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.

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.

SHAPE America has reserved a room block for attendees at the Crowne Plaza Old Town with a room rate of $129 per night. You can use the online booking link or call 877-317-5752 and reference SHAPE America Advocacy Day. The deadline for booking a room at the Crowne Plaza Old Town is Friday, February 15.

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 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.