October - Talking to Local Leaders

Module 2: Talking to Local Leaders runs both in-person at Gracey Meeting Room at Merced Library and live on Zoom. Can't make the session? Use our online learning path to engage with the material at your own pace later. All core content is reachable either way—your choice!

Officially Speaking!

How to Participate

Option A: Live or Zoom Attendance (October 4, 1:30–4:30 PM)

• Attend the live Mock City Council session in person or join via Zoom.

• Take part in real-time role-play as an advocate, council member, or community resident.

• Use live polling and breakout rooms to prepare and deliver your advocacy message.

• Collaborate with peers and receive immediate feedback from facilitators.

• All resources and instructions will be provided during the session.

Option B: Asynchronous Online Participation

• Watch the recorded Mock City Council session at your own pace.

• Review the online materials, including sample speeches and message guides.

• Participate in the Interactive Role-Play Quiz:

  • Choose your role (advocate, council member, or community resident).

  • Draft and post your speech or response in the Padlet activity.

  • Comment on at least one other participant’s post as your chosen character.

• Submit your advocacy speech using the provided Google Form or Padlet for feedback and credit.

Note:
Both participation options require you to complete the role-play activity and submit your speech to receive credit for this module.

Module Overview

Objectives:
Learn how to craft persuasive advocacy messages specifically tailored for communication with local leaders, using the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Overview:
Welcome participants and highlight the critical role of persuasive communication in successful advocacy with local government officials.

Outline of Key Concepts:

• Ethos: Establishing credibility and building trust

• Pathos: Making a meaningful emotional connection

• Logos: Presenting a clear and logical argument

ACTIVITIES

Interactive Roleplay

Interactive Role-Play
Duration: 15 minutes

Objective:
Participants will practice advocacy communication skills by role-playing realistic interactions with local government representatives, focusing on effectively using ethos, pathos, and logos.

Activity Outline:

Introduction & Instructions (2 mins)

• Briefly remind participants about the importance of ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) in advocacy conversations.

• Clearly explain the role-play scenario:

  • Person A: Advocate presenting an important community issue.

  • Person B: Local government representative or decision-maker needing to be persuaded.

Role-play Preparation (3 mins)

• Quickly pair participants.

• Assign each pair a realistic scenario (examples: advocating for improved mental health resources, affordable housing initiatives, or community park enhancements).

• Participants discuss and plan their roles and persuasive approaches, identifying how they'll effectively integrate ethos, pathos, and logos.

Role-play Activity (6 mins total; 3 mins per speaker)

• Each participant practices their advocacy presentation (approx. 2–3 minutes per person).

• The listener engages actively, asking questions and providing immediate constructive feedback.

Quick Group Reflection (4 mins)

• Reunite participants to briefly share insights:

  • Which persuasive strategies were particularly effective?

  • How comfortable were participants using ethos, pathos, and logos?

  • What immediate lessons or challenges emerged?

Storytelling for Advocacy

Interactive Mini-Lesson: Inspired by "The Power of Storytelling"

• Watch "The Power of Storytelling" video below.

• Discuss key points from the video:

  • Why is storytelling powerful in advocacy?

  • What elements make a story compelling?

• Participants briefly outline a personal story related to their advocacy issue, using:

  • Clear beginning, middle, and end

  • Emotionally engaging elements

  • A compelling call to action

Mock City Council

Guided Activity : Mock City Council

• Participants select an advocacy topic they're passionate about.

• Using the provided worksheet:

  • Identify the core advocacy message (what specific issue are you addressing?).

  • Determine your audience (city council members).

  • Clearly state your persuasive goal (what outcome do you aim to achieve?).

  • Draft your presentation, incorporating ethos, pathos, and logos.

• Each participant practices delivering their advocacy message clearly and confidently.

• Share insights and feedback on effective persuasive strategies and overall confidence in presentation.

SUBMISSION

Module 2: Talking to Local Leaders

Message Delivery:
3 = Confident, structured / 2 = Mostly clear / 1 = Hard to follow

Respect & Tone:
3 = Fully appropriate / 2 = Mostly respectful / 1 = Not appropriate

Advocacy Techniques:
3 = Strategies clear / 2 = Some used / 1 = Few or none

Reflection:
3 = Insightful / 2 = Brief / 1 = None or limited

Mock City Council Role Play

FEEDBACK

October Feedback

REMOTE ACTIVITIES

🚀 What's Next?

Join us on November 1 for an exciting session entitled "Event-fully Yours" focused on planning creative, impactful community events.