Accessibility or usability

                evaluating any usability of system is perfect, it provides users with adequate information about the origination. Since  Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) works to advance racial, cultural, social and economic justice in Minnesota through organizer and leadership training, policy research and strategic convening work, having this evaluation system  help  the programs or systems designer  to see what has worked best and what has not worked in organization. OAP use social media as their primary tool to reach out to their internal and external customers. Have the system work ? I'm  going to  take a look at it to my perspective on their system:  I'm going to look the OAP system accessibility or usability , maintenance experience, effectiveness and  user experience. OAP has created a huge social media that are easy and straightforward for people to use.  I have been told and experienced that they use terms such as user friendly and easy to use.  overall technical term for them is usability which as; The extent to which at their service or environment  can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. I can say that OAP has seen their Effectiveness by the users achieve specific goals which I  think they have reached.  It is my believe that OAP has  long considered the  aspects  of usability , flexibility , and  maintenance experience  the evidence for that is that they reach their long term goal and most of their customers are not disappointed. They have the system to  the extent to which the system can accommodate changes desired by the user beyond those first specified; learn ability. furthermore , OAP  has considered usability which has emphasized objective measures of its components, such as percentage of tasks achieved for effectiveness and task completion times and error rates. usability has often focused on the removal of barriers or problems in Systems as the methodology for improving , and I think OAP has worked on this issue to develop the best system that are more useful, friendly , and effective for the users.

In the Thick of It

The Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP), which began twenty years ago as a program to increase the power of community organizing in Minnesota, has since evolved into a respected advocacy that remains a very relevant and current voice for racial equity.

One year ago, OAP played a role in defeating the Voter ID amendment during the 2012 election. This year, OAP is again in the thick of civic discourse as they advocate on numerous social issues relevant to racial equity.

March and Rally

• Gun Control and Gun Violence - With gun control a political hot potato in Minnesota, OAP has waded into the fray. For more information, see the Equity Files "Gun Violence IS a Racial Justice Issue"
• Immigration Reform - OAP and over 14 community organization held a rally on May 1 in support of international workers
• Ban the Box - OAP supports Minnesota House bill HF 690, which bans employment application forms from asking about prior criminal history. For more information see Equity Files "Offering a True Second Chance: ‘Ban the Box’ on Employment Applications"
• Minnesota Nice - Redefined - Vina Kay, OAP's Director of Research and Policy makes a compelling argument on a worn Minnesotan phrase. See her article at Minnesota Nice Redefined

Looking at the long view

Advocacy is a long, slow process. Some projects can make short term gains, but most changes will take a long time to achieve.

The women's rights movement started in 1848 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton with the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. Many of the the equalities demanded by the movement took over a hundred years for them to come to be:

• The right to vote: 72 yrs.
• Equal rights: 116 yrs.
• Make it illegal for a woman to be raped by her husband: 128 yrs. and then only if it occurred in Nevada.

Advocacy efforts need to be created and maintained keeping in mind how painfully slow real change can take. A advocacy strategic plan needs to include:

• clearly defined long term goals
• break-up the ultimate vision into smaller short term goals
• remain flexible and change to current climates
• the ability to see short term losses and opposition as only small set backs and not major defeats
• patience
• create an atmosphere of perseverance for group members and allies

The women's movement utilized these principles to great effect. It started in one form and as times and climates changed, so did the movement. By remaining flexible they gained many allies along the way. Which culminated in a huge equal rights movement for many more people than was initially declared by Stanton and her allies.

Today many, many people owe many things they take for granted to those few brave women started back in 1848. They never gave up, you shouldn't either.

OAP Embraces Social Media

A Changing Landscape Means Changing the Method

For over 19 years, the Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) has invested in building a more just Minnesota by bringing multiple communities together through civic organizing and focusing on legislative policy with a shared vision and strategy for racial equity. Recently, social media unexpectedly proved to be a powerful tool for OAP's toolbox of resources.

Salvador Miranda

Conceived, in 1993, by a group of like-minded community and labor organizers; OAPs original mission was to improve Minnesota's organizing infrastructure by increasing the pool of skilled and passionate civic organizers. According to Salvador Miranda, OAPs Associate Director and Director of Training, this is accomplished by, "creating an class with anywhere from 14 to 18 apprentice organizers per class. Each apprentice is connected with a mentor who is a experienced organizer." During the six month program, together they create a plan for organizing that addresses whatever relevant issues or program work a sponsoring organization or community group might have.

