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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
Advocacy communications
Kent Fischer, Vice President
Who am I?
• Education writer for 15 years
• Vice President in GMMB’s Seattle office
• Help lead education portfolio, including postsecondary clients
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”
Communicating for Action
• Segment your audiences
• Define your channels
• Know what moves them
Who do you need on your side?
• Vote “yes”?
• Click a link?
• Sign a petition?
• Keep mum?
Know what you want them to do
• Compelling messages
• Simple language
• Well defined tactics
• Trusted messengers
Design communications around those asks
• Under promise / over deliver
• Squeeze out the jargon
Words matter, but so does substance
• 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
Discussion
Communicating the Plan
•Jennifer K. Foster•Senior Director for Adult
Education•Project Coordinator
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
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
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
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
• 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:
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
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