S.K. Work Based Learning

2021-23 IMPACT REPORT

A Message from our LEAD

This youth cooperative germinator has been phenomenal since its inception. From the students to the curriculum there's an experience of excellence and legacy that's deeply rooted in where we've come from with a passionate expectation for whats possible moving forward.

Whether your a beginner just learning about the concept of cooperation or an experienced collaborator we offer chances for growth and development in a wide range of fields that gives participants specialized insight in the workings of what it takes to repair a nation, getting people building, working, in communion with each other towards a unified and beneficial common goal.

Throughout the early stages of the program we learned what's missing in the nuts and bolts and zeroed in on wellness, healthy partnerships and mindfulness that with the help of our sister organizations we've been able to provide a more wholistic program.

3 Years Full of Lessons Learned

Impact Snapshot

27

WBL cohort members over 3 years

7+

Cooperative Host Sites in Oakland & Richmond & Emergent Businesses Generated from this program

50+

Topics successfully instructed w/in 1-on-1s

Year 1 - $70,500

Details

One 6 month apprentice-ship with education sessions 3-4 times per week. Book club & WBL program not officially connected yet.

Outcomes & Lessons

  • Successful Pilot of initial idea

  • Learned the delicate balance between hands-off & high touch development based on interest

  • Youth want to learn & know more but are constrained by finances

Year 2 - $92,000

Details

One 6 month Apprenticeship with 2-3 education sessions per week and requirement to attend bookclub

Outcomes & Lessons

  • Internal capacity & confidence building

  • 3-4 education days in YR 1 felt too much likes school for the cohort, we adjusted to make the program more relatable & engaging.

Year 2 - $92,000

Details

3 Phase Program:
3mo Bookclub;
3mo Biz & personal awareness education; 3mo internship

Outcomes & Lessons

  • Partnered with Village-Connect & Holistic Underground to support with education & self-awareness training

  • Clear programming & intention leads to better engagement overall

2021 - 2023 Metrics Outcomes

Living Wage Jobs

Details

% of workers with living wage job (a) at end of cohort & (b) at end of 3 years.

# of Apprentice Placements

Outcomes & Lessons

  • Living Wage (2 adults working): (a) all cohort received living wage during WBL. (b) One worker owner receiving living wage

  • 27 apprenticeship placements

Youth

Details

# of at-risk participants helped

At least one youth-led cooperative launched

Outcomes & Lessons

  • 10 at-risk youth & young adults supported

  • 4 Youth-Led Cooperatives started: Raw Sol, Run it Dispatch, Deep CASH, Revitalizing the Ghetto

Interpersonal

Details

% of Founders with reduced task load and stress level

Reported increase in personal, biz, & admin skills

Outcomes & Lessons

  • Not accurately measured

  • 87% saw increase in communication skills; 85% saw increase in operations skills; 75% reported increase in business strategy; 55% saw increase in management skills.

Attendance

Details

# of navigation & mentorship meetings

Number of host site check-ins

Attend Education Sessions

Outcomes & Lessons

  • 287+ navigation & mentorship meetings

  • 81 Host Site Check-ins

  • 72% Historical Cohort Attendance

Key Milestones and Activities

  • 19 participants YR 1.

  • Engage 5-8 Host Sites.

  • Pilot new 6 month curriculum.

  • 50 applicants / year.

  • Increase staff capacity.

  • Host 1-2 Listening Sessions/yr.

  • Navigate 6+ into cooperative ownership per yr.

  • Regrant $50k to developing projects.

  • Direct $50k/yr of investment into developing projects

  • YR 1: 9 cohort members & 15 members of the public regularly attending the bookclub

  • Engaged 7 Cooperative Host Sites

  • We piloted a 6 month curriculum in Year 2

  • Average 15 - 20 applicants per year

  • Capacity increased through experience & community partnership

  • We hosted at least 1 listening session per year

  • One person received membership ownership at a host site; 4 co-ops creating 12 member owners.

  • $68,000 regranted to developing projects over 3 years

  • $300K directly invested into OAXXANDA by Restorative Economies Fund.

WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT

In Memorium: Shandale & Kenada

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR PARTICIPANTS DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS

About The S.K. Memorial Work Based Learning

In 2023, Repaired Nations partnered with Village Connect to co-present our S.K. Work Based Learning Program. A cohort of 6-10 cooperatively-minded people will be invited into a 9 month educational experience where you will (a) learn the history of Black cooperatives and mutual aid through an 8 week Collective Courage Book Club; (b) understand the basics of business and the cooperative mindset with Village Connect’s Return to Black Wall Street; (c) intern at an existing cooperative in the Bay Area; and (d) receive 1-on-1 support to develop growth for yourself and your business. The process of completing the program will give graduates a comprehensive understanding in areas associated with cooperative development, black cooperative history / legacy, team building fundamentals, business operations, technical insight into business and an individual/collective reflection of service, building a cooperative mindset democratic stewardship and germination (processes to grow).

The Work Based Learning Program will work within our existing network to prepare the stages of the program, better clarify our collective purpose and mission alignments with goals to produce participants that can excel in a cooperative organization while partnering with established cooperators to help build a better cooperative ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.

Future of the Program

After completing the First Phase of the 9 month program, graduates may be offered one of three pathways for them to continue their journey in cooperative enterprises: (a) graduates may be offered a paid fellowship position in which they will work for a year inside of Repaired Nations, and after which they may be offered candidacy to worker ownership; (b) graduates may choose to apply their paid fellowship to another cooperative host site in our network; or (c) we may select a graduate or group of graduates to apply their paid fellowship to the development of an emerging cooperative.

For graduates who apply their fellowship to Repaired Nations, they will enter a coaching/directorship relationship with the current SK WBL Coordinator. The coordinator will guide fellows to carry out the program that they recently graduated from, and encourage fellows to make iterations that benefit the next generations of cohort members. When applying their fellowship to an outside cooperative host site, fellows will 2be matched with a mentor that serves the purpose of guiding and onboarding the fellow deeper into the cooperative’s systems. Fellows who are involved in developing an emerging cooperative receive hundreds of hours of hands-on training to develop governance, management, strategic planning, and financial modeling.

To expand the S.K. Work Based Learning Program into a 2nd Year of programming, we project needing $42,000/year per Full Time apprentice (32 hours/week). A cohort of six Year 2 fellows equates to $252,000/year. The yearly cost for the full 2 year Work Based Learning program is $385,000 including staff time.