Course Description

Physical therapy engagement in health policy has been identified as a key area of professional identity to be included in physical therapy curricula. To support this effort, physical therapy education commonly includes student participation in state advocacy day as part of professional identity development. However, students and clinicians often face barriers to participating in state advocacy day due to uncertainty of their role in the legislative process or how legislative efforts connect to patient care. Experiential learning through participation in state advocacy day allows students to directly interface with the legislative process. Ensuring effective and meaningful student engagement in the legislative process is critical for empowering future advocacy efforts and advancing the physical therapy profession.

During this session, successful collaboration between an academic program and Virginia chapter leadership will be presented. Faculty from an academic program will share tools that were used in student advocacy day preparation and organization. Chapter leadership will share tools that were used to coordinate efforts across the state and how academic programs contributed to this effort. Additionally, chapter leadership will share overall structure and available resources related to advocacy day efforts. The chapter’s 2026 State Advocacy impact will be shared through outcomes across all participants and one academic program’s students’ perspectives. The session will conclude with a discussion of the future of professional identity formation and the role of engagement in advocacy. At the conclusion of this session, all attendees will have access to a toolbox of template materials that can be adopted and modified.

Learning Objectives

• Recall structure and intention of state advocacy in Virginia
• Identify a method for increasing engagement in state advocacy activities
• Appreciate the importance of state advocacy as students and clinicians for advancing the profession of physical therapy
• Understand one process for increasing organization and preparation to optimize student involvement in state advocacy efforts