1DreamDefendersgroupNCOn Thursday, January 16th, YOI staff members and organizers from NC HEAT and the Education Justice Alliance piled into the Youth Organizing Institute’s vehicle and headed down South to Miami. Delegates arrived at a rally for public education led by Miami teachers Friday afternoon, met with youth from Power U on Saturday, and connected with the Dream Defenders Sunday.
At Power U’s office in the Florida’s New Majority building, NC HEAT leaders opened the exchange with a lighthearted icebreaker before members of each of the organizations in the room shared the histories of their respective  organizations and drew up collective group agreements. Members of the Youth Organizing Institute staff, NC HEAT, EJA, and Power U organizers came together for fishbowl-style and small group discussions on the transformative power, colorful histories, and their personal experiences of youth-led organizing in the South; the challenges and successes they experienced in campaigning for restorative justice; and the pitfalls and advantages of organizing in intergenerational coalitions. Youth from Power U as well as NC HEAT also exchanged their favorite chants, icebreakers, and energizer games; and came together for fun time at the beach after the meeting.
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