Goals

Through this project, our Steering Committee want to:​

• Develop new leaders who can advocate for their communities and connect their communities with issue advocates and resources

• Connect participants to wider-scale equity and justice conversations, advocates, and resources. 

• Connect participants with residents from other communities.

• Change and improve policies, practices, or programs related to equity, justice, and equitable development that affect communities across Allegheny County.  

• Lift up participants’ and community groups’ existing work

​​

What do participants do?

 

This project has two main parts:

​

1. Advocacy and organizing training sessions: Participants will attend training sessions to learn about the importance of community advocacy, some core organizing skills, the Allegheny County political landscape, and various topics, such as affordable housing. Experienced advocates and organizers from the EJGP network will share their wisdom with the participants. There are seven training sessions during this part: three in-person and four virtual sessions. For in-person sessions, dinner (not pizza!) is provided. In-person sessions are located in different locations throughout the county.

2. Project implementation: During the training, participants will identify an issue that affects all of their communities. In this part of the project, participants will be asked to work together to improve that issue by advocating for positive changes to policies, programs, or practices.

 

Participants will also be invited to attend EJGP full network and cross-community network meetings during the training and project implementation. 

​​​​​​

​

Who is this for?

Each year, we select and invite up to 15 Allegheny County residents who want to become better advocates for their communities and connect with ongoing efforts and other advocates across the county. Participants are compensated for their participation in the training, project implementation, and related activities; for completing surveys; and for participating in focus groups. Transportation and childcare are supported in coordination with the project team.

 ​​​​​

Group 2: 2024-25 

Our second group of participants completed their advocacy and organizing training session in early October. They are now developing an advocacy and awareness project to implement in early 2025. They have chosen to focus on barriers to mental health within the Black community of Allegheny County for their project. We will share information on any public project activities once they are finalized! 

​​

Group 1: 2023-24

Our first group of training participants completed the Advocacy and Organizing Training in March 2024. They focused their advocacy efforts on housing. Click here to read more about the actions they took for their project. We're excited to continue working with many of them - now as part of our year 2 steering committee! 

​