The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) wanted more than a one-day Lobby Day with 300 people at the Capitol could deliver. For the 2025 legislative session, they shifted to small, recurring Capitol Expeditions and launched the ATPE Member Advocate Program, an asynchronous microcredential that requires members to record a 2-minute practice advocacy video through Gather Voices. In under a year, more than 130 educators have earned microcredentials, many of them going on to join small-group Capitol Expeditions. Members consistently cite the Gather Voices video practice as the most valuable tool for refining their message before meeting face to face with decision-makers.
More than 138 advocate microcredentials have been earned across state-level and local advocacy pathways. Each requires a 2-minute practice advocacy video as a capstone activity. As a result, those who join small-group Capitol Expeditions arrive with a tested message. They are no longer drafting talking points on the fly in lawmakers’ offices.
A three-hour online course, combined with self-recorded videos, allows ATPE to train and assess advocates statewide. This approach overcomes tight educator schedules and limited travel budgets.
By asking members, not just staff, to record training and practice videos, ATPE is normalizing member-led video. Educators become primed to use the platform to generate compelling, story-driven content for future legislative campaigns.
More than 138 advocate microcredentials have been earned across state-level and local advocacy pathways. Each requires a 2-minute practice advocacy video as a capstone activity. As a result, those who join small-group Capitol Expeditions arrive with a tested message. They are no longer drafting talking points on the fly in lawmakers’ offices.
A three-hour online course, combined with self-recorded videos, allows ATPE to train and assess advocates statewide. This approach overcomes tight educator schedules and limited travel budgets.
By asking members, not just staff, to record training and practice videos, ATPE is normalizing member-led video. Educators become primed to use the platform to generate compelling, story-driven content for future legislative campaigns.
ATPE’s advocacy model centered on a single Lobby Day per session. About 300 educators would gather in Austin for one day. It generated strong PR but often had limited direct impact because lawmakers were not always available, and conversations were rushed.
Training took place as a 90-minute ballroom presentation with limited opportunity for individual practice or feedback.
Travel costs, time away from classrooms, and logistics made participation difficult across such a large state. For many educators, the first time they fully articulated their message was in front of a lawmaker or board.
ATPE needed a model that improved effectiveness, lowered barriers to participation, and gave educators a real chance to rehearse.
Built Into the Member Advocate Microcredential
ATPE created a three-hour, asynchronous Member Advocate Program where recording a short video through Gather Voices is a required activity embedded directly into the training.
Safe, Self-Paced Practice
Educators record from home and can re-record as needed. Guided by course prompts on key points and storytelling techniques, the assignment becomes a powerful capstone that refines their legislative story.
Structured Review and Selection
Staff review videos as part of the microcredential process. This ensures advocates are fully prepared before being invited to Capitol Expeditions or encouraged to engage locally. About 90 educators have already participated in these small-group Capitol visits, typically in groups of 10 or fewer.
Beyond Advocacy Training
ATPE also uses Gather Voices for volunteer leader training and executive messaging. This demonstrates the platform’s versatility beyond advocacy.
The video assignment serves as a “dress rehearsal.” It makes real interactions with lawmakers and school boards feel more familiar and less intimidating.
The microcredential, combined with the video requirement, has created a scalable and repeatable pipeline of prepared advocates for both state-level Capitol Expeditions and local advocacy efforts.
Repeated use of member-created video has shifted ATPE’s culture toward bottom-up, story-driven advocacy. This shift makes it easier to incorporate authentic educator voices into future campaigns, programs, and communications. It also shows that the right video strategy does not just train members. It can influence legislation.
