For Community By Community

2026 Community Training Info session registration is now Open ( look below)

At REP, we are committed to building and deepening practices rooted in Dakota and Anishinaabe cultural lifeways. The seeds of our work are in Dakota soil—the traditional homelands of the Dakota people, also home to the Anishinaabeg. 

 

Rep has just hit its sixth year this June. In the past 6 years, we have learned a lot about building work with very minimal blueprints. We have grown, we have transitioned, and we have had long and wide conversations about our role in this moment of the world. REP’s work continues to be supporting a network of community members showing up for others in moments of crisis or urgency, with care and respect for the full dignity and autonomy of each other. 

Honoring the land and the people for REP means reversing the practice of disposability and isolation. To us, honoring is not passive. It is about actively shifting systems and structures that deny autonomy while repairing harm and simply just show up. The way we do that at REP is by creating a space of generous offering and practicing the things we collectively have been doing within our communities for a long time, even before REP. 

  • REP is hosting its annual community training in October of 2026. This training was first envisioned in early 2020, during the Twin Cities uprising after the murder of George Floyd. It was first developed to train community members for a community hotline but has since expanded to support community members in community. For both purposes, the training practice is largely the same: we are stronger when we practice turning towards each other in moments of crisis and confusion.

  • On the weekend of October 15-18th, REP will be offering a community training in Annandale, MN in the form of a 3-day intensive learning and practicing. Think of this as a camp: where we will be sleeping, having our meals together, building relationships, skilling up to deepn our capacity to be stronger neighbors.  

    This training is for a cohort of 20 people. Our intent is to put together a safe, covid conscious, & inclusive training.  

    • Rooting in the land and tracking how that affects each of us.  

    • Building awareness of how we personally respond to crisis and stress. 

    • Practicing skills for de-escalation and to better respond to mental health crises. 

    • Gaining clarity on basic legal rights and Copwatch.  

    • Safety planning for personal and community crises. 

    • Recognizing where these skills are most needed, including in moments of intimate partner violence, workplace conflict, and intervening on behalf of our most targeted neighbors. 

    • You already show up in your community when crisis happens and want to be better resourced with tools and for sustainability. 

    • You are deeply engaged in your community and want to share back your expanded knowledge. 

    • You are looking for a space to practice and to build relationships with others who are also practicing showing up for others.

  • If you are curious about this training, we invite you to attend a virtual info session with REP organizers.  

    Info sessions are a chance to cover the culture of this training, a chance to get to know the people that are convening it & answer logistical questions you may have before applying for this training cohort.

    You MUST attend ONE info session* to receive an application to join this training and can sign up for one using the zoom RSVP links below.

    *If none of these times work for you, reach out to us at contact@repformn.org so we can find a time to schedule an info session with you.

  • In REP's first four years, we were able to provide stipends for ALL participants. As we’re midway through our sixth year, funding for Black-led collective safety projects like ours has decreased drastically. This means we have less money to support participants with stipends in the way we did in the past. However, if this is a good fit - we want to work with you to find a way for you to attend.   

    In the application for this training, there is space for you to let us know how REP can support your participation. Recognizing that our resources are also limited, we will do our best to make this training accessible, particularly for those most targeted by the state. 

    If you’re interested in this training but can’t make these dates, let us know by adding your name to this contact list, and we’ll reach out as soon as we have our next dates