ADVOCACY


This year, SPEAK Out! Day is going virtual! While we are unable to go to Capitol Hill in person, it's still critical for us to advocate with members of Congress about the importance of effective health and physical education programs...and we need your help! 
 

All advocacy training and Congressional meetings will be virtual — and to accommodate everyone’s teaching schedules we’ve spread out the event over several days. To allow for this flexibility in scheduling, SHAPE America will ask SPEAK Out! Day attendees to schedule their own meetings with members of Congress and/or congressional staff.

Please see the agenda and frequently asked questions for more information.

AGENDA

February 24: SPEAK Out! Day Prep Webinar (Time: 5:00-6:30 PM ET)
This webinar covers virtual congressional meeting logistics, the meeting scheduling process, and provides attendees with information needed to prepare for virtual congressional meetings.

March 15: SPEAK Out! Day Prep Session (Time: 5:00-8:30 PM ET)
During the prep session, advocates will receive training on the current makeup of Congress, recent legislation impacting education, our asks for virtual congressional meetings, and how to respond to potential pushback they may receive during meetings.

March 16-19: Virtual Congressional Meetings
SPEAK Out! Day attendees will work with their state delegations to schedule virtual meetings with their members of Congress. SHAPE America staff will provide an online shared meeting schedule and will make email introductions to congressional offices. SHAPE America staff will be available to provide support for meetings, as needed, throughout the week.

Listen in to catch up on all current advocacy information:

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Do I need advocacy experience to attend virtual SPEAK Out! Day?

You do not. But, chances are, you already have some type of advocacy experience, and maybe you don’t even know it! Have you discussed why health & PE are important with your students, colleagues, or school administrators? You’re an advocate! SHAPE America will provide virtual advocacy training for all SPEAK Out! Day participants.

Should I register for SPEAK Out! Day if I’m unsure if I will be able to participate?

Please do not register for SPEAK Out! Day unless you are sure you are able to participate. As Congressional meetings are scheduled, it’s incredibly important to know who is able to participate in these meetings with members of Congress and Congressional staff. We don’t want to have any “no shows” for Congressional meetings as that could reflect poorly on SHAPE America. If you register and later discover you cannot attend, please just let Joey Martelli know as soon as possible at jmartelli@shapeamerica.org.

Usually SHAPE America staff schedule all Congressional meetings for SPEAK Out! Day. Who will schedule the meetings this year?

This year, SPEAK Out! Day participants will schedule their own Congressional meetings. Since most of our advocates will still need to fulfill their teaching duties during SPEAK Out! Day activities, we’ll be conducting the virtual Congressional meetings over the course of multiple days (March 16-19) in order to accommodate everyone’s schedules. BUT, please wait for instructions from SHAPE America staff before scheduling any meetings. SHAPE America staff will provide an online shared meeting schedule and will make email introductions to Congressional offices for you, to kick off the scheduling process. Further training about this process will be provided during the SPEAK Out! Day prep webinar on February 24.

Is the prep webinar on February 24 and virtual prep session on March 15 mandatory?

Yes, both the prep webinar and prep session are mandatory for all SPEAK Out! Day attendees. During the prep webinar you will receive training on virtual Congressional meeting logistics and the new meeting scheduling process for this year. During the prep session you will receive training on the state of play in Congress, meeting talking points, and responses to potential pushback you could receive during your meetings. This training is critical in ensuring you are prepared to represent SHAPE America in your meetings with members of Congress.


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