ADVOCACY

SPEAK Out! Day
FOR HEALTH & PE

February 13-14, 2018

A big thank you to all who attended 2018 SPEAK Out! Day, SHAPE America's annual member advocacy event in Washington, DC. More than 150 health and physical education advocates from 42 states were represented and met with members of Congress to “speak out” in support of school health and physical education. Visit our web page to see highlights from the Hill!

Registration Closed

Questions?
Contact Janae Nelson at 703-476-3417 or by email at jnelson@shapeamerica.org

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What should I wear to SPEAK Out! Day?

Attire for the prep session on February 13 at the Holiday Inn Old Town is casual. On February 14th, please dress in business attire with NEON/BRIGHT sneakers (to help be recognizable on Capitol Hill as health and physical educators).

Will there be travel scholarship funds available this year?

While there are not budgeted funds available for travel scholarships this year, we are proactively working with sponsors and donors to identify funds. We are also running the “Send a Teacher to Capitol Hill” t-shirt fundraiser through December 15th to raise funds for travel scholarships. We know how critical this funding is and want to support as many SHAPE America members as possible. The travel scholarship application in now closed. Scholarship recipients will be notified in January.

Is the prep session on February 13th mandatory?

Yes, the prep session is mandatory for all SPEAK Out! Day attendees. During the prep session you will receive your Capitol Hill meeting schedule and meeting materials. You will also receive training on meeting talking points, responses to potential pushback, and engage in meeting role play with others from your state. This training is critical in ensuring you are prepared to represent SHAPE America in your meetings with members of Congress.

Should I schedule meetings with my members of Congress for SPEAK Out! Day?

No, SHAPE America will schedule all meetings with members of Congress for SPEAK Out! Day. We will request a meeting with every attendee’s two Senators and Representative and every effort is made to confirm meetings with all possible offices. SHAPE America ensures that no one attends a meeting alone and you will be most likely paired with attendees from your state or neighboring states for your meetings. In some cases, scheduling conflicts make it impossible to schedule a meeting with all requested Congressional offices. Time permitting, we will provide you with extra meeting materials so that you can drop by to visit other members of Congress from your state between meetings.

How do I book my hotel room for SPEAK Out! Day?

SHAPE America has reserved a room block for attendees at the Holiday Inn Old Town with a room rate of $109 per night. You can use the online booking link or call 1-877-504-0047 and reference the group code: SAA. The deadline for booking a room at the Holiday Inn Old Town is Friday, January 19.

What should I do to prepare to attend SPEAK Out! Day?

SHAPE America will hold a prep webinar a few weeks prior to SPEAK Out! Day to help prepare attendees. An invitation to the webinar will be sent to all registered attendees. In addition to participating in the webinar, you can familiarize yourself with your state advocacy toolkit, our ESSA resources, and your members of Congress. You can also begin to prepare a few personal stories to share with your legislators about the impact that health and physical education programs have had on your students or in your local community. These stories will be critical in helping to make your case in your meetings on Capitol Hill.

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Watch the SPEAK Out! Day Webinar here.