Cooperative Institute I
In the Cooperative Institute I, members of the community who are interested in starting a cooperative gather together to learn about the functions of worker owned cooperatives, cooperativism as a political philosophy, and the solidarity economy as a whole. Here, new cooperatives are incubated and participants become stronger members of their community. Topics include:
Introduction to the solidarity economy and worker co-ops
Cooperative principles and values
Legal topics for cooperatives
Steps to creating a cooperative
Cooperative Institute II
In the Cooperative Institute II, existing cooperatives join CCDS staff, field experts, and each other over the course of several weekends to share best practices, identify opportunities, and acquire deeper knowledge of the key issues for the development of the cooperatives. These sessions offer cooperative members hands-on learning opportunities and create infrastructures of support to the CCDS ecosystem. Topics include:
Business Sales
Business Costs
Marketing