“Our commitment to inter-culturality, interfaith dialogue, and solidarity with marginalized people and the exploited earth are ways we participate in God’s mission.” -2012 General Assembly, Missionary Society of St. Columban
The Advocacy Leadership Training is designed to give young adults (ages 18 - 39) the tools, the experience, and the network to be effective advocates for social justice and the common good. As a program of the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (CCAO), our primary advocacy goals are the creation of an ecologically sustainable society and the implementation of humane US/MX border policy.
The Advocacy Leadership Training is offered once every two months. Participants are expected to commit to the full training, which consists of six weeks of activity. This includes preparatory meetings and readings, four nights of virtual training, four weeks of advocacy “field work,” and one night of virtual follow-up.
Advocates will receiving training in the following areas:
Advocacy Strategy
Storytelling & Communications
Community Organizing
Influencing Decision Makers
You can find a sample agenda for the virtual training here.
Upon completing the entire training, participants will be given a certificate of completion.
Participants of the Advocacy Leadership Training are expected to commit to the full training, which consists of six weeks of activity. This includes preparatory meetings and readings, four nights of virtual training, four weeks of advocacy “field work,” and one night of virtual follow-up. More specific details are below.
In the weeks leading up to the virtual training, participants will have a brief one-on-one meeting with the Program Manager and an introductory meeting with their cohort.
Cohorts are groups of participants who are from the same Congressional district. Cohorts will be “break out” groups during the virtual training as well as the people participants will collaborate with during advocacy “field work.” They are also the beginning of a participant’s advocacy network.
Participants are also expected to complete a number of readings before the training. Those readings will be sent to the participants by the Program Manager.
The training will be conducted virtually over the course of four evenings. You can find a sample agenda for the virtual training here.
Participants are required to attend all four evenings. They are also expected to complete short assignments after the first and second evenings.
Participants will put their new knowledge into practice in their Congressional district. Where not required, cohorts are encouraged to do this as a group.
They will have four weeks to complete the minimum number of activities detailed in this chart. During their advocacy "field work," participants must advocate on behalf of one of CCAO's advocacy goals.
Four weeks after the last night of the virtual training, participants are expected to attend a virtual follow-up meeting. At this meeting, participants will reflect on their advocacy “field work” experience. Cohorts will also present their 6-month advocacy strategy.
The meeting will end with a brief certification ceremony. Certificates will only be given to those who have completed the entire training and will be sent in the mail.
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