The Stay Work Play (SWP) Advocacy Network is a statewide network of volunteers who share a passion for improving the lives of young people in New Hampshire through policy, civic engagement, and community building. The goal of the SWP Advocacy Network is to engage and train young people to advocate for issues/bills/policies that impact young people--to give young people a voice in our state’s decision making process.Are you interested in making sure New Hampshire is the best state in the country for young people to thrive? Are you interested in building community with your peers? Join the SWP Advocacy Network!

Having trouble completing the form? Have additional questions that are not answered on this page? Contact Will at will@stayworkplay.org. 

Why should I sign up?

One of the best parts of living in New Hampshire is the ability to make real and systemic change at the local and statewide level. In NH, you are a big fish in a small pond and can make a real difference. Your voice matters!! By signing up for the SWP Advocacy Network you are essentially choosing your own advocacy adventure to improve your community and your state. After you complete the form, one our regional leads for the advocacy network will reach out to you using your preferred method of communication to provide more information and answer any questions you have regarding the Advocacy Network.

I’m already really busy, what exactly am I signing up for?

SWP will ask those who self-select to be part of the Advocacy Network community to be active for only six months each year (during the legislative session from January-June) and each individual gets to decide how active they would like to be. During this time volunteer advocates will commit as much time as they are able and willing. SWP asks that volunteers commit at least three hours a month to the SWP Advocacy Network during the six-month period of engagement. There’s no financial payment or stipend for this work and regional leads will never ask you to do more than you are willing or comfortable with which makes the SWP Advocacy Network an easy and stress-free way to get your feet wet in advocacy and civic engagement. Regional leads will provide you with everything you need to be successful at whatever level of advocacy you decide to take on.

What are the differences between a Regional Lead and an Advocate?

Advocate: SWP Advocates are volunteers who share a commitment to the values and policies of SWP and its policy pillars. Advocates are committed to supporting SWP policy positions through a variety of actions that are designed to influence the voting of their local State Representatives and State Senators.Actions should include but are not limited to:

  • Signing and collecting signatures for online petitions

  • Submitting written testimony

  • Completing letter/email writing campaigns

  • Creating and sharing testimonial videos

  • Submitting Letters to the Editor

  • Providing virtual video testimony on legislation *In-person testimony when safe to do so*

Regional Lead: A Regional Lead serves as a liaison and organizational manager for the Stay Work Play Advocacy Network. Each of the nine regions should have one or more Regional Leads.The Regional Lead(s) will be tasked with the following:

  • Engage with the SWP Advocacy Network in their assigned region once the current SWP legislative priorities have been established. Regional Leads communicate legislative priorities for each of the SWP policy pillars.

  • Develop a plan for how to activate their regional SWP advocates and utilize their advocates' skills in the most effective way possible--phone calls, letters to the editor, testimony at the State House, etc. This plan should be devised in collaboration with the SWP Executive Director and the Advocacy Network leads.

  • Provide their regional volunteer advocates with policy summaries and talking points created in collaboration with the Advocacy Committee and the SWP Board of Directors.

  • Follow up with regional volunteers to support them in their advocacy, answer questions, and ensure that advocates follow through on their committed actions.

Regions

  • Greater Concord

  • Greater Manchester

  • Greater Nashua

  • Lakes Region

  • Monadnock

  • Mount Washington Valley

  • North Country

  • Seacoast

  • Upper Valley