Engage, Empower, Advocate: Mobilizing Communities for Public Health Change

Advocacy is a catalyst for social change and plays a vital role in advancing public health by influencing policy and addressing health disparities. By empowering communities with intentional education, skills-building, and collaborative engagement regarding public health issues at local, state, and national levels, we can foster sustainable, equity-driven change.

This session will demonstrate how accessible, interactive advocacy training can equip individuals and organizations with the tools to take informed action, demystify advocacy processes, and mobilize communities to become impactful advocates for public health. Participants will explore core advocacy competencies and practical, real-world strategies, including: legislative outreach at the national, state, and local levels, collaborating with professional and non-profit organizations, strategic health communication, virtual advocacy techniques, and leveraging available resources.

By the end of the session, participants will gain foundational advocacy skills, the ability to effectively communicate with representatives and organizations, and a clearer understanding of how to influence health policy and systems. The outcomes will include increased capacity to collaborate with advocacy groups, develop impactful and persuasive messages with digital advocacy tools, greater readiness to engage with policymakers, and navigate the complexities of public health advocacy to lead change in the community.

Empowering communities through advocacy education strengthens the public health workforce and advances health equity. By integrating practice-based training into academic and professional development settings, we can foster a culture of civic engagement and leadership among emerging public health advocates. Advocacy and policy implementation are essential for advancing public health goals and preparing individuals to effectively engage, empower, and advocate for lasting change.

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify key advocacy strategies and tools for influencing public health policy at the local, state, and national levels.
• Demonstrate effective communication techniques for engaging with policymakers, organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Apply practical skills to collaborate with advocacy groups, develop persuasive messages, and utilize digital tools to advance public health initiatives.

Competencies that will be covered include: 

5.2.7 Develop persuasive messages and materials (e.g., briefs, resolutions, and fact sheets) to communicate the policy, system, or environmental change.

5.3.1 Use media to conduct advocacy (e.g., social media, press releases, public service announcements, and op-ed

5.3.2 Use traditional, social, and emerging technologies and methods to mobilize support for policy, system, or environmental change

Sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.00 total Category I contact education contact hours. Provider ID #98029 and Program ID PM98029_01744DL.

SOPHE is a provider of Certified in Public Health (CPH) Renewal Credits. A total of 1.00 CPH Renewal credits are provided on behalf of the National Board of Public Health Examiners.