2026 NASW-IL Lobby Leaders Program

Looking for social work student leaders!

Essential to the success of our annual Advocacy Day is the NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders Program. This one-day program will train individuals how to effectively lobby, become familiar with local state senate and house representatives and other elected officials, and understand how to navigate advocacy tools to effectively represent social work priorities. On Advocacy Day, newly trained

NASW-IL Lobby Leaders will help educate and lead social workers through the state capitol to scheduled meetings with their senate and house legislators. They will also serve as the point person for these meetings.

All applicants will be notified of their selection by April 1, 2026. NASW-IL Lobby Leaders will be responsible for their own reliable transportation to and from Springfield and the Illinois State Capitol Building.

For more about Advocacy Day, visit our Advocacy Day website: https://www.naswil.org/advocacy-day

LOBBY LEADER REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a current social work student at an accredited school of social work or a graduate of a social work program.

• Have reliable transportation to and from Springfield

• Attend the full-day NASW-IL Lobby Leader Training on Tuesday, April 14, 2026

• Lead groups as NASW-IL Lobby Leaders at Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 15, 2026

• Join via Zoom live virtually or watch a recording of our Pre-Advocacy Day training on Monday, April 6th from 12:00–12:30pm CT. This training will provide an overview of the bills we’ll be lobbying for during Advocacy Day.

NASW-IL Lobby Leaders will receive:

• Breakfast and lunch on Tuesday, April 14th

• Complimentary lodging the evening of Tuesday, April 14th (includes free hotel buffet breakfast on April 15th)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 9:00am CT on Monday, March 30, 2026

LOBBY LEADER TRAINING VENUE & LODGING:

Hilton Garden Inn Springfield, South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62703

Advocacy Day Venue: Illinois State Capitol Building, Springfield, IL

LOBBY LEADER IMPORTANT DATES:

• Monday, April 6th: Pre-Advocacy Day virtual training 12:00–12:30pm CT

• Tuesday, April 14th: Lobby Leader in-person training, 10:00am–5:00pm at Hilton Garden Inn Springfield, IL

• Wednesday, April 15th: Advocacy Day, 8:00am–3:00pm (exact times will be dependent on appointments with legislators)

Questions? Contact NASW-IL Social Work Intern Gabrielle Bretz: gbretz.naswil@socialworkers.org