The mission of Strategic Concepts in Organizing & Policy Education (SCOPE) is to develop multi-dimensional approaches that reduce and eliminate structural barriers to social and economic opportunities for poor and economically disadvantaged communities and communities of color. SCOPE pursues this mission through four strategies which have grown out of our original strategies outlined above: (1) Building models of increasing civic participation where poor and disadvantaged communities and communities of color can become active participants in public policy-making and initiatives that impact their lives. (2) Working to develop strategic alliances between diverse communities and constituencies that link addressing local social and economic conditions with regional initiatives and economic/social agendas. (3) Equipping poor and disadvantaged communities and communities of color with the strategic research/analysis