1. Advocacy Strategies for Family and Consumer Sciences
Dawn B. Scagnelli
Family and Consumer Sciences Associate Career and Technical Education Team New York State Education Department

2. Family and Consumer Sciences programs offer students unique opportunities to develop human literacy skills that lead to quality of life for individuals and families.
FACS programs offer students opportunities that are not available in any other discipline. The focus of our work is on helping students become caring individuals able to reach their potentials while also helping others to reach theirs—this focus on self in relation to others is unique, important, and special.
Not to mention the actual content of FACS courses.
But, like our education colleagues in every discipline, we are facing challenging times.
Next slide- 3 greatest challenges facing FACS

3. What are the three greatest challenges facing FACS programs today?
Advisors will have had time to work on this question prior to this slide—ask for responses. Write ideas on chart paper; discuss to narrow list, if needed.
Probable answers: budget, resources, not filling positions, mandate noncompliance, attitudes of administrators, etc.
So…what can we do? Develop advocacy strategies to gather support for FACS programs
Next slide –definition of advocacy

4. Association for Progressive Communications www.apc.org
Advocacy
The active support of an idea or cause expressed through strategies and methods that influence the opinions and decisions of people and organizations
Association for Progressive Communications
This will be our working definition—goes beyond public relations because the goal is to influence others to join your “cause.”
Next few slides will be a “crash course” in advocacy.

5. “STEP”s for Effective Advocacy
Strategy
Timing
Empowerment
Positioning
4 components to effective advocacy—may find different categories in different resources, but all can be boiled down to these categories or “STEP”s to effective advocacy
We’ll look at each one as a separate component, but all work together and in practice must be considered together for advocacy efforts to effect change
Next slide - strategy

6. Strategy Wide range of options from persuasion to protest
Different strategies for different moments
Selected strategy should be
Appropriate
Adequate
Effective
Efficient
Sensitive to side effects
The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation
Advocacy efforts that are specific in purpose and precise in procedure are more likely to be influential in shaping opinion and action
Group needs to select an advocacy strategy (or strategies) based on the political, social, economic, and cultural climate. A strategy that will work in one place and time may not be effective in another. Group needs to conduct a climate evaluation before selecting a strategy.
Before implementation, selected strategy should be evaluated:
Appropriate – Will it further the group’s vision and mission? Will it make use of group's strengths? Will it fit community conditions?
Adequate- Will the strategy be sufficient to address the problem? Does the problem justify the effort and resources the chosen strategy will require?
Effective – Will the strategy achieve the objective? Will it address the problem in a reasonable timeframe?
Efficient – What are the strategy’s costs in terms of people’s time, energy, and materials in relation to the benefits?
Sensitive – How can resistance be minimized? Will current partners or supporters be compromised?
Will spend a little more time on this component- short exercise- less time on the others.

7. Given the present climate, which of these strategies might be most appropriate, adequate, effective, efficient, and sensitive for the FACS field to employ?
Political Persuasion
Protest
Litigation
Research
Collaboration
Constituency Building
Model Programs
Public Education and Media
Here is a list of often-employed strategies for advocacy. Which of these sound like strategies that would be appropriate, adequate, effective, efficient, and sensitive for the FACS field given the climate we are in?
Handout definitions of each strategy so group can use them to make decisions.
Most likely will chose collaboration, constituency building, model programs, public education and media.
Stress “Research” – base advocacy position on solid information to increase credibility in face of resistance”
*Hand out of NYSAFCSE Fast facts*
Next Slide - Timing

8. Timing
The effectiveness of advocacy efforts is often dependent on positioning and timing.
Decide when to promote ideas to
maximize their influence.
Will spend only a few minutes on this component.
Look for “windows of opportunity.” Some are natural, for example attending a board of education citizens budget session when potential cuts to programs will be discussed. Other are less obvious, for example elementary PTA meeting where 5th – 6th grade transition is being discussed. Do first time middle school parents know what their children are entitled to? How can that information be shared? This might be a time for FCCLA members to participate.
Next Slide - Empowerment

9. Empowerment Envision self as a protagonist and
see self as an active citizen
Strengthen voice through collaboration
Assess risks
Address resistance
“Change rarely comes from force of logical argument alone or from the presentation of irrefutable evidence in support of the changes required…Much depends on the character, approach, and credibility of those seeking change and their ability to evoke receptiveness in those they are seeking to persuade.” Advocacy Strategies and Approaches Association for Progressive Communications
Sometimes feel uncomfortable in role of advocate—do not wish to appear self-serving. So, put students first—preserving unique educational opportunity for them, effecting “tomorrow’s generation today,” etc. Protagonists are heroes.
Collaborate – With whom can we build alliances? Formal (ex. union) and informal (ex. other program areas facing same challenges)
Next slide – Positioning- tied to collaboration, risk, and resistance.

10. Positioning Similarity (goal) Attachment (benefit) Explanation
(qualities)
Integration
(uniqueness)
“We are trying to accomplish the same objective”
“We can work together to…”
“This is how to…”
“While we will be…we still will be…”
The Spill-over Effect:An Advocacy Strategy at
Tied to collaboration—find partners with whom FACS can establish reciprocity; by strengthening FACS, FACS strengthens the partner and visa versa. The idea is that by tying FACS to other important, timely, relevant school initiatives (the big picture) FACS establishes a high profile—FACS is Necessary not just Nice…Shows how FACS adds to the educational experience in other settings.
Establish collaboration 4 ways:
Similarity- listen to identify place where FACS and another program share a common goal and build on that connection
Attachment – reinforce the benefits of shared effort. Build ambassadors by reciprocating.
Explanation – stresses specific qualities that FACS will bring to the relationship and points to implementation
Integration – shows how FACS can collaborate with other programs and still maintain the unique focus on developing human literacy. Reinforce mission with each collaborative effort.

11. “STEP”s for Effective Advocacy
Strategy
Timing
Empowerment
Positioning
We’ve just completed a “crash course” in the 4 components of effective
Any Questions?
Challenge to you…
Next slide –How will we…

12. How will we advocate for Family and Consumer Sciences education in these challenging times?
Ideas from the crowd

13. Dawn B. Scagnelli (518) 486 -1547 dscagnel@mail.nysed.gov