Advocacy in Action

A statewide student conference (also known as the Fall General Assembly) that brings college students across the state together to build collective action, learn about advocacy and policy, and gain confidence in their professional skills.

Join us Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November 8th for our first ever Advocacy in Action Conference in collaboration with our friends at Students United and the Minnesota State Systems Office.

This conference is for the students of the 7 Minnesota State Universities, and students of the 26 Minnesota State Community and Technical Colleges.

Advocacy in Action provides opportunities for the MinnState Community to come together, build student power, and grow our collective voice!

Attendees will be able to talk through advocacy issues, learn critical professional development skills, and work with one another to identify issues impacting them for this upcoming legislative session.

There will be panel discussions from Minnesota State legislators; workshops on storytelling, advocacy and organization; and a keynote address from State Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten, who served on the Minnesota Higher Education Committee.

Registration is open! Registration closes on October 31st or when we reach capacity. spots are limited, so register early. University Students can register on Students United website.

LeadMN has two hotel blocks reserved for students and advisors traveling to the event. Each hotel has 20 rooms available. All rooms are the same rate of $139/night. The deadline for the block registration rate is October 6, 2025.

Hampton Inn (This hotel has both double-bed rooms and single-bed rooms)
9470 W Broadway, Brooklyn Park, MN
Use this link to book: Lead MN – Hampton Inn
Home2 Suites (This hotel only has single-bed rooms available)
9490 W Broadway, Brooklyn Park, MN
Use this link to book: Lead MN – Home2 Suites

Event Details

Date: November 7 -8, 2025
Time: 1pm to 7pm (Friday) and 9am to 4pm (Saturday)
Location: North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

Advocacy in Action Schedule

DAY 1: Friday, November 7th

Scones and Student Loans – 10AM-12PM

Join Students United, Protect Borrowers, and LeadMN on Friday, November 7th at 10AM for a timely discussion on the state of federal student loans and what states and cities can do to support local borrowers. Registration is required. Register here.

Registration, Headshots & Lunch begins – 1PM – 2PM

Networking hour with an option to get your headshot taken! Boxed lunch and refreshments available.

Welcome Address – 2-2:25PM

Paul Shepherd, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Minnesota State Systems Office

Students United and LeadMN State Chair & President

Chancellor Scott Olson, Minnesota State, Welcome Video

Breakout Sessions Round 1 – 2:30-3:25PM

Advocacy 101: Dive into the basic tenets of advocacy and their applications and gain an understanding of individual and group power in affecting change.

Find Your Voice in Public Speaking: Overcome anxiety around public speaking and develop a confident speaking style. This workshop provides techniques to enhance your presence, improve public speaking skills, and communicate with impact.

Overcoming Barriers to Change: Creating change doesn’t come without its limitations. Learn how to push past the barriers to create change in your community while maintaining positive partnerships.

Art and Craft of Storytelling: Learn storytelling techniques and frameworks to identify, craft, and share your story. Whether you are interested in writing your own story, crafting a story for a project, or creating stories to inspire action, this course will develop your skills in organizing, describing, and writing your narrative.

From Campus to Capitol – Navigating State Government to Support Higher Education: In this session, participants will learn about how state universities are funded and how students can play a leading role at the Capitol and on campus. Hosted by Mark Grant, Director of Governmental Relations for Minnesota State College Faculty.

Information Session on the Capitol Pathways Program with Citizen’s League Executive Director Joke Loesch: The Capitol Pathways Program: Capitol Pathways is a program for students of color interested in public service at the state capitol. This session will provide an opportunity for interested students to talk directly to students who have participated in the program and learn about the application process.

Building your Power: From Idea to Action Making Change at the Minnesota Capitol with Ed Allies’ Executive Director Josh Crosson: Change doesn’t happen overnight! In this session, Ed Allies Executive Director Josh Crosson will share insights into multi-year campaigns to make meaningful policy change at the Capitol and beyond.

