We are excited to have a whole new “class” of Think College Policy Advocates who will attend online and in-person training to learn about disability policy and advocacy. The training culminates in Hill visits with legislators in Washington, DC, where they’ll put those advocacy skills to work.
This year’s participants are a diverse group from around the country:
Rosa Juan & Betty Patten from Auburn University
Grace Arnold & Kelly Haan from University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
Martha Haythorn & Kenneth Surdin from Georgia Tech
Dylan Shemitz & Jordan Swartzendruber from University of Kansas
Lucy Salamon & Christopher Worth from University of Missouri – St. Louis
Laura Davies & Brianna Hayward from University of New Hampshire
Carson Mitchell & Mary Morningstar from Portland State University
Lauryn Woolfolk & Brenda Barrio from University of North Texas
Fish Vosnos & Morgan Jacobs from Utah Valley State University
Timothy (TJ) Jones & Jan Shea from Virginia Commonwealth University
Each team of TCPA participants is paired with a coach to support them during the training, and the coaches come from all over, too! Staff from Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD), Think College, National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), and National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) will serve as coaches this year.
The ten teams will gather for a couple of days to learn about disability policy and different ways to advocate before heading to Capitol Hill to talk with their state representatives about inclusive postsecondary education, employment, housing, and other disability-related issues. While in DC, they’ll also have a chance to attend sessions at the AUCD Annual Meeting and present a poster presentation about their work.
Stay tuned for updates about what this group is up to.