Everyone: An Advocate - Institute for Educational Leadership

Everyone: An Advocate™

Sign up now for Everyone: An Advocate On-Demand Badge E-Courses

Apply now for our NEW Education Policy Fellowship Program: Community Schools cohort

Participants will learn how to build a coalition, use data to create policy solutions, and employ advocacy tools and tactics to their policy goals. Purchase of this package includes access to all 8 modules, that can be completed at your convenience. You will receive a badge after each module is completed. See more details in the section below!

Welcome to our capacity-building suite of services, Everyone: An AdvocateTM. We have listened to your feedback and developed IEL’s Everyone: An Advocate^TM to provide learning opportunities for those interested in expanding their capacity to advocate for the issues that matter the most to their children, families, and communities.

Everyone: An Advocate^TM offers multi-modal opportunities for IEL and our Coalition for Community Schools networks to increase their policy and leadership capacities through both free and fee-based choices.

Overview:

Free: Monthly Federal Education Policy Updates (September through June) and webinars (see our archive of policy webinars here.)
$150: Build new policy and advocacy skills through 8 self-paced online modules. Earn a badge through an 8 module series designed to empower you with the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to drive meaningful change in your community. Each module comprises of interactive lessons and practical exercises to enhance your understanding and application of advocacy principles.
- - Module 1: Understanding Grassroots Advocacy
  - Module 2: Building a Coalition
  - Module 3: Collaborative Advocacy Work
  - Module 4: Using and Developing Toolkits
  - Module 5: Utilizing Research in Policy
  - Module 6: Understanding the Role of Sign-on Letters and Letter-Writing Campaigns
  - Module 7: Meeting with Decision-Makers
  - Module 8: Using Social Media to Advance Your Advocacy

EPFP: Community Schools About EPFP: Community Schools
Our EPFP: Community Schools 2025 Cohort is designed specifically for Community School supporters. This 7-week online program will equip you with the skills necessary to:

- create systemic change in your community
- engage in root cause analysis to determine policy solutions, and
- understand how to develop a dynamic advocacy plan.

The program consists of:

- 8 asynchronous modules
- 4 synchronous sessions
- 1 Washington Policy Seminar during the Community Schools Coordinators Appreciation Week
- 1 policy strategy project

Schedule
The EPFP: Community Schools 2025 Cohort will take place from August 4, 2025 to September 30, 2025, with the hybrid WPS and Hill Day taking place on September 16-17.

August 4 to August 15 (weeks 1 and 2): On-Demand Sessions: Everyone: An Advocate Modules with Online Discussions
August 19 from 7-8:00 pm EDT (week 3): Virtual Synchronous Session: Identifying Policy Goals and Developing Strategies
August 26 from 7-8:00 pm EDT (week 4): Virtual Synchronous Session: Developing the 4 Ps of Policy Advocacy
September 1 to September 12 (weeks 5 and 6): Virtual Peer-Learning Sessions: Vetting and Refining Your Policy Strategy
September 16: Hybrid Washington Policy Seminar
September 17: Hill Day (virtual option available for those unable to travel to D.C.)
September 30 from 7-8:00 pm (week 7): Virtual Synchronous Session: Putting it All Together: Everyone: An Advocate Reflections

Admissions to the EPFP Community Schools 2025 Cohort are made on a rolling basis from June 3rd until July 25th, and applicants will be evaluated on their ability to articulate their goals for participating in the modules, how they can contribute to the peer learning to take place in the cohort, and how they hope to support, sustain, and advance Community Schools in their home state. The deadline to apply for the EPFP Community Schools 2025 Cohort is July 18, 2025.

You will be notified of your acceptance into the cohort no later than Friday, July 25, 2025. To obtain a certificate of completion, all participants will be expected to complete all on-demand modules, participate in the online discussions, attend all synchronous learning modules, complete any and all reading or assignments related to the module content, participate in the Washington Policy Seminar, and honor IEL’s Gracious Space Learning Norms (more details will be provided during the first module). Additionally, all the EPFP modules and content are owned by IEL and may not be shared with those who have not been accepted for the EPFP: Community Schools 2025 Cohort.

Washington Policy Seminar

Washington Policy Seminar^TM: During this conference participants will engage with policy and education leaders from across the country through plenaries, skill-building workshops, innovation sessions, and networking events.

The content provided in Everyone: An Advocate^TM is designed for the U.S. policy and advocacy process. Additionally, all costs associated with accessing the Everyone: An Advocate are provided in U.S. currency and should be paid accordingly.

Learn more:

Education Policy Fellowship Program History: 60+ Years of Developing the Leaders for Education We Need

The Education Policy Fellowship Program^TM (EPFP), created in 1964 as a response to the explosive growth of the federal government’s role in education, is a professional development experience for strategic education leaders looking to advance education through policy.

Are you interested in Community Schools? Do you work to grow and/or sustain Community Schools at the school, district, community, county, state, or national level? Do you work for a school district, a nonprofit, intermediary, university, government, or philanthropy? Then, our Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) program is for you!

We are excited that you are interested in Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), IEL’s 60+ year old program designed to build policy, advocacy, and coalition-building capacities to drive educational change. To apply, click here.

There are over 11,000 alumni across 50 states! In the 2024 – 2025 cohort year, we had four affiliate sites: California, Georgia Michigan, and Mississippi.

EPFP Impact

Evidence from national assessments confirms that EPFP Fellows become informed and skilled leaders and a part of a network that provides long-term benefits to their careers.

like the group's diversity - in many facets - the type of work, background, experiences, and perspectives. It was great to learn from my peers and the external presenters."

This is a great program that, in my opinion, all school administrators should participate. This program afforded me the opportunity to see how districts across the state and country deal with similar concerns. It also raised my awareness of how schools in rural areas struggle to obtain what most of us would consider normal school supplies."