During our Advocacy Institute Virtual Summer Camp: Advocacy 101 series we give advocates an overview on effectively developing a state legislative advocacy campaign. Over the course of 6 sessions spanning three weeks in July, we discuss how to set the stage for your legislative campaign to be successful, how to work effectively in coalitions, understanding the key decision makers in Albany, and navigating the complexities of the budget and legislative process. Each week, one session dives into effective advocacy while the second, regional spotlight, session will focus on advocates and their work in Western New York, the Hudson Valley, and in Long Island. More details on each session below:
- Tuesday July 12, This session focuses on understanding that creating a strong and strategic foundation for your campaign is essential to your long-term success. We introduce you to Advocacy Institute’s Legislative Campaign Assessment and Tracking Tool (LCATT), discuss how to identify the key choice points that arise as you start your campaign, the pros and cons of different strategies, and learn how building an inclusive coalition held together by shared values can help your campaign succeed.
- Regional Spotlight: Long Island, Thursday July 14.
- Tuesday July 19, This session focuses on helping advocates gain technical expertise on the steps associated with driving a bill to law at the state level and confidence navigating the entire process. Additionally, we discuss who’s who in Albany so you can have a better understanding of the players in the legislature and executive branch, their roles, and how they work with each other so that you can best influence them.
- Regional Spotlight: Western New York, Thursday July 21.
- Tuesday July 26, This session builds on what we learned in previous sessions and delve deeper into how to strategically build relationships in order to access power within the complexity of statewide dynamics, elections, and the web of relationships. We also help participants gain literacy and confidence in talking about and navigating the budget process in Albany, understand the significance of the budget as a policy document and the opportunities to advance advocacy goals through the budget.
- Regional Spotlight: Hudson Valley, Thursday July 28.