Being an Awake Illinois Advocate 101

Whether your efforts are focused on mask mandates, educational policies, local/state government, etc. the same steps apply to have your voice heard as an Awake Illinois Advocate:

1) Investigate

2) Invite

3) Influence

1) INVESTIGATE:

First, decide which local board you most want to influence (school board, city/town, county, government agency, health department, etc.)

- Find out when they meet

-Locate the board/member/supervisor contact lists

- Find the agenda for the next meeting and READ IT

- If there are issues that interest you, send email to all members of the agency/group.

-Leverage discovery methods such as Freedom of Information Act requests. Each agency or group should have a page/form available online to submit a request. Most FOIA responses are provided within 5 business days after receipt of the request. There are provisions for extension of 5 additional days, and by mutual agreement between the requestor and agency. For a commercial request, the response time for a FOIA request is 21 business days after receipt of the FOIA request.

2) INVITE:

Encourage others to join you:

Talk with your trusted friends and neighbors and start a conversation. "Are you aware of this? What do you think about [issue/topic]? Want to come to the next meeting with me?"

But it's FAR more effective to monitor or attend the meeting and speak up during public comment when the issue comes up. Speak with confidence and with respectful tone and language. Note the others who attend/comment and connect with those who agree with you.

3) INFLUENCE:

Start email lists to discuss issues and take it further with a Facebook page/social media platform to share information. Knowledge is power for a community to really advocate for a cause. Share, share, share. Keep the messaging consistent but reinforce with the most current updates, observations, information, etc. Be prepared for disagreement, keyboard warriors, and some push back. The best of advocates know that more push back means you are getting closet to effect change. Not everyone likes change and that's OK. Stay strong!

Then keep it up, meeting after meeting. Keeping the conversations going, going, and going. That's the hard part because it will feel like you're not making a difference. The difference comes in numbers, consistency, and in time. A lone voice will be ignored, but 10...20...100? Not so much. At the very least, you destroy the narrative that "the community" agrees with the board's actions.

(The next step is to run for office, but don't worry about that yet...yet.)

How will are you feeling called to be an Awake Illinois Advocate?

Ready to Investigate, Invite, and Influence?

We are...Awake Illinois. Welcome! Contact us to share how you plan to join the movement or to ask questions on how to effect change in your community.