ESPC’s Grassroots Lobbyist Training.

SHAPE WY 2021: Organizing for Power.

This just came across our desk: Equality State Policy Center’s annual SHAPE Wyoming training starts this month. ESPC is a grassroots organization based in Laramie WY. They strive to promote transparency and accountability in state government, fair elections, and civic engagement.

This year they’ve taken their popular training online—and stretched it out over eight weeks. You can register for all eight one-hour sessions or just sign up for those that interest you most. Good news: the training and all materials are completely free! Check out the full schedule and registration links below.

Need a refresher on how a bill becomes a law? Wondering how to organize and build a coalition around an issue you care about? Curious about the most effective way to engage your elected officials? Just want some tools for participating in and shaping the decisions being made in your government—at a time when it’s never mattered more? SHAPE Wyoming is for you!

All workshops will take place from 5-6 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register for all eight sessions.

Monday, January 25: Session 1–Civics 101 & Demystifying Government with Marcia Shanor, ESPC board member and executive director for the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association. Register here.
Monday, February 1: Session 2–Public Narrative & Lobbying 101 with Tisa Djahangiri, ESPC board member and civic engagement manager for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and Dr. Kristen Gunther, ESPC vice chair and program director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council. Register here.
Monday, February 8: Session 3–Testifying Virtually with ESPC board member and staff attorney for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, Shannon Anderson and ESPC’s executive director, Chris Merrill. Register here.
Monday, February 15: Session 4–Grassroots Organizing with Rebecca Berry, organizing director for Better Wyoming. Register here.
Monday, February 22: Session 5–Organizing for Power; stay tuned for more details. Register here.
Monday, March 1: Session 6–Coalition Building Panel; coalition leaders from a variety of organizations will give an overview of their advocacy work and how to get involved. Stay tuned for more details. Register here.
Monday, March 8: Session 7–Coalition Building—Breakout Groups; attendees will have the option of picking a breakout group to join that will be led by advocacy experts. Groups will include (but are not limited to): criminal justice, climate change reform, labor, education, retirement and public employees, medicaid expansion and voting reform. Register here.
Monday, March 15: Session 8–Legislative Panel and Q&A moderated by ESPC’s senior policy advisor and founder of the Wyoming Women’s Action Network, Jen Simon. Register here.

We encourage you to attend at least one workshop and learn how to become a more powerful citizen advocate.

Renee and Mary
Wyoming Rising