COPAA State & Local Change Makers Academy
COPAA is proud to conduct State & Local Change Makers Academy to help grow the field of effective and knowledgeable systems change advocates. A certificate of completion is provided to students who pass the course requirements. All COPAA courses are designed utilizing universal design principles, as we have a deep commitment to equity and student success. If you want to discuss ADA accommodations before registering for a class, please click here.
State & Local Change Makers Academy is a 100% online eight-session course for parents and advocates beginning their journey or looking to deepen their capacity to affect policy and system change at the state and local level. The inaugural class will begin on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 10 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. EDT. Registration is coming soon! Coming Soon
Topics Covered: Advancing Civil Rights for Students with Disabilities, COPAA’s Current Role and Policy Priorities; People Power: Organizing for Change at the State & Local Level; Making Change at the State Level; Creating Impact at the Local Level: How to Tell a Compelling Story that Makes Your Case; Identifying Challenges and Opportunities in Self-Advocacy for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families and Students with Disabilities; Mastering Media for Maximum Impact; Making Change in Law and Policy.
Class Format: The class includes recorded weekly presentations, a mandatory once-weekly live class, interactive activities during the live class, one written assignment, one performative assignment, and several discussion forum activities. Every student is assigned a Teaching Assistant (TA) who provides personalized feedback on assignments and is available to answer clarifying questions in between class sessions. Classes are recorded and course materials are provided in advance (PDFs of the PPT used in a recording or live session, handouts, videos, etc.) to support student understanding and engagement. Please expect 3-5 hours of work a week (including class time).If that doesn't work with your current schedule, please check the Learning Center for different training opportunities (including on-demand learning paths).
Audience: We recommend taking State & Local Change Makers Academy if you have fewer than three years of experience advocating for policy change at the state and local level. No experience is required prior to registering for State & Local Change Makers Academy.
Scholarships: A limited number of qualified individuals whose family income is at or below 2 times the federal poverty level or who have extenuating circumstances may apply for a COPAA training registration fee discount. State & Local Change Makers Academy scholarships cover 80% of the course costs. After you register for the class (select pay by check when you get to the payment portion of the registration), immediately send your scholarship request with proof that you meet the poverty guidelines (i.e. the first two pages of your federal tax return) to learningcenter@copaa.org. Requests are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. After receiving your scholarship documents, a COPAA Representative will contact you to confirm eligibility and availability of the scholarships. Click here for current the Federal Guidelines. Only students who are registered for the course are considered for a scholarship.
Registration Policy: Per COPAA bylaws, any individual who currently receives more than 50% of their income from state, local, or, in the case of an attorney, who has represented such an agency or school district within the past five years, shall not be permitted to register or attend a COPAA educational event unless a formal exception is granted. Click here for more information regarding membership, guest membership, and the full eligibility policy.
Registration, Class Dates, & Cost: State & Local Change Makers Academy is held once a year starting the first week in September. The 2025 course begins September 3rd, 2025 and runs until October 22nd, 2025. Registration opens in August. Only COPAA members can register for the course. The cost of the class is $149. COPAA will send a pre-registration email to members one week before registration opens, notifying them of the registration date and time. The registration will be posted on this page.
Cancellation Policy: Students receive a full refund if they are not accepted into the class. If accepted but the student cancels before the course registration deadline, a full refund will be provided minus $25 admin fee. No refunds provided after Wednesday, August 20, 2025. Please allow up to 2-3 weeks for refunds to be issued.
