Policy & Advocacy Hub - Where Policy Shapes Opportunity
The decisions made in Washington, state capitals, and communities across the country affect whether young people can access education, employment, training, housing, health care, and economic security.
Understanding policy is the first step toward changing it.
Civics 101
Civics is the social science study of the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens in a society, along with how government works.
It is imperative to understand how the government works as a youth advocate because if you don’t understand the system, how can you expect to know how to change it.
Policy 101
Policy is an official plan, set of rules, or course of action adopted by a group to guide decisions and achieve specific goals.
When creating policy for legislative change, you have to understand how the legislative process works:
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Hover over the infographic below to take a closer look!
A Key Part of the Legislative Process are the Committees
Congressional Committees smaller, usually specialized, groups of lawmakers in the United States Congress that study, shape, and review bills before they are voted on by the full House or Senate to become laws.
As a youth advocate, it’s important to know which committees focus on subjects related to your cause. These slides touch on committees and laws that are relevant to youth, workforce, and education:
Another Key Part of the Legislative Process is Budgeting/Funding
Even if a bill becomes a law, if that law has no funding, it cannot operate.
It’s important to know how federal appropriations (meaning their annual federal funding) gets to the various laws and programs that we advocate for.
Click on each number to learn more about the steps taken to have federal dollars reach youth related laws and programs
Step 1: Congress Writes the Laws (Authorization)
Before any money can be spent, Congress must create or renew a law that allows a youth program to exist. Think of this as building the blueprint for a highway. It outlines goals, who it helps, and caps the maximum budget.
Advocacy 101
Policy is an official plan, set of rules, or course of action adopted by a group to guide decisions and achieve specific goals.
To be a youth advocate you have to engage in...ADVOCACY! But how do you advocate for legislative & policy change?
Equipping Youth Advocates with Actionable Tools
Step-by-step guidelines built to transform lived experience into policy-level influence
1. Contacting Representatives
Learn how to call local offices, structure formal email outreach, and successfully set up meetings with state lawmakers to share your views.
2. Writing Testimony
Master the template structures needed to prepare public hearing statements and deliver compelling arguments within strict 3-minute oral presentation windows.
3. Organizing Campaigns
Explore step-by-step strategies for mapping target community stakeholders, gathering coalitions, and mobilizing peer networks across regional lines.
4. Using Storytelling
Dismantle harmful labels by framing personal youth narratives into strategic, numbers-backed talking points that policymakers listen to.
Advocacy Spotlight
Click a card below to launch the video briefing explainer.