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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – The arrival of March marks the return of Advocacy Month at Salem State University, and it kicks off with a local legend in grassroots advocacy this Wednesday.
Advocacy Month is dedicated to empowering students in their civic leadership skills, providing them both autonomy and agency to create meaningful change and amplify their own power. With a variety of events happening throughout March, students have opportunities to engage with pressing social issues, gain advocacy skills, and connect with local leaders working on the frontlines.
“Over the last few years, Advocacy Month has become a time and space for low-stakes opportunities for students to engage in the issues they care about while also finding a sense of power within themselves, that they have the agency and autonomy to create the change they wish to see,” said Liv Duarte, senior program assistant for advocacy programming in the Center for Civic Engagement. “They realize that advocacy isn’t something they need to rely on others to do, that they’re very real stakeholders in the world, and that they can accomplish these things.”
The month kicks off Wednesday, March 5 with an event titled “Organizing For Our Time,” featuring Marisol Santiago, director of policy and organizing for MassVOTE. A seasoned strategist and grassroots organizer with a proven track record of helping underrepresented people get elected to office, Santiago has more than two decades of experience in organizing issue-based and electoral campaigns. The event is hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement.
“Marisol’s work is rooted in community organizing, power of the people, coalition building, and she now works for MassVOTE, which – similar to the Center – engages students in the democratic process and provides education around voting in a non-partisan fashion,” Duarte said. “Her passion is educating the public on important issues and helping them to know their rights when it comes to their ability to vote.”
Also known as the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University, Salem State University is frequently celebrated for its efforts in engaging students with the democratic process and efforts to inspire public good. Salem State was recognized three times last summer and fall for its efforts, including two honors from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its 2022 midterm election efforts and for having a highly established action plan ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“There are many ways to advocate for change in our local and national communities beyond voting. We can help ensure students have the skills and knowledge to advocate for the issues they care about,” said Katelyn Adams, assistant director of the Center for Civic Engagement. “Our goal is to help students learn the skills and knowledge they need to advocate for positive change in all their communities, so we bring in experts to talk about not just various issues, but also work on skill building and give students the ability to advocate for issues they care about.”
The event will be held on Wednesday from 12:15-1:30 pm in Veterans Hall Side B in the Ellison Campus Center. Please visit this link for more information and to RSVP.