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We all know the right messages to get the environmental activist base on board with taking action on climate change. Now, what are the most compelling ways to talk to a broader audience to engage them in the fight for a just transition to a clean energy future? NextGen Climate has worked with pollsters, researchers and allied organizations to identify the best messages that work for diverse audiences. By talking about a just transition to a clean energy future, we know we can broaden the intersectionality of the climate movement. Come hear from message experts and organizers from the field as they discuss how we can broaden our movement through better messaging and engagement.

Led by: Andrea Purse

Panelists: Celinda Lake, Ben Wessel, David Winkler

In the 2016 election cycle, the Latinx and immigrant community have been demonized by Donald Trump. However, this framework and racism has been driving policy in America for generations. Meet Latinxs who are challenging the national discourse and owning perceived wedge issues to tackle the biggest issues of our time. As the Latinx community continues to grow, something is shifting and we’ve found power at the intersections. Hear from some wise Latinxs about how to build a path forward.

Led by: Hemly Ordonez

Panelists: Jessica González-Rojas, Zenen Jaimes Pérez, Nelini Stamp, Catalina Velasquez

Over 40 million people in the United States are carrying debt from student loans worth $1.3 trillion, an average of over $30,000 a borrower. Many people struggle with making their monthly payments, while others worry that this debt will follow them throughout their life. The weight of this debt is having a massive impact on our personal and national economic well-being: people are putting off buying a home or starting a family, and money that could be spent on goods and services that could spur economic growth are going to service the debt accrued while financing an increasingly expensive college education. Further, student debt has a more profound impact upon communities of color and women.

However, the federal government has free programs available that can help many student loan borrowers lower their monthly payments and, in some cases, even have their debt forgiven. Unfortunately, these programs are not well known, and can be somewhat confusing – opening a space for scammers who charge borrowers to enroll in free programs.

The AFT recognizes that these programs can help a huge number of our members and their families. To that end, we are rolling out Student Debt Clinics, developed with the help of Jobs with Justice, to provide people with the information they need to enroll in income-driven student loan repayment programs and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. More importantly, these clinics are a member engagement and community engagement opportunity, and the run-up and follow-through for the clinics provide multiple opportunities to have meaningful conversations with members, and their communities, and organize them to take action to help student loan borrowers and make a college education more affordable before another generation finds themselves in debt.

A Student Debt Clinic is 75-90 minute session where attendees are educated on the systemic injustices of our current student debt national crisis. Participants are encouraged to shift their perspectives and stop seeing student debt as just a personal issue, but rather a shared national crisis that will require collective action to address. Participants are then guided through enrolling in Income-Driven Repayment programs – where monthly payments can be as little as $0/mo – and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, two under-utilized programs that work in tandem to lower payments and forgive debt. Following a Q&A session on the programs, participants are presented an organizing ask.

Panelists: Samantha Jordan, Justin Tzuanos

Congress is messed up. How can activists push the government to address pressing problems constructively amidst political polarization and gridlock? As Senator Elizabeth Warren noted in last year’s Netroots Nation keynote address, “personnel is policy.” One key takeaway is to make sure that the president aggressively enforces powerful laws already on the books. From the Sherman Antitrust Act and Clean Air Act to Dodd-Frank and the ACA, regulatory action and inaction shape the country in which we live. Join our panelists to learn who makes these decisions—and how activists can impact the direction of the executive branch.

Led by: Marcy Wheeler

Panelists: Alexis Goldstein, Angela McCall, Kurt Walters

In low-income, Black communities disenfranchised by the criminal legal system, millions of dollars are spent each year on courts and police that could be invested into public services to meet basic needs of the community and combat inequity. What if we could empower community members to envision how they would like resources to be spent to promote genuine public safety? What would it look like to hold political officials accountable to these community-led visions? Join grass roots St. Louis organizers as we chart a path to redirect resources from traditional policing and court models into public services that meet basic needs of the community and address root causes of crime.