By 2012, OAP had made some impressive achievements. Around 200 organizers had completed OAP's Community Organizer Apprenticeship program, with many now doing organizing and advocacy work in other states. Rena Moran, a past alumni of the program had recently been elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. OAP's Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity, a method of grading state legislators on their support for legislation favoring racial equity, now boasted seventy-eight "Champion" legislators who received high marks for their legislative record.

MPR News Calls the Amendment's Defeat

When the voter ID amendment, a bill expected to negatively impact voting rights for many communities of color, threatened to pass into law; OAP collaborated with numerous groups working to defeat the measure. Social media websites like Twitter and YouTube became lightning rods that increasingly brought together public outrage over the consequences the bill would create. Consequently, the amendment was defeated by a socially and historically significant margin.

In recognizing the value of social media as a communications tool, OAP has since begun collaborating with Metropolitan State University to increase and improve OAP's use of social media.

Education equity - By Mesfin Ayle

Minnesota education students rank is great in nationwide, and It even would have been excellent, had the state removed the barriers. However, there are still many ways that legislator can do about this education equity issue to change many people life. We all know that educational gaps by race and ethnicity persist for many reasons. It takes willingness and courage to change these bad students of color and American Indian students’ record in education. Statistics has showing that students of color and American Indian students have not been graduate on time. Nor did they pursue higher education than other group. Student of color and American Indian students have also consistently lower levels of academic success in reading and math.

Therefore there has to be some reasons for that, and it's collectively our responsibility to find the solution and fight for it. Who doesn't want to be a part of the solution that eventually helps our state education system even greater? Who doesn't want to involve in shaping and molding of responsible educated citizens. Who doesn't want to involve in a building of future smart laborers, mothers, fathers, entrepreneurs and even a president? Not body right? The next appropriate question would be how can we make that happen? How can we make all people educated without any discrimination of color, sex and national origins? How can we make students of color and American India students graduation level at least equal to their peers in order to create more responsible, smart, educated citizens.

I think he answer is simple: By investing more in to education, and by making sure that all students, not just those privileged by race and class have equitable opportunities for high academic achievements. We can change our education level even better. Therefore the state policy makers can make this change and impact these disparities. However, it need everybody participation to make this change happen and work with great organization such us Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) which works for advances racial, cultural, social, and economic equity in Minnesota by: Community organizing and racial justice leadership training for individuals and organizations, Research and policy tools that help community leaders and organizing groups address equity issues and Convening multiracial strategy groups that collaborate to develop thoughtful approaches to equity. OAP also watch the racial equity bill that could affect many disadvantage peoples.

Youth advocates prepare for DC trip

Most of the time I wouldn't expect to be humbled by a group of teenagers. When I think of the kinds of things kids want to spend their free time doing, I certainly do not think of preparing to go to DC to meet congressional representatives to persuade them to change policies that affect their communities.

That is how I spent Presidents' Day, in awe of a group of kids at Centro Campesino in Owatonna preparing for a trip to DC. On March 6th and 7th hundreds of leaders from Latino nonprofit and civic organizations from around the country will meet with their Congressional representatives and senators as part of National Latino Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill. Durning these meetings advocates will have a chance to present some real solutions to the issues that impact the lives of Hispanic Americans.

The Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) was asked to be part of the training to help prepare the young advocates at Centro Campesino for their trip to DC. These young advocates spent the day discussing race and power and the way in which it shapes their communities. They also looked at legislative advocacy and the things necessary to bring about change. I was surprised by the amount of real world policy changes they discussed and the methodical strategy they used to insure that their voices would be heard.

Part of the reason I was so impressed is because when I was I kid I wasn't concerned with how legislative policy affects education, immigration, health care, and the like. Nobody talked to me about these issues or cared about my opinion. But here in Minnesota, Centro Campesino is reaching out to youth and I can see the impact it's making. Seeing a group of young people empowered to actively participate in campaigns is nothing short of amazing. They are working to change society for the better by reaching out to policymakers and sharing their concerns. In the process, they're changing themselves, becoming the leaders that we need for a promising future.