SESP 195-1 (Fall) Participatory policymaking. Policy implementation involves more than just identifying and researching options, policymakers must, consider design program design, costs & sustainability; political feasibility, and building political support.  In this class, you will learn how to design policy for implementation through Northwestern’s Participatory Budgeting process.   

SESP 195-2 (Winter) - Participatory budgeting. Democracy gives limited opportunities for citizens to influence decision-making.  In this class you will learn to implement open democracy innovations, that are more inclusive, more representative, and lead to better policy outcomes, by implementing a campus-wide participatory budgeting process, where community decides how to spend $1000 to address climate change. 

SESP 195-3 (Spring) - Organizing, gathering & policy implementation for social change. How do we motivate people to take action? In this class, you will learn the techniques of relational organizing (canvassing, one-on-ones, public narrative), designing civic gatherings (Civic Saturdays) that move people to action to build social movements.  You will also oversee policy implementation of community development projects selected in the participatory budgeting process. 

SESP 295-1 & SESP 295-2 - Leadership Studio- Learning organizing requires building a real organization. Students accepted to the certificate program will further develop their organizing skills by taking a leadership role on the executive board of Open Democracy Northwestern (undergraduate club).  Leaders will develop strategy, train club members, manage operations.  Leaders will receive weekly coaching from instructors.