Stories & Insights

When we first shared the story of the Wisconsin Labs for Environment and Democracy, or WiLEAD, the labs were still unfolding. Students were mapping environmental challenges, building relationships with community partners, and designing small experiments to test what might move people from concern to action. Now, after a full year of work across three labs,

WiLEAD labs are now underway, and across Wisconsin, students, professors, community organizers, and local leaders are rolling up their sleeves to bridge divides and co-create solutions to the state’s most pressing environmental challenges. Each lab is a living experiment in how people can come together—across sectors, generations, and differences—to tackle shared problems while strengthening local

In June 2025, a team from Root Change, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, convened the Community Power Studio in Accra, Ghana. Over the course of a week, community leaders from across the United States, Africa, and Latin America gathered to reimagine who produces knowledge, how it is created, and why it matters.

In over 60 communities across the United States, a powerful experiment in economic development is taking root. Fellows are embedded in local host organizations, working on everything from brownfield redevelopment to outdoor recreation. Host organization staff are advising, collaborating, and planning for long-term impact. And a small group of national partners is supporting it all—helping

In summer 2025, community leaders, activists, and organizers from the United States, across Africa, and Latin America came together in Accra, Ghana for something new: the Community Power Studio. For one week, participants set aside the usual routines of workshops and reports to try a bold experiment—what happens when grassroots leaders are not just invited

This summer, the dusty grounds of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikowi in Zomba, Malawi transformed into a vibrant stage of celebration, hope, and transformation. The Community Independence Initiative (CII), a bold project by Root Change, held its first-ever Graduation Ceremony. This was a powerful moment marking two years of resilience, growth, and community empowerment. Launched in

The 2025 Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Annual Retreat, which was hosted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and facilitated by Root Change, proved to be a resounding success! The retreat brought together 58 fellows, 30 host site representatives, and 14 National Partners from January 27-31 in Puerto Rico. This learning exchange aimed to elevate

At Root Change, we believe that community power is the foundation for lasting social transformation. In 2023, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we launched the Community Power Group Learning Initiative (CPLI) —a global coalition that brings together organizers and community leaders from diverse backgrounds, both in the U.S. and internationally, to transform

Our country is more divided than ever, with too many of us isolated from those who hold different views. This division harms our communities, disrupts our families, and prevents us from working together for the common good. Between April 2023 and September 2024, Root Change and The Carter Center launched an ambitious effort  in Arizona,

Root Change is thrilled to celebrate the completion of the first-ever youth Social Labs cohort, which took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as part of the USAID Advancing Youth Leadership (AYL) Program! Over four months, twelve teams of ambitious young people came together to address some of their community’s most pressing challenges. The projects that