Led by: Thomas Harvey

Panelists: Kayla Reed, Kennard Williams

The Democratic presidential primary has been intense. But nothing will be more intense, scary, and destructive than a Donald Trump White House. We all know that. Come hear how our side will unite and win the 2016 presidential election. Panelists include senior leaders from the Democratic presidential campaign, SEIU, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, NARAL, and MoveOn. Folks on both sides of the democratic primary. People on the inside and outside. If voters hear our message on wealth inequality, the fight for Black Lives, women’s access to abortion and health services, debt-free college, expanding Social Security, Wall Street reform, a humane immigration policy, and fighting Trump’s hate-filled agenda — we will win.

Led by: Adam Green

Panelists: Sasha Bruce, Anna Galland, Marlon Marshall

From the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement to the impact Black people have on social media with platforms such as #BlackTwitter to the rising number of Black women running for office, it is clear that Black women’s work and voices in the progressive movement are monumental and significant. The discussion will focus on two elements—how Black women have shaped current social movements such as racial justice, criminal justice reform and reproductive justice; and how Black women have emerged as the largest voting bloc in the U.S. Panelists will engage the audience on why Black women matter in transforming our country.

Led by: Anay Bickham

Panelists: Jessica Byrd, Glynda C. Carr, Maria Chappelle-Nadal, L. Joy Williams

Want to learn how the LGBT and disability communities have been intertwined for years as they have helped each other achieve rights? Want to learn how to be an educated and effective ally with the disability and LGBT movements? Want to learn how to make lasting social change? If so, this panel is for you. Led by the first lesbian Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this panel of change agents from both communities will talk about stopping discrimination against people with disabilities and LGBT people – for real.

Led by: Chai Feldblum

Panelists: Rebecca Cokley, Anupa Iyer, Shannon Price Minter

Over the past year, the LGBTQ movement has struggled to find direction in dealing with the right-wing backlash after winning marriage equality. From over 100 attacks in state legislatures, to the unending murders of trans women of color, to the recent massacre at a gay club during Latinx Night, LGBTQ people are still very much fighting for our liberation. Join this session to learn more about the challenges the movement is facing, as well as how you can join the fight for LGBTQ liberation.

Led by: Michael Crawford, Heather Cronk, Reuben Hayslett

This year has seen a nearly unprecedented rise in the political targeting of refugees—from bigoted rhetoric to xenophobic legislation on the state and federal levels. Fear-mongering from Trump and other politicians has opened up space for anti-refugee sentiment to move into the mainstream, but the groundwork for this explosion of bigotry was laid by the increasing collaboration of the organized anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim movements. This panel will expose the drivers of anti-refugee policy and rhetoric and discuss how our communities can—and must—fight back.

Led by: Lindsay Schubiner

Panelists: Asha Noor, Stephen Piggott, Faizan Syed

Storytelling is one of the most sought-after ways to change cultural and political landscapes; however, sometimes the ways in which stories are collected, shared, and used can replicate the same systems of oppression we seek to disrupt. How can centering Black women’s expertise in storytelling and story sharing move policy and culture? Participants will leave this session with an understanding on how to approach, respect, and uplift the expertise of Black women story tellers.

Led by: Quita Tinsley

Panelists: Jessica Byrd, Suzette Gardner, Regina Mahone

We have a rape culture problem in the progressive movement. After the high-profile closure of FitzGibbon Media and the rise of a survivor-justice movement, addressing everyday sexism, sexual harassment and assault in the movement has become a hot topic. But how do we fix it? The reality is this abuse is not just the product of a few isolated actors, but the result of a permissive and often supportive culture in our organizations. Serial abusers move from one group to another for years, making our movement a toxic and sometimes dangerous place. This panel will discuss how to address this issue, what a positive structured response could look like and how to make our progressive organizations and movement safer.

