A teach-in is a nonviolent protest that makes use of one of the most effective protest tools available: educational empowerment. Attendees can participate in forums, discussion panels, lectures, and open debates about a topic at a teach-in. Typically, controversial and under-reported topics are chosen for teach-ins, with the goal of raising awareness and encouraging people to take action on these issues.
The teach-in concept arose in the 1960s, when students and faculty at many universities wanted to join the growing anti-war movement but found protesting on university grounds difficult. The Students for a Democratic Society organized the first teach-in on a college campus in Michigan in 1965 after hearing that protests would be met with harsh opposition. Because protesting would be too difficult, the event organizers decided to try engaging the community through education, and in the process, they created a very effective tool.
Teach-ins are frequently held on college campuses, and they are sometimes held in conjunction with mass protests, allowing protesters to attend teach-in events and immediately apply what they have learned. Other locations, such as libraries and community centers, host teach-ins. Guests and panelists at a teach-in are often drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, including traditional professors, experts in the field, and well-known commentators on the subject.
The subject of a teach-in can be anything. Teach-ins are held in the days leading up to many large organized protests, for example, to allow people to become educated about the issues being protested. Nonviolent protesting, passive resistance, and other protest tactics may be discussed at protest teach-ins. A teach-in can also be used to raise community awareness about issues such as ongoing wars, genocides, and other social issues; on university campuses, teach-ins frequently attempt to highlight the direct links between the university and current events.
A large group makes it easier to organize a teach-in, and it also helps to network with people who have connections. For example, if a group of high school students wants to hold a teach-in about draft resistance, they should connect with local draft resistance advocacy groups, as well as veterans and current military members, to get a diverse range of information and viewpoints on the subject. Many leftist organizations are willing to help people who want to organize teach-ins, and they can offer advice based on their own experiences.