On May 29th, 2025, the Southwest Organizing Project’s (SWOP) Community Learning Partnership (CLP) program hosted its first-ever alumni gathering. The event brought together students from both the first and second cohorts of the CLP program — a unique community organizing course designed to build local leadership and cultivate the next generation of organizers. For many, it was the first opportunity to meet face-to-face, share a meal, and reflect on their shared journey of learning about grassroots organizing, power-building, and fighting for equity in their neighborhoods.

Throughout the evening, the room buzzed with conversation, laughter, and stories of how the program had shaped each participant’s personal and professional path. Alumni spoke about the organizing projects they work on, the relationships they are building, and the ways the program is igniting their passion for community change. It wasn’t just a reunion — it was a celebration of solidarity and a reaffirmation of the collective power born from organizing spaces like CLP.

The night’s most exciting moment came when longtime CLP advocate, Brian Brady, delivered a major announcement: the Community Learning Partnership program had officially been accepted as a credited certificate-issuing program at Kennedy King College. Adding to the excitement, Brian shared that Joel Rodriguez, who led the community organizing portion of the program, and James Rudyk, who had led the Community Development portion of the program, had been hired by the college to continue teaching the courses for future students. The news was met with cheers and applause, symbolizing not just a win for the program but for the broader movement to formalize organizing as a legitimate, respected career pathway. With this momentum, SWOP and CLP are now actively recruiting new students — especially those eager to fight for justice, build power, and make real, lasting change in their communities

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