Led by: Mariana Ruiz Firmat

Panelists: Molly Haigh, Austen Levihn-Coon, Bridget Todd, Wagatwe Wanjuki

NetChange Consulting (formerly Communicopia) recently released a report that maps the strategies and practices that made today’s most successful advocacy campaigns work while so many others fail to create lasting change on the issues they address. The result of a deep dive into nearly 50 case studies, the Networked Change report puts special focus on what we’re calling “directed network campaigns,” a model for building people-powered movements that are centrally framed and managed in a way that leads to staying power and concrete wins. What’s a directed network campaign? Look no further than the four hottest movements of the moment: #Fightfor15, BlackLivesMatter, Keystone/Tar Sands/Climate, and Bernie Sanders. Our session will unpack the strategic and operational elements common to these campaigns, and panelists will share real stories from the front lines running innovative campaigns that reflect these principles.

This panel features NetChange principal consultant Jason Mogus, Marissa Franco, the Campaigns Director at Not1More Deportation and Mijente.net, Faith Cheltenham, President of #BiNet, and Kyle Tanner, the Digital Director at #Fightfor15.

Led by: Jason Mogus

Panelists: Faith Cheltenham, Marisa Franco, Kyle Tanner

Wondering how to take your Facebook content to the next level? How to create and plan content to maximize your reach and impact? Join a session with Facebook strategists to see the latest trends, understand the newest tools, and get the most out of your time on Facebook.

Led by: Crystal Patterson

Panelists: Kaiya Waddell

We’ve seen that storytelling can give visibility to the invisible, destigmatize experiences considered controversial, and mobilize social justice movements. Join us as people with diverse identities and experiences discuss their strategies for relating personal stories through art, social media, spoken word, and other genres to achieve innovative activism.

Led by: Daniela Ramirez

Panelists: Renee Bracey Sherman, Julio Salgado, Leora Tanenbaum, Sonya Renee Taylor

In order to break the toxic grip that Fox and other right-wing outlets hold over so many of our fellow Americans, progressives need to have a deeper understanding of how right-wing media manipulators work, what forces enable their continued success, and how to fight “The Fox Effect” where they are—be it at family dinner, at church, or on the doors during a field canvass. Attend this session and you’ll leave with insights, tools, techniques, and motivation to help counter the misinformation and divisive influence of right-wing media in our relationships, politics, and culture.

Panelists: Dave Ninehouser, Erin Ninehouser, Jen Senko

In the past year, organizations across the progressive space have done amazing work measuring the digital tactics and tools that do and don’t work for a variety of persuasion and mobilization campaigns. Come learn from some of the cutting edge techniques that agencies and vendors are building and using to optimize programs—and the outstanding questions that organizations should keep top of mind for planning programs in 2016.

Led by: Amy Kelleher

Panelists: Brandt McCool, Tatenda Musapatike, Dan Scarvalone, Aaron Strauss, Ben Wessel

The 2015 Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality brought with it a slew of blatantly discriminatory bills against the LGBTQ community from state-to-state. This harmful legislation most frequently includes religious exemption bills and bathroom regulations directly targeting the transgender community. The ultimate goal of these bills is to prevent transgender people from transitioning, or even functioning on a day-to-day basis. In this panel discussion, we will hear from statewide and national advocates and activists on how to address these bills, from messaging and organizing on how to defeat these proposed laws, to strategic responses in states in which these measures passed. We will also discuss where these bills are coming from, and how we are coordinating with organizations to challenge them legally and constitutionally in court.

Led by: Zack Ford

Panelists: Jaimie Hileman, Kirstin Palovick, Brynn Tannehill, Kayley Whalen

This panel will center Black women and femmes who explicate on their experiences, Black feminist resistance and popular culture analysis to dissect and examine the ways in which Black women are constantly surviving violence, voyeurism and erasure while being the most important demographic for political shifting and public policy implementation. From Beyonce getting us InFormation to Love & Hip Hop politicking, there is a power and politicization within popular culture that is created by Black women and femmes that links to how public policy around Black women and femme bodies is shaped. Topics addressed in this panel will include public policy, reproductive and sexual rights, consent, #BLM and labor/wage justice.

Led by: Ashleigh Shackelford

Panelists: Rian Brown, Bri Carter, Tyrell Cooper

We have a Black jobs crisis on our hands—and the impact that race has played in our ability to obtain employment has devastated many of our communities. From Black unemployment rates in the double digits to the severe underemployment of Black transgender women, this panel will discuss the history of our economy built on slave labor, the current crisis the Black community faces as we strive for full employment, and actions our organizations and communities can take as we look forward to true employment equity.

