Join NASW-IL for a day of social work advocacy in our state capital!
2025 NASW-ILLINOIS CHAPTER ADVOCACY DAY
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
This year's NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Day will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Springfield, IL. Come learn about current emerging issues in the state of Illinois as well as up-to-the-minute legislation currently up for vote in Illinois. Unite your voices with hundreds of other social work colleagues on issues that affect the social work profession! Registration deadline is 9am on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
Advocacy Day attendees will be split up by their senate and house districts and led by an NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leader to meetings at the Illinois State Capitol building with their elected officials. Participants will be expected to attend a 30-minute pre-event virtual training that will briefly walk you through the anticipated bills up for vote the week of Advocacy Day; those who cannot participate in the live training will be able to access a recording of training. At Advocacy Day, participants will be trained by NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders on effective lobbying strategies before heading to the capitol to meet with state legislators. Check back with the "Get Ready for Advocacy Day" section of our Advocacy Day page in the coming weeks and months as presenters, factsheets, action alerts, and more are uploaded.
ADVOCACY DAY EVENTS DETAILS
Pre-Advocacy Day Training
Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
Time: 12:00–12:30pm via Zoom*
*A recording will be made available to all who cannot participate live virtually.
Participation in our pre-Advocacy Day training to learn about the bills you’ll be advocating for on Advocacy Day is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This 30-minute training will take place live virtually on Monday, March 31, 2025, from 12:00 to 12:30pm via Zoom. A recording of the training will also be made available to those who are unable to participate in the live training.
2024 NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Day Details
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time (tentative): 8:30am to 3:00pm (Exact times with legislators will be provided by Lobby Leaders on-site)
Meet-Up Point: Wyndham Springfield City Centre,700 E Adams St, Springfield, IL 62701
Lobbying at Capitol: Illinois State Capitol Building, 401 South 2nd Street, Springfield IL 62701
Cost: $5.00
Cancellation Policy: Please see registration form for cancellation policy.
Please note: CEUs are NOT available for this year's event.
Advocacy Day is a ZERO PROFIT event for the NASW-Illinois Chapter.
All fees cover a portion of the total costs.
REGISTRATION
Register to Vote/Update Your Voting Address
To ensure that your day of lobbying is as effective as possible, we encourage all participants who want to vote in Illinois to register to vote. If you are already registered to vote, check to make sure your voting record has the most up-to-date address on file. You can register to vote in Illinois and update or check on your voting address at: https://ova.elections.il.gov/
NOTE: If you aren't yet registered to vote in Illinois, aren't sure if you're registered to vote, or need to update your voting address, you can register to do so online now before February 9th or after February 27th. The below link will be valid through 11:59PM on April 9, 2025, at which point, you will be required to register in person at your local polling place through February 26, 2025. The link will reopen at 12:00am on February 27, 2025.
Register for Advocacy Day
Registration Deadline: 9am Central Time on Tuesday, April 1, 2025*
*Registrants received after deadline are not guaranteed to be placed in groups to meet with their direct legislators.
Looking for group registration? In order to get as accurate information as possible about each registrant to maximize advocating efficacy on the day of the event, we ask that you please have students individually register using the above link. Schools who prefer to pre-pay for their students can reach out with the expected number of students participating in the event, and we can send an invoice for payment to allow for students from pre-paid schools/programs to register for free.
NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders Program
New to this year's Advocacy Day is our NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders
Program. This one-day program will train individuals on effective lobbying
techniques, their local state senate and house representatives and other elected
officials, and how to navigate advocacy tools to effectively represent social work
priorities. To learn more about the NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders
Program and apply, click here.