This assessment has three-parts. Click each of the items below to complete this assessment.

Part I: Advocacy Begins with Communication and Collaboration

Identify an advocacy issue related to children and families in your community, and write a two- to three-page paper that does the following:

• Explains what the issue is, why it is important in your community context, and why it is important to the early childhood field.
• Selects an agency and/or organization that you will collaborate with to help you address the advocacy issue you identified.
• Describes the mission of the agency and/or organization, and explains why you want to collaborate with this specific agency.

Part II: Communicating and Collaborating with Agencies

Using the agency you identified in Part I, write a two- to three-page letter to the advocacy agency. Your letter should include:

• An explanation of the issue(s) for which you are advocating, and why the issue is important in the context of the early childhood field. Use data and/or information from the professional knowledge base to support your explanation.
• An explanation of why you want to partner with this agency on the issue(s). Your explanation should compel the agency to want to partner with you on the issue.
• An explanation of how you envision the partnership working, including a specific suggestion regarding how you want the organization to support your advocacy effort.

Part III: Communicating and Collaborating with Government Officials

Using the same advocacy issue you identified in Part I, write a two- to three-page letter to a government official in your local, state, or federal government. Your letter should include:

• An explanation of the issue for which you are advocating, and why the issue is important in the context of the early childhood field. Use data and/or information from the professional knowledge base to support your explanation.
• A description of the agency with whom you will partner, and how that partnership will assist in the work regarding the advocacy issue.
• A request of the government official, explaining exactly what he or she can do to support the advocacy effort.

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