Mobilize.org’s Millennial Training Program “Mobilizer Academy” Begins this Week

Mobilize.org Executive Director, Scott Stein (far right), with finalists at the reGenerate Philly Summit in September 2013. 

Philadelphia’s millennial population has grown by 6.1 percent since 2006, according to a report by Pew Charitable Trusts. With this rise, a number of programs have emerged that cater to this cohort’s needs and potential.

One of those is the Mobilizer Academy, beginning February 8th in Philadelphia. The 13-week program is designed to help millennials launch their own social good ventures by equipping them with the skills they need to address issues that matter in their communities.

The program consists of meetings with mentors, virtual trainings and classroom sessions that teach the basic tenets of social entrepreneurship, including branding, research, community engagement and team management – twenty people were selected from Philadelphia to go through the program. There are Academies planned in Detroit and Washington, D.C. in addition to Philadelphia.

The Mobilizer Academy will finish with a pitch event where participants from the Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Academies will present their ideas for a chance to a enter Mobilize.org’s Fellowship Program, which helps the winners implement their ideas through ongoing financial and leadership support.

Mobilize.org was founded in 2002 and launched the Mobilizer Academy in 2012. The national nonprofit opened a branch in Philadelphia in 2011 with the help of a grant from the Knight Foundation.

By its own count, Mobilize.org has invested over $250,000 in 75 Millennial-led projects since its founding. In Philadelphia, Mobilize.org recently held its reGenerate Philly Summit, which convened millennials for a weekend-long gathering of panels, lectures and work sessions.

A number of projects walked away with funding and mentorships to help get their projects off the ground.

(Image via Mobilize.org.)