Intro Video

Thanks for leaning in to learn how your new ideas can improve how things are done.

The number one thing we want you to take away from this class is that everybody joins the conversation too late!!! City or state, the plans have been debated for years before the vote is scheduled. If you want your idea to fully mature and stand a chance, it takes months or even years of reaching out to the organizations, committees, and committee leaders.

You can use the strategies from this class in two different ways that are both important. The first is to be an educator. You can bring your first hand experience and knowledge to public attention so that decisions get made with all the facts. The second is more direct and called lobbying. This is when you tell people who to vote for or ask an elected official to do what you want. As in any class, talk to your organization about how they distinguish between educating and lobbying. They will also help you decide when you are representing your organization and when you are representing yourself.

ANYONE can be an Educator because it is not lobbying and it is an extremely effective way to help people in authority avoid bad decisions. For education, you don’t tell them what to do, but you might share that the Kids Count Data Booklet https://www.caanv.org/2025-kids-count-data-book shows how 8 Nevada counties have less prenatal care for teens than the national average, and you have seen students at your high school in their second trimester who didn’t have enough access to pregnancy care in the first trimester.

This class is not a comprehensive overview of how to get a law or a bill passed. At the end of the class, you will know how to get your ideas in front of decision makers and help them get on track to incorporate your experiences into public policy.