The AI Strategy Lab for Social Justice Advocates: Critical analysis and grounded decision making for our collective future
Workshop Dates: Every Thursday beginning August 6th, 2026.
Class 1: Aug 6th 10am-12pm PT (1pm-3pm ET)
Class 2: Aug 13th 10am-12pm PT (1pm-3pm ET)
Class 3: Aug 20th 10am-12pm PT (1pm-3pm ET)
Class 4: Aug 27th 10am-12pm PT (1pm-3pm ET)
Class 5: Sep 3rd 10am-12pm PT (1pm-3pm ET)
A 5-part live learning series for justice-oriented leaders, advocates, organizers, educators, funders, nonprofit professionals, HR/DEI practitioners, policymakers, and change makers who want to understand AI with more clarity, rigor, and courage.
What is AI literacy in the context of social justice?
No matter which way you turn, everyone seems to be talking about AI.
You may be hearing big claims about its limitless potential. You may be reading sharp critiques about AI corporate powers, algorithmic bias, and environmental harm. You may see your peers suddenly become an overnight AI expert and feel anxious that you might be falling behind. You may be wondering what your role is in all of this, and feel the pressure to figure it all out as quickly as the world seems to demand it.
Regardless of where you stand, one thing is clear: the impact of AI is already being felt by many, and it's spreading rapidly.
AI Strategy Lab for Social Justice Advocates is a live, online learning series designed for change agents who want to understand AI with more groundedness, clarity, and rigor. We are here to slow down the panic and give you a clear place to process the complexity. Across four live sessions, we will move beyond hype, panic, and abstract concern to building a solid foundation for understanding what AI is, how it works, and how to make sense of the range of opportunities and harms that exist. We will examine concrete case studies, practice making complex decisions around AI usage, intervention, and accountability, and restore agency by creating practical options beyond all-or-nothing. You will leave with better questions, immediately useful tools, and more confidence to participate in shaping our future.
AI systems are already being embedded into schools, workplaces, media, and everyday decision-making at a speed and scale we simply cannot ignore.
This series is an invitation to locate yourself in the struggle.
Your expertise already matters. This course will help you understand where and how to use it.
For more information, visit thecouragestudio.com
* SERIES OVERVIEW *
Class 1: Introduction & AI Fundamentals
We’ll begin by getting to know who is in the room and contextualizing our gathering. We will demystify AI by studying what it is, what it is not, how it works, and why our critical thinking matters now.
Core questions:
What is AI, really?
What competencies are required for social justice AI literacy?
What questions do I have and what support do I need?
Practice tools: Social Justice AI Literacy Competencies, AI Glossary
Session 2: AI Supply Chain & Narratives
In this session, we'll deepen our understanding around how AI arrives to us by examining the AI supply chain. We'll examine how power and resources are distributed and analyze AI impacts on global, national, local, and personal levels. We will spend time understanding existing AI narratives and how these stories shape our perspectives and relationship with AI.
Core questions:
What systems are involved in enabling the AI industry?
What opportunities does AI create, and for whom?
What narratives exist around AI and who benefits from them?
Practice tools: AI Supply Chain, Narrative Strategy Pyramid
Session 3: AI Harm Diagnosis
This session, we’ll learn how to diagnose AI-related harms using the AI Harm Diagnosis Framework. We will work through a real life case study together and expand our scope of accountability and resolution.
Core questions:
What types of AI-related harms exist and who is responsible for mitigating harm?
How do inequities get inherited, encoded, or amplified?
If/when AI harms occur, is repair possible? What is the appropriate repair or accountability process?
Practice tools: AI Harm Diagnosis Framework
Session 4: Grounded Decision Making: Choices Beyond All or Nothing
Once we understand the risks, what do we do? This session strengthens our sense of agency by introducing a customizable decision making framework. We will work through real-world scenarios and practice asking sharper questions about use case proportionality, potential harms, values-based tradeoffs, and necessary guardrails.
Core questions:
What are the tradeoffs and how do we decide what is worth the cost?
What options exist beyond all-or-nothing?
What questions should we be asking before making the decision?
Practice tool: AI Deployment Decision Making Framework, Personal AI Charter
Session 5: Collective Courage & Alternative Futures
In the final session, we’ll apply everything we learned to navigate pressing decisions that are alive for the cohort. We will roll up our sleeves to support one another, and look toward the future of AI, work, power, and social change together.
We’ll close by returning to collective courage: how we confront what is true, name what matters, act with discernment, and sustain ourselves and each other through ongoing change.
Core questions:
What skills and expertise do I already have that can serve my community?
What are my commitments and priorities moving forward?
How do we build sustainable conditions for courage?
Practice tool: Collective Courage Framework + Action Plan
In addition to the live sessions and course materials, all cohort participants will have access to optional office hours and a private community chat and where they can receive tailored support and coaching from peers, past cohort members, and Michelle.
Each cohort is limited to 25 people.