The Change Engine
Policy Advocacy
This path is for people who want to change the rules — not just follow them. Learn how laws are made, how to speak at hearings, build alliances, and run real advocacy campaigns.
Advanced 315 min 7 modules
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Modules
7 modules1
Every law that protects you, funds your child's school, or paves your street started as one person's idea written on a piece of paper.
How a Bill Becomes Law
Learn how laws are really made at the federal, state, and local level. This module walks you through each step a bill takes, from an idea to a signed law. You will see how regular people can shape this process at every stage.
Crash Course — How a Bill Becomes a Law (#9)
Schoolhouse Rock — I'm Just a Bill Texas Tribune — Texas Legislature 101A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke
45 min lesson
Objectives: Identify key stages a bill passes through, Describe how the Texas Legislature process differs from federal, Explain how Houston city ordinances are adopted, Recognize points where community members can influence the process
2
A bill is just a story about how the world should work, written in a very specific language. Once you learn that language, you hold the power to shape the story.
Reading and Understanding Legislation
Bills can look confusing, but they follow a pattern. This module teaches you how to decode the language of legislation so you can understand what a bill actually does. Once you can read a bill, no one can mislead you about what it says.
Congress.gov — Explore a Bill Congress.gov — The Legislative Process Overview ABA — Five Tips for Reading LegislationRead All About It (Part III) — Emeli Sande
40 min lesson
Objectives: Identify the basic structure of a bill, Distinguish between shall and may in legislative language, Read strikethrough and underline formatting, Use Congress.gov and Texas Legislature Online to track bills
3
A budget is a moral document. Show me a budget and I'll show you who you think matters and who you think does not.
— Adapted from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Raphael Warnock
The Budget Is a Moral Document
Every government budget tells a story about what a community values most. This module shows you how to follow the money in public budgets and understand who benefits. When you can read a budget, you can hold leaders accountable.
Shari Davis — Participatory Budgeting (TED) NASBO — State Budget Basics Video Series International Budget Partnership — Citizens' GuideAlright — Kendrick Lamar
50 min lesson
Objectives: Explain why budgets reflect community priorities, Navigate USAspending.gov and local budget documents, Identify key budget categories at federal state and city levels, Describe how participatory budgeting empowers residents
4
The most powerful person in a government hearing isn't always the one behind the desk. Sometimes it's the person who stepped up to the microphone.
Testimony and Public Comment
Your voice matters in government meetings, and this module teaches you how to use it. Learn how to prepare and deliver powerful public testimony at city council, county meetings, and legislative hearings.
Public Comment 101 — Effective Testimonies Houstonia — How to Attend Houston City Council Walk and Roll Houston — Speak at City CouncilRise Up — Andra Day
45 min practical
Objectives: Describe the rules for speaking at Houston City Council, Structure a 2-minute testimony with a clear ask and personal story, Identify differences between public comment and committee testimony, Practice delivering testimony confidently
5
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
— African proverb
Coalition Building
No one changes the world alone. This module shows you how to build strong coalitions — groups of people and organizations working together toward a shared goal. Learn how to find allies, build trust, and create partnerships that last.
Betsy Hoover — The Power of Organizing (TEDx)
Marshall Ganz — Story of Self Us and Now Commons Library — Coalition Building: Start HereLean on Me — Bill Withers
50 min lesson
Objectives: Define what a coalition is and why they are powerful, Identify potential coalition partners across sectors, Apply the public narrative framework to build shared purpose, Manage disagreements and maintain coalition unity
6
The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
— Ferdinand Foch
Media and Messaging
Great ideas need great communication to succeed. This module teaches you how to craft a message that moves people to action and how to use media to amplify your advocacy. Learn to tell stories that change minds.
Nancy Duarte — Secret Structure of Great Talks (TED) Leading Change — Public Narrative: Self Us Now Commons Library — Framing Equality ToolkitGlory — Common and John Legend
45 min lesson
Objectives: Apply Story of Self Us and Now to craft an advocacy message, Identify effective framing: values villain vision and vehicle, Create a one-page messaging guide, Describe strategies for earned media and social media
7
Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
— Audre Lorde
Sustaining the Work
Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint. This final module helps you build habits that keep you strong for the long haul. Learn about self-care for activists, long-game strategy, and how to stay motivated when change feels slow.
Yana Buhrer Tavanier — Recover from Activism Burnout (TED) Racquel Armstrong — 5 Minutes of Self-Care (TED) New Tactics — Self-Care for ActivistsThree Little Birds — Bob Marley
40 min reflective
Objectives: Recognize signs of activist burnout, Develop a personal sustainability plan, Apply long-game thinking with milestones and small wins, Identify practices for sustaining energy over time
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