About
Details at a Glance
Degrees Offered
Our Program
The COP&D program has a 50-year history of commitment to oppressed and marginalized communities, primarily in urban areas. We emphasize models built on social justice campaigns, community building, and leadership/ empowerment programs. Built on popular education models and weaving in intersectional issues throughout our courses and seek out field work agencies with the same commitments and interests. We seek to prepare students with a clear understanding of strategy and tactics, a capacity to work in multi-racial, multi-cultural campaigns, and a flexible and adaptive approach to leadership development that emphasizes the sharing of power, co-creation, and democratic experience in all arenas of one's work and life.
Admissions
Requirements
Application Deadline
Rolling admissions through April 15th
Student Body
Inclusion
Clubs & Associations
Students often become involved in their field work agency-based campaigns as well as continuing in their previous social justice campaigns. At the School students become involved in their Fields of Practice (FOPs) students associations such as in mental health, education, global; others become involved in student representative alliances.
What Our Students Say
“My time in the Silberman Community Organizing sequence was revelatory. Every piece of my skill set was honored. The professors truly cared about the development of my total person and also cared deeply about developing social justice leaders.” Pauline Pisano, 2020, Cultural Arts Organizer, NYC Coordinator for Cultural Affairs, Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
Pauline Pisano, MSW ‘20“ The COP&D program emphasizes the macro lens with a real focus on social justice ethics and strategic principles. Come to Silberman and learn how much you can do as an organizer in social work!”
Joseph Dibenedetto, MSW, LMSW ‘18“I was so touched by how the in-depth and personal feedback were in my development as an organizer. Now that I am teaching, I can appreciate the time and effort even more than before. May we all keep fighting the good fight!” Aileen Patrice Moore, 2007. Assistant Professor at The College of Saint Scholastica, former Program Director, Catholic Charities Community Services
Aileen Patrice Moore, MSW, LCSW ‘07
“My time in the Silberman Community Organizing sequence was revelatory. Every piece of my skill set was honored. The professors truly cared about the development of my total person and also cared deeply about developing social justice leaders.” Pauline Pisano, 2020, Cultural Arts Organizer, NYC Coordinator for Cultural Affairs, Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
“ The COP&D program emphasizes the macro lens with a real focus on social justice ethics and strategic principles. Come to Silberman and learn how much you can do as an organizer in social work!”
“I was so touched by how the in-depth and personal feedback were in my development as an organizer. Now that I am teaching, I can appreciate the time and effort even more than before. May we all keep fighting the good fight!” Aileen Patrice Moore, 2007. Assistant Professor at The College of Saint Scholastica, former Program Director, Catholic Charities Community Services