Advocacy Academy 2018

Our Advocacy Academy training is designed to help participants deepen their understanding of advocacy, identify issues, and strengthen community engagement. This five-week leadership program was hosted by Evangelical Christian Church and facilitated by Celeste Morris of MorrisAllsop Public Affairs in Queens, NY.

Advocacy Academy participants tackled social justice issues and are now working to implement the following community projects:

Healthcare:

• Addressing the high rate of uninsured individuals in southeast Queens who do not have health insurance, primarily in communities of color. Good Health is my Wealth

Youth Development

• Youth violence and incarceration are destroying the future of our society; work with youth to increase self-value and preservation; life coaching, therapy.
• Have a Heart for the Arts-Children are without successful creative arts programs in Junior High School. The lack of successful creative arts programs effects their self-esteem and overall success in life.

• We would love to see children who have an outlet to express themselves.
• We would love to see children who have pride in who they are and their ability
• Engaging youth in the Church Community-Continuing connection with them, for example,   when they are away at college. Success in Action!   Activity of success! You are looking at success! We can do it!

Parent Engagement:

• Developing a roadmap to growing and sustaining parent engagement within the dept. of education, giving voice to parents; Advocate to Achieve

Shelter Outreach:

• WINK (Women in Need of Knowing): The women who reside at the women’s shelter in Brooklyn on Hendrix street, aren’t leading fulfilling empowering lives for their own self-determination; lack social support.
  • 3B’s) Bold Brilliant, Beautiful. The W.I.N.K. program will raise the consciousness of women by educating and empowering them to embrace who they are the (3B’s) Bold, Brilliant and Beautiful. The lives of women matter, women are the nurturers and they give of themselves and it’s time to remove the array of obstacles that prevent women from leading meaning full lives. Women are Bold, Brilliant and Beautiful.

Faith and community leaders can play a critical role in revitalizing their communities. On a daily basis, they serve as visionaries on the front lines – addressing immediate crisis, helping to promote opportunity and create shared community values. We would like to congratulate our 2018 graduates of Love Covenant Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Greater Springfield Community Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Mt Sinai Baptist Church and Standard Bearer Ministries!

Funding was provided by Council Member Donovan Richards Jr.