Advocates from the Associate Board are invited to take part in the Legislative Education and Advocacy Program. This program is designed to promote confident engagement in the policy-making process at the state level. We focus on community organizing and power building; legislator education; and
communications to tell powerful stories about birth control equity.
We aim to cultivate lifelong activists who believe in their power to build movements and create change.
We designed LEAP to:
- Recruit, coach, and support young people to advocate for increased access to birth control in New York through a 3-month institute with professionals and experts.
- Help young people develop capstone projects that include meeting with state agencies and policymakers, which affords us a powerful tool for advancing priority legislation.
We assess the impact of LEAP through a systematic review process using baseline and exit assessments and one-on-one pre- and post-interviews. Through the collection of qualitative and quantitative information, we are able to use data driven metrics to assess and revise the program.
To prepare our Associate Board members who participate in LEAP, we conduct professional workshops, individual coaching meetings, and arrange local networking events with their peers and experts in communications, lobbying, and grassroots advocacy. Our training and networking opportunities culminate in meetings with legislators, state agencies, civic groups, reporters, and thought leaders.