Trainings — Houston in Action

Houston in Action recorded its full 2022 Training Series so community organizers can learn at their own pace. The series covers voter registration, field organizing, election data, voter protection in Texas, digital community building, narrative strategy, and hands-on tools like MiniVan, Thru Talk, and Thru Text. Whether your group is new to organizing or ready to go deeper, there is a session here for you.

The series is organized into four tracks. The Election Planning Series walks you through creating voter engagement plans, reading election data, and protecting voters — including how Vote-by-Mail works in Texas and how voters can track their ballots. The Digital Communications Series (101, 201, and 301) covers social media presence, online relationship building, and content planning. The Narrative Strategy track explains how public narratives form and how your organization can shape them for social change. The Tools track teaches you to use MiniVan for canvassing, manage events, and run phone banking and text banking through Thru Talk and Thru Text. Sessions were led by the Reimagine Collective and Texas Toolbelt.

Visit the Houston in Action trainings page to watch any recording that fits your group's needs. Start with Field Practices 101 if your organization is new to voter engagement. If you already have basics down, jump to Field Practices 201 for deeper community relationship tactics like empathy mapping and ladders of engagement. Use the Election Planning and Forecasting session to get comfortable with key performance indicators (KPIs) — the metrics that show whether your outreach is working. Watch the Voter Protection session to understand Texas-specific risks and scenarios your team may face. After finishing the Narrative Strategy training, your organization may be invited to join Houston in Action's network-wide Narrative Working Group.

No fixed date

Online

These trainings connect naturally to any Houston-area group doing voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote canvassing, or community education around elections. Organizations already funded for voter engagement work will find the Election Planning and Forecasting session especially useful. Groups interested in ongoing collaboration can explore Houston in Action's Narrative Working Group after completing the Narrative Strategy training.

Helping neighbors vote and stay civically engaged takes real skills. These free recorded trainings give Houston-area organizations practical tools to run stronger voter outreach, protect voters at the polls, tell compelling stories, and use digital platforms effectively. You do not have to start from scratch — Houston in Action and its partners already built the curriculum.