups? Are letters, phone calls, emails or
meetings the best way to be heard? When is it best to talk to staff instead?
How is the best way to get a meeting? Listen to legislators tell you how to
get through to them and advocate for legislative change. |
Right-wing governors, legislators and activists have mounted
an alarming series of attacks on the voting rights that form the cornerstone
of our democracy. Tactics include the imposition of voter ID requirements,
challenges to registration status, limits to early voting, and most recently,
attempts to change the way the electoral college works -- an idea that is
still very much alive in Pennsylvania. This session examines these and other
right-wing efforts to rig elections, and provides an overview of strategies
for fighting back. |
|
| Stephen Bruder, Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Senator Jim Ferlo; Zach Hoover, Chief of Staff for Senator Daylin Leach; Jesse White, PA House 46th District; Rep. Mike Sturla, PA House 96th District; moderated by Will Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News "Attytood" columnist |
|
Senator Vince Hughes, PA 7th District; Rep. Madeline Dean, PA
House 153rd District; moderated by Ritchie Tabachnik, Voices for Progress
lobbyist |
Jeff Garis, Field Director, Pennsylvania Voice; Laurel
Mcleaish, Staff Attorney PSEA; Chuck Pascal, attorney; Marian Schneider,
Pennsylvania Consulting Attorney, Advancement Projec; Senator Matt Smith, PA
37th District |
|
| 21st Century LGBT Civil
Rights: An Update, Talk-back and Brainstorm |
|
Running Winning Campaigns with Progressive Messaging and
Partnerships in Pennsylvania's Conservative "T" |
Turning Point: Getting Serious About Gun Control |
The Infrastructure Behind the Right-wing Legislative
Juggernaut |
| This informative and
interactive session explores how Equality Pennsylvania is planning to move
LGBT civil rights forward in the Commonwealth. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions
and offer ideas about how to turn Pennsylvania from the least LGBT-friendly
state in the entire Northeast, to one that recognizes that supporting this
community actually benefits everyone. |
|
Too many candidates muffle their beliefs because conventional
wisdom states that Pennsylvania Democrats need to run as “Republican-Lite” to
win elections. Not so! Learn how Rob Tepliz, the newly elected State Senator
from Harrisburg, used bold, progressive, effective messaging in conservative
territory. His outspoken support for a woman's right to make her own health
care decisions was pivotal to his success. |
The national discussion on firearm policy is filled with
misinformation, confusing lingo, and heated rhetoric. Panelists -- a mayor, a police chief, a gun
control advocate, and a State Representative -- draw on their varied
perspectives to cut through the confusion, explain the current problems posed
by firearms, and propose policies to address these issues. |
This fast-paced audiovisual presentation focuses on the
intersection of the right-wing "free market" infrastructure, it's
major funders, and the Religious Right --
introducing participants to the networking of all fifty states through
the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network
(SPN), an umbrella organization bringing together the "free market"
policy institutes in all 50 states with the Heritage Foundation, Cato
Institute, and other major conservative think tanks. This is followed with a
segment showing how these organizations coordinate with the Family Policy
Council, located in 36 states.
Pennsylvania is used as the example to demonstrate how the coordinated
"free market" and "family policy" network of
organizations impact state policy. |
| Rep. Brian Sims, PA House
182nd District; Ted Martin, Executive Director, and Adanjesus Marin,
President, Equality Pennsylvania |
|
Aren Platt, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Senate Democratic
Campaign Committee; Marc Silverman, pollster, Thirty-Ninth Street Strategies;
Sari Stevens, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania; PA
Senator Rob Teplitz, 15th District |
Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown; Shira Goodman, Executive
Director, CeaseFirePA; William Mossman, Chief of Police, Phoenixville
Borough; Rep.Madeleine Dean, PA House 153th District |
Rachel Tabachnick, Fellow, Political Research Associates, and
writer/researcher/speaker on the Religious Right and its influence on policy |
| Partnering with Labor on
Working Family Issues |
|
Faith in Action: How Religious and Secular Activists Can Work
Together for Social Change |
Why "Right to Work" is Wrong and Why It Matters to
The Middle Class |
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: What it Means for
Pennsylvania and Why We Need Change Now |
| This hands-on workshop
explores numerous techniques to involve labor in your issue, get the
attention of political leaders -- even those you don't agree with -- and
build relationships that serve your issues in the long run. The session draws
on Christopher Kush's "One Hour Activist" and includes training in
how to craft personal stories and use them in highly effective letters to
editors and elected officials, phone calls and public speaking events. |
|
Jewish, Christian and Muslim panelists discuss social justice
activism within their own faith communities and explain how and why their
activism is rooted in religious and spiritual practice. Attendees are
encouraged to ask questions about working within faith communities, with
