Posted by Jim Lockwood on February 1, 2010 under Uncategorized | 
In 2009, Keith Bonchek applied to participate in the Partners in Policymaking program being held in Los Angeles. Keith was selected to attend the program and joined 35 others beginning their advocacy training on March 27, 2009. As an adult with Cerebral Palsy and hearing loss, Keith has been trying to help others advocate for themselves. But he needed the training that would give him the skills and knowledge to really make a difference. With the support of sign language interpreters, Keith completed the training and graduated in October of last year.
Keith speaks locally and nationally as a motivational speaker and self-advocate. He became the outreach coordinator for People First of California, and helps others with disabilities in Southern California. Keith is a member of the North Los Angeles Regional Center board of directors where he is actively involved in improving services to people with disabilities. Keith also serves on the committee for the California Memorial Project. Keith is actively involved in his community and always looking for more ways to help others.
Posted by Jim Lockwood on January 24, 2010 under Uncategorized |
In addition to being mom for a houseful of children, including an adopted sibling group of five, LeeAnn Paddock is a staunch advocate for people with disabilities. Three of LeeAnn’s children have a developmental disability. LeeAnn graduated from our 2009 program in Los Angeles.
Immediately after attending the first Partners training in March 2009, LeeAnn made an appointment to meet with Anthony Adams, her state Assembly member. She was successful in meeting with him while he was in the district office. She brought her son to the meeting (as recommended during the training) and discussed her concerns about program service cuts that were recommended in the Governor’s budget proposal. A couple months later, LeeAnn met with staff from State Senator Bob Huff’s office.
It didn’t take long for LeeAnn Paddock to start advocating for the disabilities community the way she had been advocating for her own children for years. LeeAnn is now working to improve things for all people with disabilities, in her spare time…as a very busy mom.
Posted by Jim Lockwood on January 22, 2010 under Uncategorized |
On January 17, we added our hundredth follower on our Twitter.com feed. Partners in Policymaking California has been using Twitter to keep advocates information of the latest issues in disability advocacy, as well as update our training participants and graduates on program news. We will continue to update information on our Twitter feed, as well as here on our website. You can also read our Twitter feed right here in the right hand column of the home page. To follow us on Twitter, click http://twitter.com/PIPCA.
Posted by Jim Lockwood on December 14, 2009 under Uncategorized |
<NOTE: The 2010 application deadline has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for this year’s training.>
January 15th is the deadline to submit an application for Partners in Policymaking California’s 2010 training program to be held in Ontario, California. The training will begin on March 26th, and finish with graduation on September 25th, 2010. As in past years, the training will be held one weekend each month, on Friday and Saturday. Experts on topics ranging from history of the disability movement to state laws and parliamentary procedure will work with the selected thirty-six participants to prepare them for advocacy work in their local community and on a state and national level. For more information, see our About Us page.
Adults with developmental disabilities and parents of children with developmental disabilities are encouraged to apply for this exciting and comprehensive advocacy training. Applications are available for download at the bottom of this post or directly from our office by calling Jim Lockwood at 916-552-6619, x13 or by email at jim@pipcalifornia.org. Applications may also be completed here on the website. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on January 15th at the Partners in Policymaking office at 1225 8th Street, Suite 350, Sacramento, CA 95814. Interested persons may also fax or email their completed applications. Faxed applications should be sent to 916-441-3494. Emails should be sent to jim@pipcalifornia.org.
Thirty-six individuals will be selected to participate in the 2010 training. Participants must be a resident of Riverside, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego or Orange County. Applicants will be informed of the participant selection decisions in early February 2010. If you are interested in the 2010 Partners in Policymaking advocacy training, be sure to complete your application early. If you have questions about the training or the application process and procedures, contact Jim Lockwood at 916-233-5019, x13 or jim@pipcalifornia.org.
If you represent an organization that would like to help us distribute applications, speak with Jim Lockwood about receiving copies of the application and program information for distribution. Applications may also be downloaded from the Partners in Policymaking California website at http://www.pipcalifornia.org.
The following are the dates for the 2010 Partners in Policymaking training:
- March 26-27, 2010
- April 23-24, 2010
- May 21-22, 2010
- June 25-26, 2010
- July 23-24, 2010
- August 27-28, 2010
- September 24-25, 2010
Click here to download 2010 Application. (Word Document)
Click here to complete the 2010 Application online.
