Overview
Developing initiative and self-advocacy builds personal confidence and empowers students to manage their needs effectively. It helps them become their own advocates for positive change, communication, and resilience. Students learn persistence, motivation, and how to align their efforts with their goals while effectively seeking support and managing their commitments.
Objectives
Students should be able to:
- Explain what it means to take initiative and identify what this looks like in a range of contexts;
- Define self-advocacy and identify what this looks like in a range of contexts;
- Organize steps for taking initiative in a specific area, and
- Implement strategies of self-advocacy especially in the context of reaching personal and academic goals.
Introductory Questions
- How comfortable are you asking for what you need or want? Does it depend on the setting? If so, how?
- What does it mean to take initiative? Is this something you regularly do in your life?
- What does self-advocacy mean? What situations require you to advocate for yourself?
- How do you think the skills of taking initiative and advocating for self impact one’s success in school, personal life, and career?
Suggested Class Sequence(s)
Class sequences are connected topics with activities, worksheets, and readings which take two or more days of class to complete.
Sequence on Taking Initiative and Self-Advocacy
This sequence supports students in developing initiative and self-advocacy through a range of reflections, activities, and discussions.
Videos
Short videos help tap into multiple modes of learning and can provide a good introduction to a topic. Use captioning when possible.
- Self Advocacy Skills – Self Advocacy Strategies (3:05, cc available)
Video offers a step-wise approach to self-advocacy. - Know your Rights: A Guide for Self-Advocates (7:04, cc available)
An animated video that discusses a person’s rights to communication, relationships, homelife, and citizenship. - The power of advocacy (11:41, cc available)
A TED talk featuring Xiomara Torres, who has gone from undocumented immigrant to recently-elected Multnomah County, explores the idea of advocacy unlocking potential and possibility. - How to be Proactive in Life (Proactive vs Reactive) (4:57, cc)
This animated video goes over how to be proactive in life, the difference between proactive and reactive, and the benefits of being proactive. - The Secret to Self-Advocacy (18:13, cc)
In this TED talk, Bhavana Bartholf examines why self-advocacy can be challenging for women at work and in life; video discusses steps to overcome fears and find the courage to ask for what they want.
Readings
All readings should be paired with a structure or protocol, especially if any reading will be completed in class.
- The Power of Self-Advocacy: Unleashing Your True Potential
This webpage discusses how self-advocacy empowers individuals to assert their needs and shape their lives, fostering personal growth and stronger relationships. - Taking the initiative. What characterizes leaders?
This article by Bruttal and Fischbacher documents how taking initiative is key to leadership and job success, as shown by a game linking leadership traits to real-life behaviors. Leaders exhibit efficiency, generosity, patience, and an internal locus of control.
Activities
Activities include individual or group tasks that can be completed in less than one class period; some activities may be repeated in a sequence and are re-listed here for ease of access.
- Graduation Ladder: Identify and Visualize
Students identify and visualize steps required to successfully graduate from high school (or college) and brainstorm resources they may need to advocate for - Operation Hero: Taking Initiative
Students reflect on their values and select an initiative-building activity that aligns with their values. This activity guides students from this point of ideation to planning and executing a short-term activity that builds initiative. - Operation Lead: Scenes of Self-Advocacy
In this activity, students engage in role play and explore what self-advocacy looks like in a range of scenarios. Instructors can modify or create new scenarios to increase student connection and engagement.
Resources
- Teaching Self-Advocacy Skills to High School Students
This post contains a no-prep activity that educators can use to teach self-advocacy skills, discuss related skills, and provide resources for further exploration. - Advocacy Simulations
This resource allows students to research, present, and justify opinions and recommendations in service of advocating for people in need of support. The activities presented can be done as a bridge to a more involved group project or advocacy presentation or as a way of inspiring deeper discussions about advocacy. - 1 Advocacy 101 Overview
In this lesson, students explore various ways they can ensure their voices are heard on issues important to them. Students role play different modes of political activity and reflect on ways to work for change. - 4 Steps for Stronger Self-Advocacy
This page gives four detailed steps that students can follow become stronger self-advocates - College Student Narratives about Learning and Using
This article discusses how self-advocacy, crucial for academic success and college adaptation, is learned from family and educators. A study of students with disabilities shows they use these skills proactively, reactively, and retrospectively. - Creating Meaning by Taking Initiative: Proactive Work Behavior Fosters Work Meaningfulness
This article discusses how proactive work behavior enhances work meaningfulness, especially when future job unpredictability is high. Studies show this effect is independent of benefits to others and emphasizes the role of proactive behavior in job satisfaction.
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