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• Is there a social justice issue you really care about?
• Do you want to learn how to make change in your community?
• Are you ready to move from talking about these issues to gaining skills that will help you take action and be an agent of change?

The Center for Civic Engagement offers a variety of programs to help you explore social justice issues, develop advocacy skills, and take action. Our advocacy work focuses on providing leadership and support for social and environmental issues impacting our many communities. We collaborate with campus and community organizations to help raise awareness and address the pressing matters of our time. From meeting with students one-on-one, leading our annual Advocacy Month, and hosting Civic Dinners, the CCE provides students the opportunity to learn, develop, and implement important advocacy skills and tactics. The CCE has opportunities for all students interested in making a positive impact on their communities.

Advocacy Month

Salem State’s Annual Advocacy Month is 31 days of programming during March where students learn about social justice issues and gain activist skills. The month includes workshops, opportunities to engage in advocacy, and learn and network with local advocates. Social justice issues addressed in previous years have included: immigration, voting rights, women’s rights, economic and housing justice, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights, among others. This annual program began as Advocacy Day in 2017,  became Advocacy Week in 2021, and in 2022 was officially Advocacy Month.

Learn about our 2024 Advocacy Month -- Reimagining the world: AS IT IS, AS IT SHOULD BE, THE SPACE BETWEEN.

Advocacy Month programs are open to the public. are open to the public. Please contact the Center for Civic Engagement if you, your organization, or your school are interested in attending.

Advocacy Education

The Center for Civic Engagement provides curricular and co-curricular programming around advocacy and social justice through classroom workshops, talks, panels, and consultations to create advocacy plans. Learn more about advocacy education opportunities:

Advocacy in the Classroom Workshops

• Students identify social justice issues they are passionate about
• Students recognize personal strengths and how to apply them to advocate for change
• Students discover how to become engaged in the community
• Students identify their elected officials and learn how to effectively utilize them in the advocacy process

Talks and Panels

• Featuring local representatives and other advocacy experts to educate students on advocacy issues

Advocacy Plan Consulting

• Students or student organizations can meet one-on-one with a member of the Center to develop a plan to advocate for a change in their community. Contact the Center to schedule a consultation.

Civic Dinner Series

In the Fall of 2021 the Center for Civic Engagement launched their Civic Dinner Series. This series provides students with the opportunity to network and learn from local advocates, community leaders, and their peers on important social and environmental issues over a catered meal. These dinners were developed to help students build community and social capital with folks who care about addressing similar community challenges. This series includes four dinners an academic year. Past dinners have focused on mental health, racial justice, food and housing security, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, disability advocacy, reproductive justice, sexual violence prevention and survivor advocacy and more.

Just-in-time Advocacy 

Just-in-time Advocacy responds to issues that arise on campus, in our local, national, and global communities through advocacy education and outreach. Initiatives have included postcard parties, petitions, large scale events, and discussions with elected officials. Please contact the CCE to share ideas for current issues we can respond to with just-in-time advocacy.

Contact your Elected Officials

One way to be an effective advocate is by contacting your elected officials to express your views and concerns for issues you care about. These officials are elected to represent you when making decisions about laws, services, and budgets. In order to accurately represent you, they need to hear from you to understand your values and issues that are important to you. You can do this by writing a letter, making a phone call, sending an email, or even scheduling a time to meet with them in person!