Wednesday's one thing

Julia Smith

Julia Smith

— 2 min read

Item 1. Deepa Iyer workshop

I suspect that most people who read these emails are already well aware of 1) the role(s) you can and will play in movement/justice/grassroots/political work, and 2) your home base(s) for doing so (work, place of worship, collective, community space). In other words, the specific ways and places we try to be good neighbors, as J. Wortham wrote this week.

But if you're feeling unmoored or overloaded, here's an upcoming event that might help: Envision and Map Your Social Change Roles for 2026.

A graphic with promo for the Envision and Map... workshop that specifies the date and time (Fri, 12/12 at 3pm ET, 90 minutes long) and cost ($25 with a portion of proceeds being donated to immigrant rights orgs). There's a paragraph that explains you'll leave with a personalized 2026 Role Planner and resources to sustain your social change efforts. There is a small graphic of the social change ecosystem framework, plus a head shot of Deepa Iyer, smiling and wearing a bright fuschia top.
Image description, as always, is in alt text.

Maybe someone you know feels like they want to be doing more in their local community, but don't know where to start. Or maybe – more likely?! – someone you know feels overloaded with too many community needs, and needs help getting really clear on their own capacity so they can focus on the roles that make the most sense for them at this moment in time. Either way, Deepa Iyer is a great guide.

Register at socialchangemap.com

P.S.

I'm mindful that for many, spending $35 on a non-necessity – even if some of the proceeds will go to immigrant rights orgs – may be out of reach right now. I mostly share free events, but decided to share this paid one because I want Deepa to be able to sustain and grow her work.

And I've found the Social Change Roles framework useful throughout different seasons in my own life; most recently, a few of us used Deepa Iyer's related children's book + activity sheets (with her blessing) to design a kids and families space at a local protest.

Table set up at the beginning of an outdoor event. The picture book We Are the Builders is on the table along with markers, post-its, a gift bag, and instructions to enter to win a prize. There is a poster sized display of the Social Change Ecosystem Map up on an easel behind the table with a sign that says WHO'S ON YOUR MAP? above it. Trees and a blue sky are in the background.
Part of our setup.
A child's hand coloring a little paper graphic with a heart on it. The social change role graphics are on paper cutouts alongside safety pins so that participants can pin their "badges" that show the roles they play on their clothing.
A former elementary teacher took the We Are the Builders graphics and turned them into badges that people could color and wear!
Close-up of someone's hand putting a post-it note where they've written "Carol S." beside the "Healers" circle on the social change ecosystem poster
Folks could also visually shout out the people they know or respect who embody the different roles. (Poster available via the UU shop.)
Child wearing a Jelly Belly tie-dyed sweatshirt and two We Are the Builders badges pinned onto it holds up their BINGO sheet with a whole row crossed out. Face not shown.
People connected with neighbors via a human BINGO game (activity sheets + kids book here: We Are the Builders).

If you're getting this email, it's because you signed up at some point for short posts on mutual aid, grassroots work, community-building, the arts.

Or maybe someone forwarded this on to you! If so, subscribe here for more. 👇

Here for You email signup

Read more