“How did we get here, and what can I do to change it?”
When you share your voice, values, and life experiences with others, you create community—the living heart of democracy—and the possibilities for transformation are endless. EFC is an intergenerational community to address injustice and create a future where every voice is heard.
The Encampment is …
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If you are a young person (15-18) and want to develop your activism skills, apply to the Encampment. The 2026 Encampment application is open! Click to learn more.
Countdown to the 2026 Encampment Application Deadline
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News & Events
Date Change: Join us February 21
The EFC community gathering planned for January 10 has been postponed to February 21, 2026, 9 a.m. Pacific/10 a.m. Mountain/11 a.m. Central/12 noon p.m. Eastern. Please save the date! Participants will gather virtually to meet our new Executive Director Dr. Faith R. Kares (she/her), board members, and recent alums. They will introduce our vision of expanding the EFC’s impact and capacity, and how we are meeting this moment of ongoing crisis and precariousness.
Ripple Effect – Samara Smith Alum Story
Samara Smith, 2015 MS “We always say ‘young people are the future and we are going to change things’ but often when you are in high school you are not really talking about these issues in person. You might be in an online group that’s talking about them or you might see social media posts about them but talking about them in person and actually meeting people whose lives are affected — that’s different.”
Shaping Social Justice Values, an Alum Update: Deanna Mousseau
Hello, I am Deanna Mousseau from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe. I was a part of the Encampment in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2015 and Amherst, Massachusetts, in 2016. I was an intern in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 2017. I am excited to share more about myself, why I think the Encampment for Citizenship program is important, and why now is the time to support our emerging young leaders.
An Important Update from Margot Gibney
Every day, as we see lies, cruelty, inequality, and injustice as daily practices promoted by our current administration, I find myself thinking of Alice (Nanny) Pollitzer and Al Black, and why they established the Encampment for Citizenship (EFC). Having just emerged from a world war to stop fascism, they designed a program to give young people the tools to think critically and work for justice. As Al Black wrote in The Young Citizens, “The Encampment regards youth as a critically important element in the struggle between freedom and authoritarianism.”
Alum Network
