NEA Training Program for UniServ, Organizers, & Campaign Lab Members
NEA’s UniServ Training Program is designed as a “peer-to-peer” learning model to help NEA affiliate staff, members, and leaders in their professional learning journey. The program comprises five main areas: Foundation Academies, Focus Academies, Campaign Academies, Online Learning Events, and organizing tracks at NEA's constituency conferences. This year, the only training programs restricted to affiliate staff only are the Foundation Academies and Online Discussion Events. All other programs include affiliate staff and member teams.
Foundation Academies are designed for affiliate staff in their first and second years of UniServ staff work. All Foundations Academies include a worksite organizing experience and focus on supporting new staff in their work of building high-functioning locals that can recruit and engage members, organize around issues that our members care about, and develop emerging leaders. Foundations Academies are five full days – Monday through Friday.
2026-2027 Schedule
- September 28-October 2, 2026 Salt Lake City, UT
- April 19-23, 2027 Naperville (Chicago), IL
Focus Academies are designed for affiliate staff and member teams that are working on developing and implementing issue organizing campaigns. These staff and teams may already be in the NEA Campaign Lab at the Power Building (Base Building and Developing Structure) or they may be teams outside of the Campaign Lab. Affiliate Staff may attend individually or as part of a team.
Each Focus Academy begins on a Tuesday morning and lasts for two and a half days. Organizing on HBCU Campuses is co-located with the HBCU Summit and begins on a Sunday to allow for those who may be attending both.
2026-2027 Schedule (locations TBD, pending hotel contracting):
- Advancing LGBTQ+ Justice, October 20-22, 2026
- Organizing on HBCU Campuses, November 11-13, 2026 (Pre-Conference for the HBCU Summit)
- Advancing Racial Justice through Union Work, January 12-14, 2027
- Organizing Strategies for ESP Members, March 16-18, 2027 (Located with the ESP Conference)
- Winning School Board Elections, March 23-26, 2027 (Includes a Canvassing Program)
Find detailed descriptions and register
Campaign Academies are designed for affiliate staff and members that are currently in the NEA Campaign Lab. These are by invitation only and include three levels of leadership within the NEA Campaign Lab: Organizing Team Leads, Campaign Coaches, and Mentor Coaches. Each Campaign Academy begins on a Friday morning and lasts for two and a half days.
2026-2027 Schedule (locations TBD, pending hotel contracting):
- Coaching Academy, September 25-27, 2026
- Coalition and Strategic Planning, February 19-21, 2027
- Building Teams to Win, March 12-14, 2027
- Making a Plan to Win, April 23-25, 2027
Online Courses: The NEA Center for Organizing and Affiliate Support is offering a series of course modules – both synchronous and asynchronous - hosted on our learning management system. The topics will be aligned with the skills and issues UniServ Directors and Organizers need to be successful in their affiliate work.
Manager Recommendations
Participants in the National UniServ and Organizing Training Program must have a recommendation form completed by their manager. Find the form, full registration process information for in-person programs and participant expectations here.
Constituency Conference Organizing Tracks
A number of affiliate staff routinely attend the NEA Constituency Conferences—HBCU, Higher Ed, Retired, and ESP. Participant evaluations from these conferences have asked for a more in-depth, application driven program on organizing, leadership development, and power building.
To address this need, the NEA Center for Organizing and Affiliate Support will be providing a track on constituency-focused organizing skills for affiliate staff and teams of members. Participants who choose this track will learn key leadership identification and development skills and how to identify organizing issues and develop an escalation of tactics to build power and capacity for winning. Teams will leave with well-developed campaign plans.
Affiliate staff and members’ costs for those who register for and attend all portions of the Organizing Track will be covered in accord with the member or staffer’s Professional Development or State Staff Travel Policies and procedures. Under NEA’s UniServ and Organizer Training Reimbursement Process, airfare and hotels are direct billed to NEA, and we provide a stipend payment back to the employing or representing affiliate following the program to cover transportation to/from airports, baggage fees, and daily per diem for meals and expenses, in accord with NEA’s Non-Staff Travel Policies and the GSA/CONUS per diem rates for the location. Staff and members will follow their affiliate’s processes for reimbursement.
Training Dates TBD
(Program Descriptions and outcomes will be listed on conference registration sites.)
