Dr. Robert Blackburn has been a lifelong educator. After teaching in public schools and earning his doctorate, he became a professor at Louisiana College and Gardner-Webb University. Before his retirement, he was active in the area of health education, particularly in the movement for Smoke Free Schools in North Carolina and drug abuse prevention. He received the National Association of Local Boards of Health's (NALBOH) Everett I. Hageman Award for his outstanding leadership on a local board of health, as well as commitment to and enthusiasm for local public health.

Dr. Barbara R. Blackburn is the bestselling author of 17 books and is a sought-after consultant. She was an award-winning professor at Winthrop University and has taught students of all ages. Barbara was named as one of the Top 30 Education Gurus in the world for 2017 by Global Gurus.

Dr. Ronald Williamson is Professor of Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. He is a former principal, central office administrator, and executive director of the National Middle School Association (now AMLE).

Contents

eResources

Acknowledgments

Meet the Authors

Introduction

A - Advocacy: What and Why?

B - Building Blocks of Lobbying

C - Communication Skills

D - Designing An Advocacy Plan

E - Engaging through Technology

F - Framing Your Message

G - Gaining Support with Limited Resources

H -Handling the Media

I - Internal and External Stakeholders

J - Juggling Information - Frank Buck

K - Keys to Social Media

L - Local Advocacy is Foundational

M - Motivating Those Around You

N - Networking

O - Overcoming Objections

P - Public Relations 101

Q - Quality Relationships

R - Resistance to Change

S - Successful Negotiations

T - Time: Friend or Foe? - Frank Buck

U - Up-to-Date on the Issues

V - Vision: Personal and Shared

W - Working with Local, State, and National Governance

X - Pitfalls to Avoid

Y - Your Turn

Z - Zeroing In on the Essentials

Bibliography

Appendix