Oral

Representatives from select states participating in the APHA Grasstops Advocacy Initiative during the summer of 2008 will present their experiences as their state APHA Affiliate and non-affiliate members of APHA worked together in teams to orchestrate a common voice and strategy in pressing public health issues at identified candidate venues. A variety of replicable models of advocacy team development, communication strategies, and advocacy team activities will be demonstrated.

Session Objectives: Attendees will be able to replicate strategies employed to build an advocacy team pulling from both state affiliate membership and members of APHA who do not belong to their state affiliate. Attendees may identify ancillary benefits in identifying and pursuing common advocacy agendas, for example, membership development, growth in affiliate advocacy capacity, etc.