Led by: Carmen Berkley

Panelists: Elle Hearns, Fareed Michelen, Bill Spriggs

For 40 years the Hyde Amendment has targeted poor women, women of color, and young women by banning abortion coverage from Medicaid, condemning many to unsafe procedures or unwanted pregnancies.Women of color in the reproductive justice movement have risen up to take on Hyde—and with it, 40 years of stigma and silence. In five years, organizations like All* Above All introduced the EACH Woman Act and proactive state and local policies and mobilized thousands of grassroots supporters to stand up against Hyde. This year, for the first time ever, both Democratic candidates have called for the repeal of Hyde. Learn how our leaders are braving a political hornet’s nest and where we’re going next with this fight.

Led by: Morgan Hopkins

Panelists: Ravina Daphtary, Jessica González-Rojas, Yamani Hernandez

The old funding models have stopped working well for 21st Century progressive movements, but the new ways are still being created. Join this session for an informative and dynamic discussion about some new models for funding movement-building work that are being implemented among progressive donor networks, individual small-dollar donors, and social-change organizations themselves. Funding of movements has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. Are our current models working to support real social change? What has worked and where are we failing? What new models can we lift up that free us to do the real work of organizing? Join us and help reinvent what it means to be a movement philanthropist.

Led by: Jenifer Fernandez Ancona

Panelists: Tram Nguyen, Sara Velten, Howard Watts III

Join Progress Missouri and leaders from four coalition partners to discuss the importance of building strong coalitions and sticking together in the face of seemingly non-stop attacks. Attendees of this panel will come away with new strategies and ideas for their organizations to survive—and even thrive—when operating in states where they are part of a significantly out-numbered minority. This honest discussion will bring to light debates, strategies, disagreements and solutions necessary for carrying out the missions of progressive organizations in the very real world of red state politics.

Led by: Laura Swinford

Panelists: Ashli Bolden, Nancy Cross, Molly Fleming, Katie Stuckenschneider

Many of the challenges facing progressive political tech startups are unique. VCs are inherently skeptical of poli-tech and the measure of early success is often much different than it is in Silicon Valley. Whether you’re weighing a startup or are already past early stage, this session will offer insight from entrepreneurs at all stages of the startup cycle.

Led by: Kate Maeder

Panelists: Jessica Hyejin Lee, Jason Putorti, Perry Rosenstein, Kendall Tucker

Momentum is key to 21st-century movements. Whether built over years or in days, campaign velocity necessitates effective planning and response to real-time situations on the ground. Bridging the gap between your offline and online advocacy efforts can be made easier with the right technology and strategy.

Budget constraints should no longer dictate the reach or size of your campaigns. Join us to hear from seasoned experts in grassroots coalition building with experience in winning local, state, and federal campaigns that have developed a blueprint for winning campaigns how you can leverage from the 4-year election cycle.

Led by: Michael Moschella

Panelists: Ximena Hartsock, Bo Shuff

TRUTH, a collaboration between Transgender Law Center and GSA Network, is a national storytelling and movement-building campaign led by transgender and gender nonconforming young people from across the U.S. Through videos, selfie campaigns and other creative new media projects, TRUTH empowers trans and gender nonconforming youth to share their stories as a way to challenge media narratives, create community with other young people and build empathy. This discussion of youth leaders will allow the audience to hear directly from trans and gender nonconforming young people about their experiences and work building an intersectional movement.

Led by: Juniper Cordova-Goff

Panelists: Violet Martinez, Ka'Milla McMiller, Foster Noone, Zeam Porter

News and entertainment media can act as a mirror to our understanding of abortion in the U.S. It It can also be a platform for moving society by generating programming that questions existing practices. We will explore how the media talks about abortion, from right-wing examples of abortion stigma to examples of media dismantling stigma and discussing it with authenticity and facts. Examining ways in which media can be used as a tool to shift stigma, we will highlight fresh efforts to tackle abortion stigma creatively through culture and art. We will share best practices on how to talk about abortion outside of the political paradigm and creative ways to reach new audiences whose support is critical for the longterm fights ahead. And we’ll touch on what things are being done to protect—and expand—access to abortion around the country.

