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.

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.