Advocacy Training

Date: January 17, 2018

Start Time: 7 pm (Registration, snacks and networking at 6:30)

End Time: 8:30 pm

Location:
First Congregational Church - Memorial Hall
Address:
37 Main Street

City: Southington, CT

SNOW UPDATE: This event will be held as scheduled.

Learning to Speak Up for Children

Are you passionate about issues around young children?

We are too.  Advocacy is one of the three focus areas of the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington. But sometimes it is hard to know what to do, how to help and if it will make a difference.

The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance will be holding a free legislative advocacy training session on Wednesday, January 17 at 7 pm hosted by the ECCS at the First Congregational Church of Southington.

Register now and come learn about:

  • What is advocacy?
  • Defining a problem
  • Understanding the process
  • Decision makers
  • Making the case for a solution
  • A plan for action.

The examples to be presented relate to children’s issues such as healthcare and the Care4Kids program but the material will be helpful to anyone interested in advocacy.

The speaker is Merrill Gay, Executive Director of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance in 2013, Merrill was Executive Director of the Coalition for New Britain’s Children. He has served on a number of early childhood initiatives, including the New Britain School Readiness Council, New Britain Head Start Policy Council, Early Childhood Finance Project Work Group, Early Childhood Workforce Task Force, and Infant Toddler Task Force. He was also co-chair of the CT Early Childhood Alliance and the New Britain lead for the Annie E. Casey Grade-Level Reading Campaign. Merrill holds a B.A. in government studies from Clark University and a master’s degree in community economic development from New Hampshire College, now known as the University of Southern New Hampshire.

We hope you will be able to join us, this is open to the public.  Please share this flyer with anyone else who may be interested.

Doors open for registration and networking at 6:30, the presentation starts at 7:00 pm. Snacks will be served if you can’t make it home for dinner.

Childcare is not being provided but babies are welcome.

Parking is available in the large municipal lots to the north of the church or across the green.  Please save the small parking lot in front of the hall for those with limited mobility. Memorial Hall is handicap and wheelchair accessible.

Use this link to RSVP:

Registration