By SAJE Staff
Friday, August 8, 2025
On Thursday evening, August 7, around 80 people gathered virtually and in-person for another installment of SAJE’s ongoing Escuelita series: “Demystifying City Council.” These “mini schools” look in-depth at issues and topics that our members and community want to learn more about; past sessions have focused on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, public transit safety, and the history of immigration enforcement in the U.S.
For “Demystifying City Council,” attendees learned about the role and power of the Los Angeles City Council and the process for how a council motion becomes an ordinance. They also learned a bit about power mapping and strategic advocacy, and how SAJE works with council offices to achieve our campaign goals. The session drew on popular education techniques, with interactive role play, discussion prompts, and reflections on power and civic participation.
Council staffers were also present for an “ask me anything” session on the make-up and daily activities of the council offices. Sachin Medhekar, director of housing and homelessness prevention for Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD 13), and Ben Cassorla, Housing and Tenant Deputy for Council Member Eunisses Hernandez (CD 1) answered questions including “What makes effective public comment?” and “How do council members work with the neighborhood councils?”
SAJE will host one more Escuelita for 2025 in October–stay tuned for more information by following us on Instagram or signing up for our newsletter here.
