Heritage’s Phillip N. Truluck Center for Leadership Development has graduated 30 fellows from its inaugural Communicating for Impact class, a new strategic communications fellowship. 
 
This eight-session, virtual program is designed for professional communicators and policy experts to amplify their influence and impact on public policy. Fellows delve into the latest communications techniques and apply classroom concepts directly to their work. They complete the program with a game plan to take their priority issues to the next level.  

“As policy people, we get caught up in the dry, wonky bits of reform,” said program participant Jared Crawford, Media and Operations Manager at the Louisville, Kentucky-based Pegasus Institute. “In contrast, good storytelling reaches people on a deeper emotional level and brings attention to issues in ways that pure policy can’t. I was so excited by the session on storytelling, that I’ve turned my class assignment into a full project at Pegasus Institute. Voice of the Survivors Part II will take a new look at the families impacted by Louisville’s record-breaking gun violence. Drawing upon lessons learned from the program, we’ll use more channels to spread those stories. And, thanks to the fellowship, I now have the tools to actually measure our impact.” 

The 30 fellowship graduates hailed from 24 allied, policy-oriented non-profit organizations in 15 different states and five countries—the United States, Canada, Georgia, Honduras, and Lithuania. 
 
“This geographically diverse cohort was made possible by the all-virtual format,” said Kristine Bramsen, director of the Truluck Center. “This enabled us to expand our training reach beyond DC and help build the Movement’s messaging capacity to advance conservative solutions.”