Know Your Tenant Rights with HOME Line’s Supervising Attorney Amarilis Shick: Many college students are renters who face unfair and unlawful treatment. This session will cover the specific protections you have as a renter and how you can advocate for yourself if a landlord is breaking the law.

Keynote Speaker: Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten – 3:30-4:25PM

Policy & Advocacy Presentation – 4:30-6PM

With a panel from state legislators: Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (District 53A), Rep. Bernie Perryman (District 14A), Rep. Sandra Feist (District 39B) and Rep. Anquam Mahamoud (District 62B).

Dinner – 6PM–8PM

DAY 2: Saturday, November 8th

Breakfast available – 8AM-9AM

Breakout Session 2: 9:15-10:10AM

LeadMN Regional Meeting: More information to come!

Sulfide Mining in MN with Friends of the Boundary Water’s Government Relations Manager Steve Schulz: Learn about the process of sulfide mining, its possible impacts, and how Minnesotans are working to protect the Minnesota’s crown jewel.

Protect Borrowers: Stay tuned for a description of this session!

How Organizers Build Power with COPAL’s Lead Organizer Sarah Atliano: Learn from an organizer how to identify issues that affect your community, build a movement, and make the change you want to see.

Building Community from the Ground Up with College Possible’s Stella Vang: Learn from an expert in community building how to build trust and collaboration with people you don’t know with College Possible.

Breakout Session 3: 10:20-11:15AM

Advocacy 201: Learn the essential elements and best practices of legislative outreach and engagement and dive into the power of storytelling in advancing policy goals.

Building Meaningful Connections Through Mentorship: Great leaders lift others up. Explore the value of mentorship, learn how to seek out mentors, and then develop skills to support and guide others in their leadership journey.

Foundations of Organizing on Your Campus: Learn Your Role: Develop key skills to enact change on your campus. Learn your role as an organizer and how to take your passions from theory to practice. By the end of this workshop you will gain a better understanding of the leadership and advocacy skills needed to create impact in your community.

Become a Better Writer: Foundations of Writing & Editing: Gain greater confidence in your writing and editing skills. This workshop will review grammar, sentence structure and tools as well as how to effectively edit and proofread your writing to help you become a better writer.

Your Vote, Your Voice with CommonCause MN’s Policy and Civic Engagement Manager Emma Rage: Learn about how CommonCause protects the right to vote, fair representation, and improves government accountability and cooperation in a partisan climate.

Farm to School Programs with Land Stewardship Project’s Government Relations Director Laura Schreiber: Minnesota has robust funding for K-12/ farm partnerships. Learn about current laws and programs and discuss how college students can get farm fresh food on your campuses.

How Federal Changes Affect Food Access with Second Harvest Heartlands Public Affairs Manager Sophie Wallerstedt: Learn about recent federal changes that impact food assistance for college students and opportunities for students to advocate for basic needs support.

Minnesota Alliance with Youth: The Minnesota Youth Council with Rigel Bloome: Learn about opportunities with the Minnesota Youth Council, a legislatively created Council made up of students across the state who are interested in changemaking just like you.

Lunch–11:15-12PM

Policy Platform Breakouts –12PM-4PM

**Snacks provided at 2:30

Meet the Presenters

Meet the presenters and partners leading workshops, panels, keynote speeches, and more. Click on the name of the presenters to learn more.

Day One Presenters

Dr. Paul Shepherd

Dr. Paul Shepherd serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management for Minnesota State. In this role, Paul leads system-wide student success initiatives, collaborates with campus leaders, and works with the statewide student associations that represent Minnesota State students. Paul has spent his entire career working in higher education in positions that are directly connected to student success and is passionate about creating inclusive campus communities that provide student centered networks of support. Paul earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership and researched the relationship between college student engagement, socioeconomic status, and persistence to degree completion. In addition to his role at Minnesota State, Paul has served as an adjunct faculty member in graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, University of Wisconsin – River Falls, and St. Cloud State University teaching higher education administration, student success, and leadership. Paul is passionate about working collaboratively to build student-ready campus communities focused on equity, inclusion, and student success.

