WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The College Democrats and College Republicans at Missouri State University-West Plains will host a civic engagement training session beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, in Melton Hall Room 112. The session is open to community members, as well as faculty, staff and students, organizers said.

The session, organized by a non-partisan community group, is designed to encourage civic engagement by showing those attending how easy it is to learn about issues of concern to them and how to contact their state and federal legislators to voice their opinion, organizers said.

Attendees will learn how:

• a bill becomes a law;

• to find out about legislation under consideration on topics they’re interested in;

• to find out who their elected representatives are and how to contact them;

• to effectively influence their elected representatives during the legislative process.

The presenter, Lois Reborne, has been a trainer and facilitator in a wide variety of settings and programs. She has trained Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers, corporate teams, church and non-profit boards, and high school student leaders. She moved to the West Plains area in 2000, returning to her family’s Ozarks roots.

Reborne was instrumental in starting “Stand and Resist: Howell County,” an independent group of grass roots citizens exercising their power to hold their leaders responsible for upholding the U.S. Constitution, which promises a government of, by and for the people.

For more information about this event, College Democrats faculty sponsor Joyce Jennings-Pineda at 417-255-7289 or JoycePineda@MissouriState.edu or College Republicans faculty sponsor Gary Phillips at 417-255-7283 or GaryPhillips@MissouriState.edu.