
Left: Cover of the Advocacy Skill Building Toolkit facilitator guide. Download available below. Right: Photo from Healthy Community Living, http://healthycommunityliving.com.
This toolkit is a guide for Centers for Independent Living and others to conduct interactive and engaging workshops to facilitate the development of advocacy skills of emerging Independent Living leaders and youth with disabilities. It describes how to introduce advocacy through the facilitation of unique activities and discussions, identifying issues of importance, and putting advocacy skills into practice. A unique approach presented in this toolkit is the use of improv to introduce, invite, and engage others into and with the world of advocacy.
Using improv hones communication and public speaking skills, stimulates fast thinking, and encourages engagement with ideas, all skills that are important for effective advocacy. Improv also provides a supportive environment that allows participants to take risks, try out new ideas, and build their confidence. The activities incorporate different learning styles, and can easily be modified to accommodate everyone.
An important part of advocacy, no matter if the goal is to help one person or many, is establishing a confident voice, developed and supported by a community of peer support. This workshop and accompanying toolkit materials give participants the opportunity to explore their voices, build confidence, and display their skills both verbally as well as in written form. The intent is to provide a safe space among peers and trusted facilitators to introduce the concept of both group and self-advocacy.
The Toolkit is a collaboration between BASE, an affiliate of Summit Independent Living in Missoula, MT, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), and RTC:Rural staff, and was developed in response to the needs and interests of CILs and other stakeholders.
To learn more about BASE, their mission, and their use of improv to teach advocacy skills, follow the link below to their YouTube video:
BASE Impact with closed captions
Toolkit Contents
Note: We are very interested in how you think you might use these materials, so we can use this information in our future research and other materials we plan to develop! Please take a moment to email us the answer to this question: If you are downloading or viewing these materials, how do you plan to use them?
- Youth Advocacy Facilitator Guide (PDF)
- Video: Teaching With Improv: Q&A with Mike Beers and John Howard (YouTube video)
Session 1: Introduction to Advocacy
- Session 1 workshop slides (PowerPoint)
- Video: Whose Line Is It Anyway: Super Heroes (YouTube video)
- Video: Name Symphony Improv Demonstration (YouTube video)
- Getting Started worksheet (PDF)
- Short Write worksheet (PDF)
Session 2: Audience, Resources, and Tone
- Session 2 workshop slides (PowerPoint)
- Video: Tone Symphony Improv Demonstration (YouTube video)
- Video: Debate Improv Demonstration (YouTube video)
- Audience, Resources, and Tone worksheet (PDF)
Session 3: Putting It All Together
- Session 3 workshop slides (PowerPoint)
- Video: Image Theater Improv Demonstration (YouTube video)
- Drafting Your Letter Worksheet (PDF)
- Drafting Your Letter Worksheet_fillable PDF (fillable PDF)
- Persuasive Writing Tips to Help Get Started handout (PDF)
How-To Guides
- Writing Effective Letters to Decision Makers (PDF)
- Creating Your Personal Testimony to Influence Policy Change (PDF)
- Finding and Using Data for Advocacy (PDF)
Additional Materials
- Persuasive Writing Sample (PDF)
- Persuasive Writing editing and feedback tips (PDF)
- Personal Testimony Sample (PDF)
- Personal Testimony Tips (PDF)
For technical assistance, or if you have any questions, please contact RTC:Rural via email at rtcrural@mso.umt.edu.

Photo from Healthy Community Living, http://healthycommunityliving.com.