Advocacy Capacity Building Workshops – September 17 and 18

ABOUT

Please join us either in person on September 17 in Oakton or virtually on September 18 for an advocacy capacity-building workshop on the rhythms and realities of year-round state advocacy. Participants will come away with a clear picture of what advocacy looks like in each season of Virginia’s policy calendar and leave with concrete, actionable homework to carry out between September and a follow-up session in December. This workshop series is presented by Voices for Virginia’s Children and co-hosted by ACT for Alexandria and the Northern Virginia Health Foundation.

• The advocacy calendar: what each season looks like and what advocates can do to make the most of it
• Identifying and pursuing your entry points in each season
• Setting advocacy goals with accountability checkpoints

Whether you’re new to advocacy or looking to strengthen your approach, you’ll leave ready to take meaningful action in every season of Virginia’s policy cycle. Space is limited, so secure your spot today!

Speaker: Rachael Deane is the Chief Executive Officer at Voices for Virginia’s Children. She provides overall strategic and operational leadership for Voices’ staff, programs, and execution of its mission. Rachael’s career has been dedicated to legal and policy advocacy for racial equity and economic justice at the local, state, and national levels. She joined Voices after many years as a legal aid attorney and as Legal Director of the Youth Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, where she led policy campaigns to end Virginia’s school-to-prison pipeline and to fund student mental health supports in public education.

Speaker: Cat Atkinson is the Director of Engagement at Voices for Virginia’s Children. She previously led policy and advocacy work in the mental health domain at Voices for young people aged 0-24, with a cross-system focus that supports young people in their homes, schools, and communities. Cat comes to Voices with two years of experience training and working in Child Welfare as a recent Master of Social Work graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University and a two-year Child Welfare Stipend recipient. During her graduate studies, Cat had the pleasure of interning with Voices for Virginia’s Children; she was integral in the development and success of Voices’ inaugural youth advocacy cohort, Virginia’s Youth in Action.

Events Policy:

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