Mission to top
The Advocacy Lab’s mission is to empower youth to take action for human rights. Partnering with teachers in New York City high schools, AdLab provides in-class human rights education and creative advocacy skills training at least once a week over the course of the school year. AdLab's grassroots program prepares students with the knowledge, tools, and confidence, to create positive social change in their communities and in the world.
Vision to top
We envision a world where human rights are part of our culture…
Where apathy is overcome by action…
...And where informed individuals come together as communities to push for progress.
With the broader vision of securing human rights universally, the Advocacy Lab strives to contribute to the growth of a more diverse, vibrant and widespread population that meaningfully supports equality and justice for people everywhere.
History to top
The co-founders of the Advocacy Lab met in 2005 through volunteering for the Human Rights Watch Young Advocates in New York. Children's Rights Advocacy Director Jo Becker had recently returned from Sri Lanka and wanted to raise awareness around the plight of child soldiers and share her findings with students in the New York City area. The volunteers hit the ground running with stats, maps and movies and presented to a class at the Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Queens.
From that first classroom visit, the volunteer group was met with shock and concern from students, as well as immediate demands for more information on how they could help; some responded "how does this affect me" and "why should I care," resulting in lively debates among peers. The presentation also sparked conversations about addressing social injustices at home.
Inspired by the students’ high level of curiosity and engagement, and eager to continue and grow these conversations, the Advocacy Lab was born.
Pilot Year – 2006-2007
Year One – 2007-2008
Year Two – 2008-2009
People to top
From the very start, the Advocacy Lab has brought together people from all different backgrounds and experiences with one thing in common: a passionate belief in human rights. This founding spirit of diversity and community continues to drive who we are today.
Staff
Sandra Sirota, Executive Director
sandra@advocacylab.org
Maya Saoud, Program Coordinator
maya@advocacylab.org
2011 -2012 Facilitators
Chantelle Doswell
Aklima Hossain
Marina Kamal
Allegra Levy
Ashley Mebert
Jennifer Miller
Abigail Miskowiec
Thokozani Ndaba
Maira Nolasco
Karim Yarango
Co-Founders
Sandra Sirota, Co-Founder, Executive Director and Chairwoman of the Board
After working in Colorado and earning her M.A. in International Human Rights, Sandra made her way back to the Big Apple in 2005 and co-founded the Advocacy Lab a year later. In addition to her dry humor, Sandra’s relentless determination and commitment to human rights have always blown her fellow co-founders away.
While in Denver, she did triple-duty as a graduate student, chairperson of the Policy and Systemic Change Committee at the Center On Rights Development and program coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network. Her work has sent her around the world, researching the needs of former child soldiers in Uganda and refugee rights in India. An avid outdoors person, she was an Outward Bound Instructor for nearly three years, leading at-risk adolescents on month-long therapeutic wilderness courses.
Sandra holds an M.A. in International Human Rights from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and a B.A. from Cornell University in Cultural Anthropology. She currently serves as New York State Legislative Coordinator for Amnesty International and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Janet Kim, Co-Founder, Advisor, Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery
By day (and sometimes night), Janet works in strategic and crisis communications for senior management of leading U.S. and global companies. By night and weekend, she helps plan and oversee the growth and development of the Advocacy Lab. As a college student, she co-founded the Student Campaign for Child Survival, a national grassroots student organization dedicated to improving the lives of children worldwide through targeted advocacy. She holds a B.A. in English from Yale University and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Daisy Wong, Co-Founder, Board Secretary
Daisy's experience in the non-profit sector encompasses global and local scales. She recently joined Harlem United from Save the Children, where she served as Operations Manager for Emergency Response for two years. Originally from Hong Kong, Daisy now calls Manhattan home with her husband and irresistibly cute new French bulldog pup, Bono, named after her favorite rocker and humanitarian. In her spare time, Daisy is an avid snowboarder and scuba diver. Daisy holds an M.A. in International Relations and Nonprofit Management from New York University and a B.A. in Communication Studies and French from the University of Michigan.
Jamie Lau, Co-Founder, Advisor, Judicial Council of California – Administrative Office of the Courts
Jamie moved to San Francisco, where she grew up, in 2007 to work as a senior research analyst for the Center for Families, Children & the Courts doing family law research. Previously in New York, Jamie worked on behalf of children and families as both a direct service provider in the non-profit sector and as a policy analyst for the City of New York. As a former head of the Human Rights Watch’s YA advocacy committee, she continues to inspire us with her boundless creative energy from afar. In addition to photography, she's recently added designing handbags to her list of talents. Jamie holds an M.S. from Columbia University where she studied Social Work and Public Policy and Administration, and a B.S. in Social Work from New York University.
Alexandra Coria, Co-Founder, Advisor
While in New York co-founding the Advocacy Lab, Alexandra worked for a consulting firm specializing in high-level communications and advocacy around global health issues. In 2007, driven by strong interests in social justice and health care, she went back to school to pursue a medical degree. Now at Dartmouth Medical School, she achieves work-life balance by staying involved in health advocacy and reviving a long-dormant love of baking. As one of AdLab's first in-school liaisons, we expect Alex to return one day as a guest speaker. Alex holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brown University.
Board of Directors
Denise Bell, Amnesty International USA
Cristin Frodella, Google
Emily Leshner, Associated Press
Sandra Sirota, Chair, Executive Director of Advocacy Lab
Daisy Wong, Secretary
Advisory Board
Jenna Arnold
Alexandra Coria, Co-founder
Janet Kim, Co-founder
Jamie Lau, Co-founder