About TESA

The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) is an emerging worker-owned, next-generation publisher of participatory resources for social change causes. TESA also helps others develop digital educational resources and incorporate democratic education into their efforts.

What We Do

TESA develops and publishes:

• Resources for social and economic change. These range from books to anthologies, board games, digital tools (such as websites), zines, curricula, and more. They are created both in house by TESA as well as by other creative individuals and groups.

(See our catalog here.)

TESA works with other groups, organizations, individuals, and businesses to offer the following services:

1) Utilize democratic education, interactive features, and/or social justice principles in workshops, curricula, programs, games, online tools, and more; 

2) Design digital resources for social change causes as well as progressive education efforts

3) Cultivate online communities for education and/or social change websites

4) Design and implement educational programs and resources

Mission Statement: Purpose and Philosophy

The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) creates imaginative and experiential resources that make an impact on the way we think, learn, teach, work, and act. These resources address topics related to social change, economic justice, and progressive education by utilizing critical thinking and user participation. In addition, TESA works with other organizations and individuals to develop their own experiences and materials.

The resources, tools, and opportunities developed by TESA are participatory in nature. This means that no matter what issues they address, they are bound to pedagogical principles that work with the skills, knowledge, and creativity of the people using them. TESA also strives to make sure its resources focus on real-world applications that can make a difference for people’s lives and help them impact their communities.

Social change can only occur when we address our common needs through cooperative efforts. These efforts will succeed once we educate ourselves and others about the issues and subjects that ultimately give us the power to make these changes possible – whether those topics are people’s history, math, community organizing, workplace democracy, or anything else.

Knowledge is what allows us to understand our world and how it works. However, in order to be able to create change, people must comprehend the relationship between the knowledge they hold and their own lives as well as communities. In addition, they must also realize how their knowledge and skills can be implemented to actually affect the world.

Therefore, The Toolbox for Education and Social Action creates resources, tools, and opportunities for turning knowledge into understanding and action.

Statement on Working with Ethical Businesses and Cooperatives, Using Socially Just Products

The Toolbox is fully committed to using sweatshop free, union or cooperatively made, and environmentally sustainable materials when possible in the manufacturing of its resources. Unfortunately, it is a fact that our economic and social environment prevent any of us from purchasing or utilizing materials only produced completely ethically. Despite these few uncertainties, TESA practices principled operations, purchases, and processes to the best of its ability. In this way, The Toolbox puts its social justice beliefs into action and is able to directly participate in the shaping of a new economy that utilizes solidarity and cooperation, not exploitation.

Sliding Scale Policy

Read about why TESA offers sliding scale prices for most of its resources and services.