The program recruits people with diverse lived experiences, trains them in principles of community organizing, and places them in career-advancing jobs with local organizations. The program partners with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) to conduct training and job placement.
The organizer apprenticeship is a 16-month, fully paid job. The program starts with four months of on-the-job and classroom training in a cohort of organizer apprentices. At the end of core training, organizer apprentices are placed at local organizations to work as fulltime organizers, with a minimum commitment of one year.
We run one class of organizer apprentices every year, based in the Houston region. The next class is scheduled to start in September 2025. Participating in a 2-day boot camp is the first step. We hold boot camps throughout the year to identify new talent and build a pipeline of organizers. Boot camp participants are invited to apply for the apprenticeship.
Apprentices are vetted, trained, and movement-aligned when they start at your organization. They’re ready to do high quality work and have a professional network of organizers they can draw on to solve problems and expand their reach. Employers are involved at every stage of the recruitment, training, and job placement process. We currently work with employers in the Houston region.
Katy Elizabeth Jewett was a passionate organizer. She loved her country and dedicated her life to trying to make it better for everyone who lived in it. Katy died when she was 43, after living through cancer twice. Her friends and family established the Katy Jewett Organizer Apprenticeship in 2024 to honor her legacy by investing in the next generation of Texas changemakers and hellraisers.
Help build the careers of the next generation of organizers in Texas. Make a contribution to the IUPAT training fund to support boot camps, core training, and paying organizer apprentices while they’re in training.
