Add your name here, a few pictures and go! Educating, Advocating, and Lobbying: Efforts to Provide Policy Makers with Evidence-Based Policy Information Add your name here, a few pictures and go!

What will we cover? Lobbying Advocating Educating Evidence/Data How to engage with policy makers

Advocacy and Lobbying Lobbying: to specifically ask for an action related to a piece of legislation or regulation To support or oppose a specific piece of legislation Advocacy: to share information and experiences related to an issue To identify a need or solution to a problem

Educating Providing un-biased, evidence- based data about a specific topic or policy Can be done via: White papers Info-graphics One-pagers Testimony

Evidence-based Policy Development Unbiased research on a public policy topic Large scale data sets that show a trend or describe a situation Qualitative descriptions of an individual or family related to a public policy Outcome data related to a program or intervention To NOT share that information is to deny policy makers critical data Maybe add a picture of your Annual Report or of the Think College Five Year Report here.

Four Actions of Advocating In Person Over time With evidence Make Yourself Available Add photo here – do you have a picture of a meeting with a legislator??

In-person Visit the policy maker Visit staff members Be a constituent In state In DC Visit staff members Get to know their portfolios Follow them Be a constituent Bring constituents Support constituents to speak for themselves Do you have a photo of a self- advocate speaking for him/herself? You could add that here.

Over Time Advocacy is not a one-time event Contact policy makers repeatedly Three times a year Bring information relevant to their efforts and interests Thank policy makers for their work Introduce policy makers to other sources Do you have a picture of a rally at the state capitol? A group of self-advocates? Add it here.

With Evidence Provide new information Provide it in digestible form One or two pages Simple language without jargon Link information to policy and legislation Ensure your evidence is not biased Follow-up with new information Maybe add a picture of your leave behind template here as an example.

Make Yourself Available Develop a relationship with staff Ensure you can be contacted Leave your contact information Follow-up with an e-mail to staff Follow-up with electronic versions of materials When an issue is hot, contact the policy maker to offer assistance Consider adding a photo of yourself here.

A Critical Need: Diversify Add a photo of a diverse group of individuals here. Be a servant-leader Mentor others Ensure those talking are those who are affected by the policy Ensure a mix of racial, ethnic, gender, and disability/ability are represented

Engage If you are a person with a disability, a family member, or provide support and services, engage with public policy Support one another to interact with policy makers at all levels and all branches of government Stick to it—over time and across levels Add a photo of a student or group of students here. Maybe a photo of a student in his or her community.