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May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

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Page 1: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

May 9, 2012

Building the Case for Adult Education:

A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Page 2: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Welcome Steven Baker, Jobs for the Future

External Advocacy Kent Fischer, GMMB

Internal Advocacy Jennifer Foster, Illinois Community College Board

Discussion Jeff Landis, Jobs for the Future

Page 3: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Advocacy communications

Kent Fischer, Vice President

Page 4: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Who am I?

• Education writer for 15 years

• Vice President in GMMB’s Seattle office

• Help lead education portfolio, including postsecondary clients

Page 5: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Advocacy communications

Page 6: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Advocacy communications: The basics

• Communicating for action

• Know which audiences you need

• Know what you want them to do

• Differentiate communications around those “asks”

Page 7: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Communicating for Action

Page 8: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Segment your audiences

• Define your channels

• Know what moves them

Who do you need on your side?

Page 9: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Vote “yes”?

• Click a link?

• Sign a petition?

• Keep mum?

Know what you want them to do

Page 10: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Compelling messages

• Simple language

• Well defined tactics

• Trusted messengers

Design communications around those asks

Page 11: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Under promise / over deliver

• Squeeze out the jargon

Words matter, but so does substance

Page 12: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Don’t think you can dig deep. You can’t. You’ll get 5 minutes of their time.

• Tell them simply what it is you are trying to do (“Help more kids graduate ready for jobs.”)

• Tell them the blowback they are going to feel from constituents.

• No Jargon!

Reaching policymakers

Page 13: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Discussion

Page 14: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Communicating the Plan

•Jennifer K. Foster•Senior Director for Adult

Education•Project Coordinator

Page 15: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Include a variety of partners in the design and development of the project

Illinois State Level PartnersGovernor’s OfficeICCB StaffAdvocacy GroupsAdult Education CTEColleges: President, VPs, Faculty, Dev. Ed., Student ServicesProfessional Development and TrainingResearch and PolicyLabor

Develop a Team of Champions

Page 16: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Capitalize on existing initiativeDon’t reinvent the wheelWithin the state and outside of the state

• Joyce Foundation “Shifting Gears Initiative” • Sector based strategies

Illinois Adult Education Strategic PlanCommon Core and College Readiness InitiativePrograms of StudyHigher Education Public AgendaPresident’s VisionEconomic Impact StudyPerformance Based Funding Task Force

Existing Initiatives

Page 17: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Who’s IN CHARGE?WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO MOVE THE INITIATIVE

DETERMINE WHO THE KEY PLAYERS ARE at the State Level

Determine the commonalities and how we can help each other achieve separate and common outcomes

Communicate Regularly

State Level Leadership

Page 18: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Meet Regularly with LocalsAllow time for discussion and sharing

Assist them in understanding the desired outcomesAllow time for Professional Development

Engage Local Colleges - Early in the Process

Page 19: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

• Partnerships across divisions– AE, CTE, Student Services,

Financial Aid, Registration, Tutoring Services

• The ability to understand the others language

• Understand and recognize the differences

• Understand the performance outcomes and objectives of each area

• Territorial Issues

Local Leadership and Roles:

Page 20: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Adult Education students must be prepared CTE must be assured that the curriculum will not be watered downWork toward common objectives rather than stackedDefining the goalInitiative FatigueFinancial Assistance Needs

Local Challenges

Page 21: May 9, 2012 Building the Case for Adult Education: A Guide to Advocacy Communications

Flexibility in scheduling of classesHoursNumber of seats available

Financial Assistance to studentsCommunicating the need co-teaching aspect of the projectConnecting the AO/ICAPS model to a bigger policy or broader planEmployer EngagementSustainability of the Project

Challenges