GROWBOLD volunteers are grassroots advocates and volunteers who may participate in legislative advocacy or policy in a number of ways. Volunteers spend one half-day each week of the legislative session at the Vermont State House, where they receive training in policy observation, monitoring, and advocacy. Volunteers commit to at least two weeks out of the session.

The COVE advocacy team helps support volunteers with scheduling, testimony preparation, in-person or zoom connections, and access to the State House. GROWBOLD helps amplify the voices of participants on the issues we all care about as they move through the legislative process. Participants may work on COVE campaigns or their own platform ideas. The goal is to have more people actively engaged in state policy work.

When a person is represented in a room, it changes the way officials talk about them. The more often officials change the language they use to speak about a demographic, the more likely they are to internalize that mode of speaking and thinking. The GROWBOLD corps uses this method of psychology to change the language and conversations taking place on their behalf. Changing language leads to changing policies, then to changing services, and, finally to changing society. By forcing this shift, GROWBOLD volunteers use passive listening (and active advocacy) to change the culture of Vermont. To join the GROWBOLD corps, contact [email protected] or [email protected].