Why did we start Logic School?

Over the past few years at Logic Magazine, we’ve seen the growing demand for change in the tech industry and with the recent events of just 2025 alone, have seen a greater need to accelerate and pay attention to tech organizing efforts. In 2020, Ben Tarnoff, Christa Hartsock, Dorothy Santos and Xiaowei Wang started dreaming up a school for tech workers of all kinds, whether software engineers or gig workers. Inspired by the work of numerous community organizations and worker movements, we believe there is a strong desire for a more critical, interdisciplinary approach to technology among tech workers. 

Top-down corporate policies are incapable of promoting real change within tech and we are seeing more and more of them align with and trending towards technofascism. Collective Action School’s curriculum gives tech workers the tools and knowledge to transform the industry from the bottom up. 

We believe good relations and community building are the foundation for change, which is why Collective Action School is a community built school. Collective Action School year 2 (2023) was led by members of the first cohort.  

OK, the nitty gritty:

Logic School runs for thirteen (13) weeks, from March 17 2026 to June 11th 2026. It is entirely free, thanks to the support of the Omidyar Network! 

This is our third cohort, and we’re excited to have engaged participants convene in person for the first time. 

Before the first class on March 17, we will have a Meeting 0 (on March 12). We will come together to practice our collective organizing by creating the school’s community guidelines and agreements for the thirteen weeks. We see collective learning as a form of organizing — it’s a kind of mental muscle, so this is the perfect way to start.

How should I expect to grow by the end of 13 weeks??

• Be comfortable discussing structural inequities, and if/when tech has deepened structural inequities with your community, co-workers and the broader public. 

• Gain hands-on experience in advocating for change in tech through working towards a Collective Action School final project.

• Have reflected on your theory of change, and who your community is.

• Feel confident in advocating and articulating (through writing or other forms) inequities in tech. 

• Be familiar and knowledgeable about a range of writing and research on tech and the tech industry, especially from the fields of critical race theory, economics and sociology.

• Be part of a supportive network and community in the tech industry who you can seek advice and encouragement from in the future, especially in discussing race/ethnicity/gender/sexuality/nationality/class across the industry’s internal and external practices.

• Be part of strengthening and building forms of collective action that will solidify into new practices and infrastructures throughout the industry.  

Oh, and there’s a final project (don’t panic):

The final project serves a few purposes. You’ll gain hands-on experience, strengthen fluency in talking about structural inequity, and explore different forms of advocacy and organizing. We will work with you to refine your concepts. And you’re not alone — all projects receive extensive mentorship from our Collective Action School network of guest lecturers and guest mentors. We understand that working on a final project takes time. If you anticipate any difficulties, be sure to flag them for us in the last question on the application form (coming soon!).

One of our themes for 2026 is growing our own tech infrastructure, specifically hosting our own server. This initiative is headed by Arushi Bandi. We welcome applicants who are interested in helping build small internets & sustainable community computing.

Below are some projects and movements that have inspired us!

• Creative media, storytelling, tools and technical interventions:

  • Storytelling projects using film, audio (like the Clarissa Redwine’s podcast series), or other interactive media.

  • A tool, like everest pipkin’s Image Scrubber, to easily blur out faces from protest photos.
    Creating a decolonial programming language, like Ramsey Nasser’s قلب.

  • Create a community technology project using storytelling, AR and community built platform.

  • Create empowering TikTok content around internet safety for young femmes. 

• Organizing:

  • Starting an ERG (employee resource group) within one’s workplace. 

  • Beginning to unionize your workplace.

  • Find and build allies in the workplace by starting a reading group.

  • Creating a “toolkit” of interview questions around DEI efforts. 

  • Sparking and stewarding internal company subcultures for organizing efforts.

• Starting/building upon technology alternative models:

  • Worker owned cooperatives at regional scales, like Driver’s Seat or Agaric Coop

  • Contributing to open source, small internets, sustainable community computing, permacomputing projects.

  • Support and create ways for gig workers to contest algorithmic management.

• Data visualization / activism projects:

  • Offering tech skills to a local organization or a national organization like the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, or finding a collaborator to start a long-term data visualization/activism hybrid project with. 

  • Projects like Our Data Bodies and their Digital Defense Playbook.

  • Mapping the intricacies of digital health ecosystems and their ties to money. 

What are the 13 weeks like?

We will meet virtually for a one hour lecture and then in-person each week for two (2) hours, with the exception of the week of April 27, our school break. Each session is NOT recorded – we prioritize a commitment to showing up and being present for each other as a learning community. 

The one hour lecture will feature different guests each week. Collective Action School participants are expected to help organize and moderate the conversation. We will also be opening these up to our broader community, so we will provide extra moderation support.

We use a “flipped classroom” model, where the in-person meeting is a time to talk, exchange ideas and participate in activities. What that means is:

• We prioritize active learning. This means we will expect you to have read/listened to and synthesized materials before the in-person meeting session. There is no “written” homework due before the class.

• During the in-person session, CAS participants will be in conversation with each other about their projects, as well as assignments that help build towards a final project.

• Towards the end of the thirteen weeks, students will work on and finesse their final projects during class time.

What’s the admissions timeline?

• October 31, 2025 - Applications open

• December 1, 2025 - Applications DUE

• January 15, 2026 - Applicants notified

• March 12, 2026 - Collective Action School meeting 0

• March 17, 2026 - Collective Action School meeting 1

Can I be a full time student?

Applicants must not be full time K-12 or university students.

We welcome all tech workers — whether you’re a project manager, warehouse worker, software engineer, rideshare driver or micro-task worker.

I’m already part of a union or I’m actively part of an organizing body, like Tech Workers Coalition. Can I still attend this program?

We are prioritizing people who have little to no organizing experience. If you’re already part of a union or actively part of TWC, we welcome you to attend the lectures, but we think you may not benefit as much from the in-person learning portion.

I’m not as interested in organizing, but would like to still learn from your guest lectures. Will the lectures be recorded?

Sessions will not be recorded at this time. Lectures will be open to our broader community to attend.

Will the materials, syllabus, etc from Collective Action School be available?

Yes! Take a look here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LO-n1df0YagaylbJ5F8zOIDsuiewHTum?usp=sharing

Do I need to be located somewhere specific?

For attending only the lectures, no. 

For being in our in-person cohort, yes, you will need to be located in the SF Bay Area, or New York City to be considered.

What time/day of the week will the in-person meeting be? What about lectures?

The in-person meetings will be Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm local time. Lectures will be on Tuesday evenings, times TBD.

What if I have more questions?

Email us at collectiveactionschool [at] gmail.com