Throughout my courses, I have noticed that many of the early childhood professionals seeking to bring awareness or change to policies use educational strategies. Educational strategies seek to inform and target a specific audience while maintaining high credibility. Based on a policy’s particular needs or actions, an educational strategy can be used through providing fact sheets, reports, position papers, websites, letters or opinion pages, and multimedia presentations.
The reason this strategy works so well is because it is used in a manner which provides researched details of importance while also persuading the audience to understand particular factors involved in policies. Educational strategies use intentional methods in a strategic way to advocate an issue. This strategy appeals to me in my work so that I may better advocate for families based on the information they present to me and that I may take further to speak or inform others on their behalf. I also enjoy that this work allows me the opportunity to take part in making positive changes that effect children and families in the current day and age. As an advocate I am looking at how policies effect a family today, where I can use the information from fifty years ago to better influence the decision-makers for today’s policies and issues.
Terry,
ReplyDeleteThere is so much work being done by advocates across the country to ensure that the well-being of children supported. As I have learned about advocacy and the many approaches and strategies utilized to accomplish this goal, I am amazed at how far the field of early childhood has grown as a result of the vital work that has been done and will be done in the future.
I love research based advocacy because not only does it promote its cause, but it gives reasons, evidence based reasons why, this cause is important and requires further action.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Terri,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your post, Andrea, and Faith. Research based advocacy is more effective because it gives more concrete evidence for decision makers and stakeholders in determining changes needed to be made and funding to be issued.