Mark Grant

Mark Grant is a graduate of Minnesota State University Mankato, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. He has built a diverse career in marketing, advertising, and education – working in major cities across the globe including Minneapolis, Portugal, Madrid, and London. With 27 years of experience teaching Communication Studies in the Minnesota State college system, Mark has a deep passion for higher education. Currently, he also serves as the Director of Governmental Relations for Minnesota State College Faculty, where he advocates for the needs of faculty and students at the state level.

Jake Loesch

Jake Loesch joined the Citizens League as Executive Director in September 2023. Jake’s professional experience closely mirrors the League’s work: leaning into complex conversations, encouraging healthy debate among differing viewpoints, and working toward achievable solutions. He has worked at nearly all levels of government and built broad coalitions to engage diverse audiences and find common ground, most recently leading communications and public engagement at the Minnesota Department of Transportation

Josh Crosson

As Executive Director, Josh leads the organization’s efforts to ensure that all Minnesota students, especially those from historically underserved communities, have access to an excellent education. Josh began his career in Washington, D.C., where he turned his passion for public policy and systems change into a fulfilling vocation. He first worked at the Human Rights Campaign, where he spearheaded student outreach initiatives and expanded the organization’s mission to include LGBTQ+ students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Josh then spent five years on Capitol Hill, writing legislation and advising his hometown congressman, Rep. Adam Smith (WA-9), on critical issues such as labor, healthcare, budget, and tax policy.

Amarilis Shick

Amarilis is a Supervising Attorney for HOME Line, serving both English and Spanish speaking callers. She has ample experience working as a trial attorney in housing court, a translator, a union organizer, and on hotlines both in Boston, MA and the Twin Cities. A native of Puerto Rico, she has a BA in International Relations from Boston University, and a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Her legal areas of interest include Employment, Landlord/Tenant, and Immigration Law.

Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten

Clare Oumou Verbeten is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate for the 66th district since 2023.

Day Two Presenters

Steve Schultz

Steve Schultz was Minnesota Program Coordinator at Friends of the Boundary Waters from 2014 until 2022. His scope of work included Clean Water Action’s Water Programs at the state, local, and federal level focusing on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, water infrastructure, and the strengthening the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.

Sarah Atliano

Sarah Atliano works as Lead Organizer at COPAL. In her role, she organizes statewide campaigns for social change, especially in immigrant communities.

Stella Vang

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Emma Rage

Emma Rage is the Policy and Civic Engagement Manager at CommonCause MN, which champions concrete, pro-democracy reforms that break down barriers to participation, promote accountability, and ensure that each of us has a voice.

Laura Schreiber

Laura is passionate about creating a more diverse, resilient and just global food system, Laura knew that to create real change she needed to organize in her community and build the power of Minnesotans across the state to achieve the type of food system that people and the land need.

As Land Stewardship Project’s government relations director, Laura serves as the organization’s primary and consistent face with legislative and administrative decision-makers in and around the Minnesota Capitol.

Sophie Wallerstedt

Sophie is the Public Affairs Manager for Second Harvest Heartland, Minnesota’s largest food bank. In this role, she dedicates her efforts to ending hunger through legislative and administrative policy change.

She has an extensive background in grassroots advocacy and public policy- especially concerning health care access and Medicaid. Prior to working at Second Harvest Heartland, she was the Health & Health Care Policy Advisor for the Office of Governor Tim Walz and has almost 10 years of experience working in and around the Minnesota State Capitol.

Rigel Bloome

Rigel once took 3rd place in a county fair partial beard competition. They play drums in several local bands and organize musicians with Twin Cities United Performers. Rigel is looking forward to their oldest child participating in Youth in Government, a conference they’ve been part of for over a decade. They enjoy working with supporting the Minnesota Youth Council in building the power of youth voice across the state!