Design Blueprint

Advocacy in Action: Building Skills for Civic Engagement

1. Course Title & Description

Title:
Advocacy in Action: Building Skills for Civic Engagement

Description:
This four-module workshop series empowers Merced community members to develop practical advocacy skills. Through hands-on monthly events, participants will learn to craft persuasive messages, communicate with local leaders, plan community events, and leverage social media for social change. The series welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and experience levels who want to make a positive difference in their community.
Key topics:

Advocacy messaging (ethos, pathos, logos)
Communicating with officials
Community event planning
Social media for advocacy

2. Instructional Goal

After completing the course, the learner will be able to design, communicate, and implement effective advocacy strategies to create positive change in their community.

3. Course Learning Outcomes (LOs)

#	Learning Outcome (After this course, the learner will be able to…)
1	Compose persuasive advocacy messages using ethos, pathos, and logos.
2	Demonstrate effective communication strategies with local government leaders.
3	Plan and pitch a community advocacy event.
4	Create and evaluate social media campaigns for advocacy purposes.

4. Assessment Plan

LO #	Formative Assessment	Summative Assessment	Feedback Mechanism
1	Draft and peer review a persuasive advocacy message.	Enter the “Most Persuasive Message” contest; evaluated by rubric.	Peer + instructor rubric
2	Participate in mock city council role-play and receive feedback from peers.	Deliver a prepared speech to a “council” panel; assessed by rubric.	Panel + rubric
3	Develop an initial community event plan in a group brainstorm.	Present a final event plan pitch to the class for feedback.	Instructor comments
4	Draft a sample advocacy social media post; share for peer review.	Submit a final social media campaign plan and post.	Rubric + social engagement metrics

5. Course Activities Map (By Module)

Module	Activities
Module 1: Crafting Powerful Messages (“Message Makeover Month!”)	1. Read: Short guide on ethos, pathos, and logos. 2. Watch: Video case studies of persuasive advocacy messaging. 3. Create: Draft a persuasive message for a local issue. 4. Interact: Participate in peer review of draft messages. 5. Compete: Enter the “Most Persuasive Message” contest.
Module 2: Talking to Local Leaders (“Officially Speaking!”)	1. Read: Article on communicating with local government. 2. Watch: Sample city council meeting (YouTube or similar). 3. Role-play: Take part in a mock city council exercise. 4. Reflect: Journal about challenges in communicating with leaders. 5. Present: Prepare and deliver a brief advocacy speech.
Module 3: Planning Community Events (“Event-fully Yours!”)	1. Read: Checklist for event planning basics. 2. Brainstorm: Team-based event idea session. 3. Create: Develop a draft plan for an advocacy event. 4. Interact: Speed-pitch event ideas to the group. 5. Peer Feedback: Offer suggestions for improvement.
Module 4: Social Media Savvy (“Hashtag Holidays!”)	1. Read: Article on social media for advocacy. 2. Analyze: Review effective advocacy posts. 3. Create: Draft a campaign post for a chosen issue. 4. Challenge: Compete to create a viral post (end-of-year challenge). 5. Reflect: Share lessons learned and plan for future campaigns.