You’re a committed member-owner of your co-op, but perhaps you’re unsure about the best way to be involved. Maybe you’ve thought about taking on a work shift, serving on a committee, running for the board or even joining the staff. But just because you’re eager and willing doesn’t mean you feel equipped to step up!

Here at the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, we’re firm believers in the power of International Cooperative Principle 5: Education, training and information. With knowledge, you’ll feel prepared and empowered to serve your co-op, and in turn your co-op will serve you better.

Because of our commitment to educational empowerment, PACA is hosting a day-long event called “CO-UP: A Teach-in for Cooperators,” on Saturday, May 14. You’re invited to join us! Cooperators from all over the region will gather at Temple University to learn skills, discuss ideas and make connections across co-op sectors. At CO-UP, you can participate in workshops, trainings and informal gatherings to grow our region’s cooperative economy.

Workshops include:

• How to read financial statements. (Really useful for aspiring board members!)
• Finance can be democratic too!
• Co-ops 101: An introduction to democratic enterprise.
• What is a real-estate investment cooperative?

We’re also carving out spaces for making art, playing games and watching movies — perfect Saturday activities! Draw, paint, collage or doodle your idea of what cooperation looks like in the Artzone. Join in a game of Co-opoly, where the players collaborate to beat the board instead of each other. Drop into the theater, where we’ll be showing short films about worker co-ops, food co-ops, credit unions and more all day long.

If you’re interested in starting a co-op, you’ll want to visit CO-UP’s Free Advice Corner, where you can meet with co-op and business experts to discuss your co-op plans and ideas.

Philadelphia City Councilman Derek Green, a member of Weavers Way whose child attended Childspace, a worker-owned child-care co-op, will deliver the opening keynote. 

We’re bringing cooperators together so you can engage more deeply in your co-op, start new co-ops, and invent new ways for co-ops to work together. We hope you will join us.