Led by: Lauren Himiak

Panelists: Kathy Plate, Rachel Tardiff

It’s 2016, so why are we still seeing male dominance within the progressive movement? It’s not uncommon to see issues of particular importance to women—especially reproductive health, rights, and justice—sidelined as “social issues” while the progressive agenda is defined by economic issues that are framed as somehow separate. Yet reproductive and sexual self-determination are core economic issues, as is freedom from identity-based discrimination. In this panel, we’ll talk about why the progressive movement can and must move beyond brogressives, mansplaining and unhelpful comments targeting activists who speak up on Twitter and how we can work toward greater inclusion and an agenda that offers meaningful opportunity to everyone.

Led by: Erin Matson

Panelists: Gregory Cendana, Imani Gandy, Atima Omara, Erica Prosser

Save Kesha! #OscarsSoWhite and & #StopWhiteWashing are just some of the powerful campaigns our panelists have waged to influence Hollywood, pop music and even the comic book industry. Because pop culture shapes the public imagination, activists are fighting for diversity both behind the camera and in front of it. Campaigns around popular culture provide opportunities to expose oppression that can go unnoticed and unchallenged. Online activism is already making a difference in the entertainment we consume. We’ll teach you how to do it!

Led by: Elana Levin

Panelists: Brandi Collins-Dexter, Cayden Mak, Audine Tayag

Over the last decade, a number of states have enacted laws that aim to keep juveniles out of adult prisons and court systems—a reversal of the tough-on-crime legislation of the 1980s and 1990s. The new laws stem from concerns about teenage suicides in adult jails and new research showing that young people held in adult courts are more likely to be repeat offenders than juveniles not held in adult jails. Youth of color particularly are disproportionately impacted by this practice. Join us for a discussion about the long-term impacts of treating children as adults in the criminal justice system.

Led by: Brian Evans

Panelists: Alton Pitre, Angel Sanchez, Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker

While it has always been true, it seems today’s life or death stakes, high-stress environment means front-line activists face increasing amounts of stress, pressure and violence or threats of violence in their daily work. With the urgency of our work so acute, it can feel selfish to take care and do essential healing work for ourselves. But love is justice and justice is love—especially when that love means developing practices of self-care and healing that are as expansive as our vision and as rigorous as our task. Engaging and creating communities that can help us find space to develop personal practices keeps us sane, healthy and balanced for the long run, which both history and the current moment tells us is likely the path before us. Join us to explore strategies and tools to show up for the work that needs be done, while creating the space needed to heal, care for and resource ourselves so we can thrive along the way.

Panelists: Carla Goldstein, Andrea Cristina Mercado, Rod Owens, Jasmine Sydeullah, angel Kyodo Williams

Over the past 10 years, Democrats and progressives have built a superior campaign data and technology infrastructure and a more effective ground-game than Republicans. What’s been our secret weapon and how will we continue innovating and expanding upon our “progressive tech edge”? This panel will feature key leaders in progressive tech to discuss what has contributed to our current tech advantage, and what types of technology progressive campaigns are building to continue winning up and down the ballot for elections to come.

Led by: Amanda Coulombe

Panelists: Kassia DeVorsey, Josh Hendler, John Lee, Matthew Saniie

Flint and Detroit Public Schools were both assigned the same Emergency Manager, and in both cases, infrastructure crumbled, resulting in a disastrous impact on local communities. In Flint, residents were subject to lead-poisoned water, and in Detroit, students were subjected to toxic mold in their schools. Democracy was subverted by this law, and communities had an unrepresentative manager who did not respond to their needs. We’ll examine the underlying issues of democracy and austerity and how they ended up harming public health. We’ll also talk about what can do to prevent disasters like these in other parts of the country.

Led by: Chris Savage

Panelists: Emily Figdor, Bishop Brenadel Jefferson, Terrence Martin, Vien Truong