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<h4>Advocacy for school board members is not only important during the Legislative Session, but year-round. Sessions in this strand will cover the importance of advocacy and how to ensure that you are advocating year-round on behalf of all students.</h4>

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<h3><strong>ADV 101</strong></h3>
<strong>Advocacy: A Must for School Board Members</strong>
As school board members, you are the front-line advocates for your district’s students, parents, staff, and administration in voicing support or concern for proposed legislation and regulations under consideration by the Virginia General Assembly, Board of Education, United States government, and local governing bodies. Join Virginia School Boards Association Government Relations Specialist J.T. Kessler for this webinar that will focus on the important role that school board members play in informing federal, state, and local policymakers of the impact their decisions have on local school divisions. Participants will gain insights into strategies they can use to engage policymakers and learn best practices on how to be an effective advocate. This webinar will include time for questions.

1 Hour- Free Webinar

<a href="https://youtu.be/nisBLnWQV30">Available Here</a>

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ADV-101-Powerpoint-Slides.pdf">To view the slides, click here. </a>

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<h3><strong>ADV 102</strong></h3>
<b>Advocacy Continues in a Time of Emergency
</b>Extraordinary times call for new responses to the challenges we face. In a time of emergency, organizations must transform their models of operation to meet the most urgent needs of their clients. Just as advocacy was a component of school division operations before the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic, advocacy becomes of greater importance during a time of emergency. This webinar will explore the changing strategies of advocacy during emergency situations and will provide ideas for school board members on how to sharpen their messages when addressing the issues faced by local school divisions with federal and state policymakers.

1 Hour- Free Webinar

<a href="https://youtu.be/TAAZR6K3uWg">Available Here</a>

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ADV-102-Powerpoint-Slides.pdf">To view the slides, click here. </a>