NBCC’s organizational mandate is to train and develop a strong, knowledgeable nationwide network of breast cancer advocates.
NBCC’s Center for Advocacy Training teaches breast cancer activists the strategic and evidence-based approach to advocacy that NBCC pioneered. By offering world-class, targeted training in breast cancer science and public policy, NBCC readies breast cancer advocates to become agents of action and change in the mission to end breast cancer.
Trained NBCC advocates collaborate with leading breast cancer scientists, speak out on breast cancer research, review breast cancer research proposals, push for quality health care and access for their communities, and serve on panels, committees, and institutional review boards.
NBCC encourages all those who are concerned about breast cancer to become advocates for action and change.
NBCC’s Advocate Leadership Summit is a gathering of breast cancer advocates from across the country and the world, held annually in Washington, DC. Participants learn about the latest scientific research and effective advocacy strategies in sessions led by respected researchers, grassroots leaders, and prominent public policy experts. The Summit concludes with Lobby Day, giving advocates the chance to mobilize on Capitol Hill. View our video library below for educational content from previous years.
Project LEAD is NBCC’s premier science training program. This multi-day event takes place annually in California and trains lay advocates in the fundamentals of breast cancer science, research design, and critical appraisal skills needed to participate in the decision-making process. A competitive application process is required.
Available to Project LEAD graduates with current NBCC memberships, the LMS provides interactive educational modules designed to help advocates learn complex material in a personalized way. With this tool, dedicated advocates can continue their breast cancer education in a flexible manner and at their own pace. The course catalog currently features a wide array of topics including screening, clinical trial design and ethics, breast cancer models, critical appraisal of scientific literature, and many more. Additional modules are added regularly.
NBCC offers a variety of live webinars throughout the year, focusing on a range of topics including research, clinical trial design, the basics of breast cancer science, research advocacy, public policy, and more. These webinars are intended for current NBCC members.
The Public Policy Academy is an introductory-level training program that convenes monthly to empower the next generation of NBCC advocates. Those who complete the Public Policy Academy are eligible to be considered for Team Leader and other senior positions within our grassroots network. If you’re interested in bringing your advocacy skills to the next level, reach out to Maggie Bush.
Through intensive Team Leader Training, experienced activists gain deeper knowledge of NBCC’s agenda, experience in advocating for breast cancer issues at the national level, and the ability to talk about and take charge of the agenda when leading a delegation on Capitol Hill. Participants are trained in techniques and strategies for effective lobbying and can discuss NBCC’s agenda with policymakers and their staff during NBCC’s annual Washington Lobby Day and in their states throughout the year.
For more information on Team Leader Training, email Maggie Bush.
Well-trained advocates are successful advocates. Explore select presentations from previous Advocate Leadership Summits and workshops, and gain insight into who NBCC is, what we do, what you can learn from our coalition of experts, and how you can help us achieve our mission. Watch, learn, share, and use what you discover to disrupt the status quo for positive social change.
*Conducted as part of a 2019-2021 PCORI-supported initiative (14504-NBCC) to provide NBCC advocates with comprehensive and structured training in the variety of skills patient advocates need for participating in patient-centered outcomes research and informing on-going breast cancer research.
