Advocacy 101: Getting Started with Policy Engagement
Learn essential knowledge on policymaking and core strategies to advance or defend your policy priorities.
Advocacy 101 is a foundational skill-building course designed to introduce public health and health professionals to the fundamentals of policy advocacy. Through interactive lectures and expert instructors, this skill-building session will equip learners with essential knowledge on policymaking and core strategies to advance or defend their policy priorities.
Upcoming session: April 6, 2026 - April 24, 2026
Register by March 20.
Early bird discount extension: Register before February 21 using code ADVO101EB to receive a 15% tuition discount.
Course Details:
- 100% virtual
- Non-credit/non-degree course
- Weekly content
- One 90-minute live session each week on Zoom
- Week 1: April 9 from 12:30-2:00pm ET
- Week 2: April 16 from 12:30-2:00pm ET
- Week 3: April 23 from 12:30-2:00pm ET
- ~1 hour of asynchronous content to complete outside of live sessions
- One 90-minute live session each week on Zoom
Course Includes:
- Expert instructors
- Online learning portal
- Continuing education credits available*
Who Should Register:
Public health and health professionals interested in understanding the basics of public health advocacy and how to identify various tactics and strategies to maximize the impact of their advocacy efforts.
Investment:
Tuition: $1,375
Early bird discount extension: Register before February 21 and receive 15% off of your tuition.
Use code ADVO101EB (valid until 2/21).
Johns Hopkins University alumni: Use code LCPHA15ALUM to receive a 15% tuition discount for this course (valid through 3/20).
Johns Hopkins employees may be eligible to use tuition remission for this noncredit course. Employees seeking to register using this benefit should email the Office of Online Education (JHOnline@jhmi.edu).
Learning Objectives:
- Define public health advocacy.
- Identify where to effectively direct advocacy efforts.
- Determine when advocacy efforts may be most strategic.
- Compare tools to further advocacy efforts.
- Prepare to effectively engage in public health advocacy.
Continuing Education
Course completers can receive:
- 8 Certified in Public Health (CPH) credits, approved by the National Board of Public Health Examiners
- Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH), pending approval by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
Meet Your Instructor
Spencer Cantrell, JD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Spencer Cantrell is currently the co-lead of the National Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) Resource Center at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. In this role, Cantrell trains and provides technical assistance to ERPO implementers nationwide and serves as a national expert and resource on extreme risk protection orders to law enforcement, attorneys, advocates, judges, healthcare providers, news media, and others.
Prior to her role at Johns Hopkins, Cantrell worked for over a decade in victim services and most recently served as the legal & advocacy director at the Greater Washington Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA), where she managed a team of attorneys and advocates to represent and assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. While at JCADA, Cantrell also worked on policy at the state and local levels as it affected victim-survivors. Cantrell has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina in women’s studies & international studies and her juris doctor from George Mason University’s School of Law.
Register by March 20
Contact: For questions, please contact Samantha Hilario, Education Program Officer at the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy.