Advocating Excellence for FCCLA
February 5, 2014
Rachel VanPelt, National Consultant Team
What is Advocacy?
• Advocacy is:
– The act of pleading for, supporting, or
recommending
– Educational movement
Advocacy vs Lobbying
• Lobbying is:
– To solicit or try to influence the votes of members
of a legislative body
– Communication, by someone other than a citizen
acting on his own behalf, directed to a
governmental decision maker with the hope to
influence a decision
Advocacy
• Educational
movement
• FCCLA
members
should take an
advocacy
approach in our
efforts
Lobbying


Communicate with
legislative
representatives
Political
movement
aimed at
asking for
funding and
support
Examples of Advocacy
Local Level:
• Have a local leader sign a proclamation for FCCLA
week
• Invite a local leader to speak at a fundraiser,
program, or community service event
• Recognize local leaders at a celebration dinner
• Speak at a school board or a town council meeting
Examples of Advocacy
State Level:
• Attend state legislator day at the state capitol
• Visit state elected officials to share information
about FCCLA and Family & Consumer Sciences
programs
Examples of Advocacy
National Level:
• Send a letter and information to your congressional
representative and senator
• Attend FCCLA’s Capitol Leadership in Washington, DC
Capitol Leadership
FCCLA members and advisers:
• develop leadership skills
• participate in service-learning opportunities
• advocate for Career and Technical Education
• gain valuable resources to take back home
Mark your calendar: October 12-15, 2014 in
Washington, DC
Steps to Advocacy
Identify Issues
•
•
•
•
Relevant
Current
Base on an actual need
Level: local, state, national, or global?
• Research all sides of the issue
Identify Stakeholders
• Who is affected or can be affected by the issue?
Identify Target Audience
• The specific audience or demographics for which
the advocacy message is designed:
– Who should you direct your efforts toward?
– Research past opinions and actions of the target
audience
– How can you best reach the target audience?
Elevator Speech
• Time may be limited to meet with your target
audience
• Create a short and concise statement of your
view and goals for the issue
Leave Behind
• Create a document with
information about the
issue to leave with
individuals following a
meeting
• Summarize and remind
them of your request
Partnerships
• Which individuals or groups who hold similar
interests and values?
• Who can provide support for your efforts?
Media Involvement
•
•
•
•
•
Newspaper
Radio
Television
Internet
Social Media
Integrating Advocacy into the
Classroom
Advocacy STAR Event
• Students can demonstrate their knowledge, skills,
and ability to actively identify a local, state, national,
or global concern, research the topic, identify a
target audience and potential partnerships, form an
action plan, and advocate for the issue in an effort to
positively affect a policy or law.
Implementing in the Classroom
• Choose a topic that relates to curriculum
• Determine issue type
– Local, state, national, global?
• Establish target audience
• Practice case study scenarios
Promote & Publicize FCCLA!
STAR Event
• Students use communications skills and techniques
to educate their schools and communities about
FCCLA with the intention of growing chapters and
strengthening FACS and FCCLA programs.
National FCCLA Week 2014
February 9-15