Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. Advocacy means using your voice, your influence, and your actions to protect those who are being mistreated, unheard, or excluded.
It starts with small acts: telling a teacher when you see someone not being treated well, defending someone in a group chat, or simply refusing to laugh at a hurtful joke. It’s also about listening to those who have been hurt and learning how to support them better.
Advocacy is powerful because it turns awareness into action. When one person speaks up, others are often inspired to do the same. Your courage can spark change in your school, your workplace, and beyond.
If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to make a difference, start here. Be kind. Be bold. Be the person who doesn’t stay silent when it matters most.
Being an advocate doesn’t require a large group, a big stage, or a microphone. But if you’ve never worked together with a large group to stand up for what’s right, you should try it. It doesn’t matter what age you are.
When I lived in Illinois, people from all over the state were encouraged to go to the capital building in Springfield on a certain day to encourage their state representatives to vote for an education bill that would give schools more money. A bunch of random people who all cared about schools did just that; I rode with a friend to the city of Springfield on the appointed day. We went into the lobby of the capital building, where we were handed a list of the state representatives’ office addresses and what districts they served. Some of us got to meet with our representative IRL. If our representative wasn’t in their office, we left letters for them with their administrative staff. It was exciting to try to make change side by side with lots of other like-minded strangers.
Whether you stand up for one person or a whole group of people, it’s worth it!
Amanda Clark is a veteran youth worker, having worked at camps and youth-focused non-profits for 25+ years. Want to continue this conversation? Amanda can be reached at [email protected].