people of different faiths, and with secular activists. |
So called right-to-work legislation in Wisconsin, Ohio and
Michigan has prompted massive protests, recall elections and a renewed
interest in the role of labor unions. Progressives have rallied around labor
to help fend off these attacks, but many people are still unsure why it
matters to them. This workshop offers perspectives from labor and from its
progressive allies on the larger economic, social and political implications
of "right-to-work" legislation -- and why we must work together to fight
it. |
Since the 2012 election, momentum for comprehensive
immigration reform has surged. President Obama and a bi-partisan group in the
Senate have offered proposals that include a pathway to citizenship for the
11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. This workshop explores
the central issues, particularly how the current system is failing immigrant
individuals and families across Pennsylvania. Participants learn about the
Pennsylvania United for Immigration Reform campaign, and how they can engage
with this statewide mobilizing effort. |
| Roxanne Pauline, NEPA Citizens
in Action; Yael Foa, AFL-CIO Senior Field Representative |
|
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, The Shalom Center; Will
O’Brien, Policy Director, Project H.O.M.E.; Amara Chaudhry, Civil Rights
Director, Philadelphia Council on Islamic-American Relations |
Jessica Walls-Lavelle, Political Director, SEIU State Council;
Ted Martin, Executive Director, Equality Pennsylvania; Rick Bloomingdale,
President, and Frank Snyder, Secretary-Treasurer, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO |
Natasha Kelemen, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Immigration
and Citizenship Coalition (PICC); Manuel Portillo, Norris Square Civic
Association; Javier Hernandez, Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational
Safety and Health (PhilaPOSH) |
| |
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| DFA The Story of Self: Us, Now |
|
DFA Messaging and Communications |
DFA Volunteer Recruitment and Management |
DFA Get Out The Vote |
| Organizing is fundamentally
about building relationships, and the most effective organizers are those who
understand the power and authority of their own personal story. This session
helps activists articulate their values and share them with others in ways
that motivate people to action. Each of us has a powerful story, and once we
understand why we are called to lead -- and master the art of the public
story -- we can help others find their own power. |
|
This session explores what to do (and not do) when talking to
the press, and how to maintain strong relationships with reporters. Learn the
basics of effective messaging and online communications, and how to create a
quick, effective message to win over donors or elected officials. |
Learn best practices for building and sustaining volunteer
teams for your local campaign: team structures, tips on recruiting
volunteers, delegating vote goals to teams, and a framework for building and
sustaining effective teams that take responsibility and are motivated to get
out the vote for your candidate or issue. |
Elections come down to getting more of your people to the
polls than the other guy, so an effective campaign must ensure that all its
target voters actually get out and vote on Election Day. This session
explains where to concentrate resources and how to develop a good GOTV
strategy for the final days of your campaign. |
| DFA La Historia Mía, Nuestro y
Ahora |
|
DFA Communicaciones en general |
DFA El Reclutamiento y Retenimiento de Voluntarios |
DFA Sacar el Voto |
| Dominar el narrativo público
nos permite establecer una base firme con los constituyentes en cual podemos
colaborar, tomar liderazgo y encontrar un propósito común. Todos tenemos una
historia que contar que puede mover a otros a la acción. La historia Mía es
la primera parte de un narrativo público donde aprenderás a compartir porque
estas tomando el liderazgo del movimiento. Una vez que todo el mundo sabe por
qué está llamado a dirigir, es el momento para motivar a la acción colectiva.
Aprende a incrementar tu poder con otros al aprender la segunda fase del
narrativo publicó- la historia nuestra y de ahora. |
|
En este entrenamiento hablaremos sobre que hacer y que no
cuando trabajamos con la prensa y como mantener esos contactos. Enseñaremos
que funciona para crear una buena estrategia de mensaje y sobre como crear un
rapido, eficiente mensaje cuando hablamos con donantes u oficiales elejidos.
Tambien hablaremos sobre comunicaciones sobre la red. |
Descubre las mejores prácticas de crear y mantener equipos de
voluntarios para tu campaña local: estructuras de equipo, consejos sobre el
reclutamiento de voluntarios, la delegación de metas a los equipos y un
sistema para la construcción y la administración efectiva de los equipos que
tienen responsabilidad y están motivados para sacar el voto por su candidato
o temas. |
El dia de eleccion se acerca mas y mas. Necesitas un plan para
asegurarte que ganes todos los votos posible. En este entrenamiento te
demonstraremos adonde concentrar tus recurs. |
| Victoria Cepeida-Mojarro,
Deputy Political Director, United Farm Workers |
|
Franco Caliz, Southern Regional Field Organizer, Democracy for
America |
Franco Caliz, Southern Regional Field Organizer, Democracy for
America |
Victoria Cepeida-Mojarro, Deputy Political Director, United
Farm Workers |
