The 51st Collective is a public interest charity that operates separately from our civically engaged affiliate, Staunton Organizing. Our name, the '51st Collective' refers to theories of collective behavior wherein a minimum number of individuals must be engaged in a behavior for those individuals to begin acting as a group. 50 people may act as individuals, but 51 people becomes a 'collective'.
At the 51st, we believe collective action achieves a result greater than the simple sum of each individual who joins our cause. Each partner, volunteer, and community member brings a unique perspective to social problem-solving. By applying our efforts as a group, we are far more impactful together than we ever could be alone. Together, we work to leverage our collective power by organizing resources for community-engaged learning opportunities and public programs in service to our community.
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Currently, we administer a Public Sociology Internship Program that is open to both university students and impassioned community members. As we continue to grow, we plan to expand our efforts to include support programs for justice-involved persons & their families, a disability rights training program, and more.
Our work as a charity is grounded in the principles of Public Sociology, wherein social theories of human behavior and social organization are liberated from the ivory tower, applied in partnership with community, and pursued in the service of others.
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Our Mission
We are seeking justice for all. We do so by working to dismantle harmful systems, always in the pursuit of social justice across the state of Virginia.