Social change is an often slow, grueling process. Advocacy – which means to act on behalf of a cause, an individual, or a community – is a key part of this process. It includes activities like holding protests, lobbying politicians, raising funds, and designing campaigns that raise awareness and outline specific actions. People have advocated on issues like civil rights, gender equality, healthcare, climate change, and much more. How can people become better advocates and create change? Here are 10 advocacy courses:<\/p>\n
#1. Speak Up! Advocating for Yourself and Others in Healthcare (Salisbury\/Maryland University)<\/a> Note: Course fees are subject to change. <\/em><\/p>\n Do you or people you know feel nervous about speaking up in a healthcare setting? Whether it\u2019s asking clarifying questions about care or addressing something uncomfortable, many people struggle with communication. This course helps you learn to advocate for yourself and others in settings like doctor\u2019s offices, hospitals, and clinics.<\/p>\n This is a beginner course, so no prerequisites are needed. Course materials include videos, readings, worksheets, and optional homework assignments. At the time of writing, the course was archived, so graded materials aren\u2019t available. When you spend 2-5 hours per week on the course, it should take about 4 weeks to finish it.<\/p>\n What is social work and what role does it play in social justice? You\u2019ll explore these questions and more during this course. You\u2019ll also learn about the history of social work, current challenges, and how social workers support resilience for individuals, families, and communities. The course is part of the \u201cSocial Work: Practice, Policy, and Research\u201d MasterTrack Certificate Program.<\/p>\n With 3 hours of work per week, you can complete this course in about 4 weeks. Course materials include videos, discussion forums, readings, practice quizzes, and four graded quizzes. Each is worth 25% of your grade, though you\u2019ll need to pay for the certificate to access graded assignments. Subtitles are available in languages like Arabic, French, Vietnamese, Russian, and English.<\/p>\n Advocacy is a skill that takes practice. In this course, which is taught by Dereca Blackmon, the CEO of Inclusion Design Group, you\u2019ll learn how to harness your strengths and become an advocate in your company or organization. You\u2019ll learn what needs to be done to create lasting change.<\/p>\n This short course is for beginners, so no previous knowledge is needed. It consists of an introduction and four short video modules. There\u2019s also one exercise file and four quizzes. To access the course and get your certificate, you\u2019ll need to pay around $35.<\/p>\n This course is designed for anyone who wants to create social change through entrepreneurship or with an organization. You\u2019ll gain the knowledge and skills needed to understand social innovation and its various pathways. The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship and RLaws, a Cape Town-based social movement, co-created the course.<\/p>\n This course is divided into 6 weeks and takes about 20 hours to complete. It\u2019s a beginner level, so no previous knowledge is required. Course materials include videos, readings, quizzes, peer assessments, case studies, and more. The course is free, so you can access all materials. A certificate costs around $40. Subtitles are available in languages like Arabic, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and English.<\/p>\n The effects of climate change are becoming impossible to ignore. Floods, droughts, extreme weather events, and more threaten the environment and human health and life. This course studies the relationship between climate change and human rights, including how they influence each other and how improving one improves the other.<\/p>\n This beginner course is divided into 3 weeks with just 1 hour of study per week. Course materials include videos, articles, quizzes, and discussions. With the free option, you have limited access to materials. If you want to learn at your own speed and get a certificate after finishing the course, you can pay a $40 fee.<\/p>\n Sexual harassment and violence have gained more attention in recent years, but how does society end them? What can people do at home, at work, and in society at large? This course teaches you how to be an active bystander who can respond to sexual harassment and violence. It relies on disciplines like social psychology, law, business studies, public policy, and more to help you learn what to do.<\/p>\n This course takes 6 weeks with 4-6 hours of work per week. This is a beginner\u2019s course, so you don\u2019t need previous knowledge or classwork. Materials include videos, readings, and quizzes. When you take the free audit track, you have limited access to materials. A $99 fee gets you a certificate and unlimited course access.<\/p>\n Climate change has been accelerating for decades. Countries have made commitments to change, but how do commitments become action? This course is designed for students with some knowledge of climate change, including graduate students, advanced undergrads, climate change activists, and sustainable development practitioners.<\/p>\n This course takes 10 weeks with 2-4 hours of study per week. It\u2019s an intermediate course, so you\u2019ll benefit most if you understand the basics of climate change and climate action. Materials include videos, readings, questions, and discussion activities. You can audit the course for free, but if you want a certificate, you\u2019ll need to pay a $50 fee.<\/p>\n How did the Cold War impact society\u2019s view of the suburban, nuclear family? This course looks at this impact and how women\u2019s journey to equality was affected. You\u2019ll learn about gender equality, the breadwinner-homemaker system of beliefs, and the evolution of the feminist movement. This course is the last part of the “Women Have Always Worked\u201d edX MOOC.<\/p>\n This intermediate 7-part course takes about 12 weeks to finish with 2-3 hours of work per week. Course materials include videos, ungraded knowledge checks, discussion forums, and reflections. You can audit the course, but access is limited. Upgrading costs $50.<\/p>\n During this course, you\u2019ll hear from icons like Gloria Steinman and Loretta Ross and explore questions like what motivates people to become activists. You\u2019ll analyze the psychological theories that try to answer questions like this and learn why some people are drawn to social change. The course is framed around nine prominent women activists from the 1960s-1990s.<\/p>\n
\n#2. Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change (University of Michigan)<\/a>
\n#3. Advocating for Change in Your Organization (LinkedIn Learning)<\/a>
\n#4. Becoming a Changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (University of Capetown)<\/a>
\n#5. Championing Change: Human Rights and the Climate Crisis (Amnesty International)<\/a>
\n#6. Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment and Violence (Jesus College Cambridge)<\/a>
\n#7. Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet (SDGAcademyX)<\/a>
\n#8. Fighting for Equality: 1950-2018 (Columbia University)<\/a>
\n#9. Psychology of Political Activism: Women Changing the World (Smith College)<\/a>
\n#10. ESG and Social Activism (University of Pennsylvania)<\/a><\/p>\n#1. <\/strong>Speak Up! Advocating for Yourself and Others in Healthcare (Salisbury\/Maryland University) <\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#2. <\/strong>Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change (University of Michigan) <\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#3. <\/strong>Advocating for Change in Your Organization (LinkedIn Learning) <\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#4. <\/strong>Becoming a Changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (University of Capetown)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#5. <\/strong>Championing Change: Human Rights and the Climate Crisis (Amnesty International)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#6. <\/strong>Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment and Violence (Jesus College Cambridge) <\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#7. <\/strong>Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet (SDGAcademy)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#8. <\/strong>Fighting for Equality: 1950-2018 (Columbia University)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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#9. <\/strong>Psychology of Political Activism: Women Changing the World (Smith College)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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