By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer
Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) is currently hosting Organizer School, a 10-week political education program that focuses “on the theory and practice of political organizing and mass movement building.” The program takes place weekly at the SFPIRG lounge and is open to all participants regardless of prior experience with organizing.
SFPIRG’s “mission is to engage students and community in social and environmental justice.” Their Organizer School is designed as a participatory alternative to political education, inspired by Mass Movement and Struggle School from United in Struggle and Embark Sustainability’s Organizer Bootcamp. In an interview with The Peak, facilitators Hannah Ghaderi and Noëll Cousins said the program aims to address what they see as a gap in political education available to students and community members. “SFU really underserves its students in the kind of education it provides,” Cousins explained. “It’s very disconnected from people’s concrete problems and their real experiences.”
In response to SFU’s institutional structure, the Organizer School prioritizes group discussions, reflection, and the exchange of lived experiences. Its content and format emerged from extensive syllabus development, “starting with how to really study the society and how to look at it scientifically, and then going from there, and thinking of all these texts that can help us navigate that.”
Early sessions examine topics such as dialectical materialism and the roots of oppression, while later sessions focus on developing organizing strategies, movement building, and leadership. The curriculum draws on a wide range of historical and contemporary thinkers, including Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, the Combahee River Collective, and Paulo Freire. In choosing these materials, Ghaderi and Cousins intentionally included texts presenting differing or even conflicting perspectives. “Something that’s really important to us is to not censor or delete some parts of the conversation just for the sake of them fitting together,” Ghaderi said. “They’re like debates in a specific way, and that’s instructive,” Cousins added.
The program also includes practical activities to help participants apply theoretical concepts. One session involved a mock trial centred on Galileo’s historical conflict with the Catholic Church. The trial was used as a way to introduce class analysis and examine power dynamics. “It showed how attuned they are,” Ghaderi said, noting how participants were able to identify the murderer within the time limit set.
Cousins shared that this emphasis on participation is partly inspired by Theatre of the Oppressed. Developed by Augusto Boal, this approach positions participatory theatre as a means of revolution, confronting injustice through role-play and collective problem-solving. Cousins noted how it’s a “safe and fun and playful” space to practice how to give speeches and criticism.
“There’s a little revolutionary living in all of us.” — Noëll Cousins, Organizer School facilitator
Organizer School is also shaped by a pedagogical stance: the facilitators reject the idea of expertise as a prerequisite and encourage collective learning that is accessible to all. One of their community agreements is “nobody knows everything, but together we know a lot.”
The facilitators highlighted “an openness to learn new ideas and a desire to win, be victorious,” Cousins added. The facilitators also noted how the program is designed to be flexible, allowing the participants to engage even if they cannot complete all the assigned readings.
Ghaderi, who taught for 10 years in Iran before immigrating to Canada, said this approach is rooted in creating space for participants to contribute their own knowledge and experiences. The Peak attended a session on June 23, where participants collaboratively analyzed mock data to establish the mass line.
Looking ahead, Ghaderi and Cousins envision participants becoming facilitators themselves. Their long-term goal is to build a network of organizers who can carry the work forward. As Cousins said, “There’s a little revolutionary living in all of us.”
Ghaderi further reflected, “We’re open to holding that space for each other — no matter what, no matter about what topic.” This care for others, she emphasized, is also political work.
Organizer School is expected to run every semester. The current cohort meets Mondays from 6:00–9:00 p.m., with the final session scheduled for July 21. Applications for future semesters are accepted through SFPIRG.
