At colleges and high schools across the country, YDSA chapters are building student and worker power – and winning big. This year, YDSA chapters have launched undergraduate student unions, led Palestine encampments, won higher wages for campus workers, guaranteed reproductive healthcare for students, and won tons of other major victories. Now it’s time to bring this revolution to your school – sign up for the 2024 Fall Recruitment Drive today!
When you sign up for the drive, you will be plugged into a training tailored to your level of organizing experience. No matter what stage of organizing you’re at – leading a chapter with hundreds of members or just getting started on your own – experienced YDSA organizers will be there to support and train you. Please check out the different choices for how you can get involved this year.
After you attend a training call you’ll be able to order your Chapter Building Kit containing a YDSA banner, posters, buttons, and stickers – everything you need to run a powerful recruitment drive at your school!
If you’re launching a new YDSA chapter or restarting a chapter that’s become inactive:
If you’re a leader of an already existing YDSA chapter:
EVERYONE should:
Here’s what some YDSA chapters have been winning this year. Sign up for the Fall Drive today, and this could happen at your school next!
From Coast to Coast, In the Heart of Empire
Throughout this past Spring, YDSA has been at the forefront of the “Student Intifada,” which spread throughout the country. Our chapters organized, participated in, and started encampments on our campuses around the country. From San Francisco, California, to Gainesville, Florida, YDSA was on the frontlines fighting for our universities to divest from the Genocide in Gaza.
San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA
A Democratic Movement For Palestine
In the wake of the student encampments that swept the nation in solidarity with Palestine, members of San Francisco State University YDSA came together with other local orgs as a part of SFSU Students for Gaza to create one of the most successful encampments nationwide. They hosted mass meetings of hundreds of students that brought action for Palestine to their campus!
This principled, democratic movement for divestment on SFSU campus led to an open bargaining session between the students and the university, leading to incredible victories for the Palestinian Liberation movement on campus. The administration agreed to divest from weapons manufacturers and to disclose university investments.
You can read more about the movement at SFSU here.
Mizzou YDSA, Columbia, MO
Mizzou Sanctuary City
On November 6th, Mizzou YDSA introduced an ordinance to Columbia City Council to declare Columbia an LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City. This would prevent city officials and police from cooperating or assisting law enforcement action on any current or future anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Throughout the rest of the year they continued to put pressure on their city council to pass the bill through committee and on the full council.
On February 19th, Mizzou YDSA members came to the City Council meeting and gave testimony to pass B-16-24, the city ordinance to declare Columbia a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community. It passed with a 6-1 vote. The ordinance will offer legal protections such as free speech and expression, support for the LGBTQ+ community, and prevent the enforcement of anti-trans laws, including any potential bathroom ban.
University of Oregon YDSA, Eugene, OR
UO Student Workers (UOSW) began in early 2022 as a project of UO YDSA’s labor committee, with the aim of doing advocacy and solidarity work for campus undergraduate student workers and the existing graduate student union, as well as laying the groundwork for unionization. In the fall of 2022, that work came to fruition as UO YDSA helped kickstart— and become the nucleus of— the campaign to unionize the University of Oregon’s student workers wall-to-wall. After a card signing campaign and ballot election, UO Student Workers was certified in November 2023 and represents over 3,500 workers, making it the largest union to come out of any DSA effort as well as the first independent wall-to-wall student worker union at a public university! UOSW officially started bargaining for its historic first contract with the University of Oregon in May 2024.
Following in the footsteps of Columbia University, the UO Palestine Coalition, which started with UO SJP, JVP, Grads for Palestine, and UOYDSA, launched a Palestine solidarity encampment. After 25 nights, their encampment democratically agreed to a negotiated deal with the UO Administration, winning a ceasefire statement, Sabra hummus boycott, and material assistance for Palestinians.
Here’s some more info about the support you’ll get through the Fall Drive:
New Chapter Trainings
We’ve designed this training specifically for students starting new YDSA chapters or trying to revive or relaunch chapters that have gone dormant. We’ll start with organizing basics and give you everything you need to jumpstart your chapter this Fall. No prior organizing experience necessary!
Returning Chapters – Fall Kickoff Strategy Meeting
This call is for leaders of chapters that are carrying over from Spring 2023 or earlier. At this meeting you’ll get the opportunity to work with and learn from student leaders from chapters across the country. We’ll have strategic discussions about Palestine organizing, red state challenges, leadership development, chapter structure, labor, and the 2024 elections. Invite your whole OC to attend!
No Shortcuts Reading Group
YDSA is hosting a Fall Drive reading group for Jane F. McAlevey’s No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age. Over four sessions, we’ll read the book together and discuss how we can use these labor organizing lessons to expand the student socialist movement. This is a helpful call for new and returning chapter members alike!
2024 Hard Launch: Meeting of the Minds: State of the Org National Call
Join YDSA to launch this year! We are recapping the past year in organizing wins, introducing you to the new national leaders, and getting hype for 2024 Fall Drive. Open to new and returning chapter members!