Energy Freedom Activism Workshop
ABOUT | LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
The Leadership Institute’s (LI) mission is to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. The Institute identifies, recruits, trains, and places conservatives in government, politics, and the media.
ABOUT | Energy Freedom Activism Workshop
From Idea to Impact: How Students Built a National Policy Campaign
How did a small group of students (or anybody) — with no budget, no staff, and no formal authority — launch a national advocacy campaign, travel across an entire country, and place a citizen petition directly before Canadian Parliament?
In this training, you’ll learn how student leaders designed and executed a six-week, coast-to-coast petition and outreach campaign that mobilized campuses, engaged elected officials, and helped shape the national debate on public policy.
Our guest instructor, Garreth Conner, led a national student petition campaign opposing Canada’s carbon tax — traveling from British Columbia to Newfoundland, organizing on university campuses and outside legislatures, and delivering more than 1,100 verified student signatures directly to Members of Parliament.
What began as a small idea at a leadership retreat became a coordinated national effort that reached dozens of campuses, multiple provinces, and Parliament itself — and the tax was repealed months later.
This session is a practical case study in how student organizing becomes policy influence.
What You’ll Learn
In this training, you will learn how to:
- Turn a political concern into a clear, focused campaign objective
- Design petitions and calls to action that legislators take seriously
- Recruit and coordinate volunteers across wide geographical areas
- Combine tabling, campus outreach, events, and direct legislative engagement
- Use simple visuals and messaging to attract attention and overcome opposition
- Navigate legal thresholds and procedural requirements for citizen petitions
- Build credibility through in-person organizing rather than online-only activism
- Deliver results without paid advertising, staff, or institutional backing
Whether you are organizing on a campus, building a chapter, or leading grassroots advocacy, this training provides a repeatable model for issue-driven activism that reaches decision-makers.
Why This Matters
Most political change does not begin with large organizations or big budgets. It begins with clear goals, disciplined strategy, and citizens willing to execute.
This training shows how:
- Ideas become campaigns
- Campaigns become movements
- Movements reach legislatures
If you want to learn how to move an issue from campus conversation to national policy engagement, this session will give you a practical roadmap.
Event Details
For more information, contact the event organizer.