Penn State launched a new university-wide advocacy initiative this week that will replace the previous program, the Penn State Grassroots Network. “Advocate Penn State” encourages Penn State supporters to share their stories with elected officials and, as the name implies, advocate for Penn State.

“Think of Advocate Penn State as a megaphone that you’ll share with thousands and thousands of fellow Penn Staters,” Zack Moore, Penn State’s vice president for government and community relations, said in a release. “The more supporters who step up and share their stories, the more effective we will be in making sure that our university continues to grow and thrive.” 

State advocacy efforts continue to prove vital for Penn State, securing level state appropriations funding in 2017 and a 3 percent funding increase in 2018. Moore’s office will take the lead on the new initiative, which is meant to build on the work of the Alumni Association.

“We try to make being an advocate for Penn State as simple as possible,” Moore said. “Anyone who cares about Penn State can become an advocate in just a couple of minutes.”

Advocate Penn State aims to teach Penn Staters about the university, its legislative goals, and how to talk to legislators to help improve the Penn State community. Students are even folded into the mix through a new affiliate organization, Lion Caucus.

The organization’s mission is to engage students with elected officials at all levels (local, state, and federal), and educate them about issues and legislation and their impact on students.

“Advocate Penn State is a new network that allows students, parents, alumni, and friends, to stay updated on important happenings in our state and federal capitols,” Lion Caucus President Zach Robinson said. “It also enables this same coalition of Penn Staters to advocate for the university as a whole when necessary.”

Anyone interested in becoming a part of Advocate Penn State can learn more online here.

“There are over 358,000 alumni living in the Commonwealth alone,” Moore said. “That, combined with nearly 40,000 Penn State employees and close to 100,000 students across all the campuses leaves us with no shortage of people who can speak out. We’d love to see many more Penn Staters get involved in supporting our university.”