Sharing Your SS/HS Successes: Educating Policymakers
We may not always think of our local, State, or Federal legislators as members of SS/HS
audience, but they can be critical to your initiative’s sustainability—and
reaching them is easier than you think! This article will help you answer key questions
relating to the why, who, where, what, when,and
how of educating your policymakers about your SS/HS initiative.
Why is it important to educate your policymakers?
SS/HS is making a difference—in your school districts, in your communities,
and around the Nation
It’s one thing for us to know about the positive SS/HS outcomes for
youth and families, but it’s another thing to share that information
and engage audiences who really will care about it. Your policymakers—from
your local council members to your U.S. Senators and Representatives—work
on your behalf. They represent your community; they were elected to improve their
districts, States, and country; and they want to know about your work.
In its trainings, the Communication & Social Marketing (CSM) Center often uses
the expression, “Don’t be the best kept secret in town.” If you
haven’t engaged your policymakers and informed them of your important work,
who will tell them? How will they know?
We can help shape the future
The work you do reflects the investment you’ve made in your community and
your successes should not only be sustained—they should spread. Policymakers
are uniquely able to take your good work to scale in your region, in your State,
or across the country.
Who are your policymakers? Where can you learn more about
them?
As you do before communicating with any audience, research your policymakers
before you reach out to them. It might seem daunting to reach out to a public figure,
but it’s important to remember that your policymakers are concerned citizens
just like you.
There are many policymakers within your local, State, and Federal levels of government.
Consider whom you would like to inform about the successes of your SS/HS initiative,
and visit Resources
for contact information.
Getting to know them
Find out about specific interests your policymakers have. Visit your policymakers’
Web sites to read their statements and position papers on issues related to SS/HS.
Look for alignments between SS/HS and their priorities.
Ask if any of your partners or other contacts has a personal connection to a policymaker,
and leverage this connection to request a meeting, if appropriate.
What should you expect when scheduling a visit and meeting with your
policymaker or his or her staff?
Scheduling a meeting
Policymakers’ Web sites provide several ways to get in touch. You can call,
email, send a letter, or fax a request for a meeting—depending on the office’s
preference. Many offices have a scheduler on staff, and you can speak directly with
that person to make an appointment.
You can meet with Federal policymakers at their local, State, or Washington, DC,
offices. If he or she is unavailable, arrange to meet with their education, mental
health, and/or family or children’s issues legislative assistants. In many
cases, you will likely meet with a staffer. Don’t be disappointed by this!
Staffers are important resources and act as “eyes and ears” for elected
officials, filling them in on the important issues they’ve learned about and
meetings they’ve had each day.
Getting through the door
When you’re ready to have your meeting, be sure that:
- You are on time. Consider everything you have to do to get into the office
in advance—driving, parking, going through a security checkpoint—and
plan accordingly.
- You are prepared. Have your materials, business cards, and whatever else
you need handy. Keep reading this article to find out more on how to prepare for
a visit.
- You are concise. Policymakers are busy people! “Be brief. Be bright.
Be gone,” is the advice Jerry Reed, Director of the Center for the Study and
Prevention of Injury, Violence, and Suicide, gave grantees on the recent SS/HS
Webinar on educating policymakers.
When should you reach out to policymakers?
On any given day, your policymaker could be in back-to-back meetings, at a hearing,
or at a public appearance. It’s wise to get a sense of what his or her calendar
looks like before scheduling a meeting. Again, reviewing Web sites and calling the
office directly can guide your planning.
If you’re planning a visit to Capitol Hill, keep in mind that Members of Congress
are usually in their home districts around Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Summer
recess is scheduled for August, and they adjourn for the year in early December—returning
for the next congressional session in early January.
These long recess periods can be a great time to visit with your congressional leaders
in their home districts without having to travel to Washington, DC!
How can you best prepare for the actual visit?
Be prepared to be prepared!
Consider what you’ll need to bring with you to the meeting, and discuss it
with your partners and communication specialist (CS). Will you need a factsheet
highlighting programmatic successes and key data? Will you need your laptop to play
the Show Me How
video or show a brief PowerPoint presentation? Will you need talking points
or note cards to help you practice before the meeting?
The answer to most of these questions will likely be yes! So take a moment to think
about what you’ll need, and then make sure you have all of your i’s
dotted and your t’s crossed well in advance of your visit.
What will you say?
Think about how your SS/HS initiative aligns with your policymaker’s priorities.
For instance, if violence is a core issue for your policymaker, be sure to communicate
law enforcement’s key role in your initiative and how school resource officers
have helped lower rates of violence in schools.
Anticipate being asked questions during your meeting. If you’re not sure of
the answer, it is absolutely okay to say, “I don’t have that information
with me now, but I will find out and send you a followup email later this week.”
In fact, this followup keeps you on that policymaker’s radar, and you might
even develop a relationship in which you become a trusted resource for that policymaker.
One more thing: Keep in mind you want to educate your policymakers, NOT ask for
funding.
Think of the future
Your conversation doesn’t have to end when your visit does.
Invite your policymaker to see your SS/HS programs in action, or invite him or her
to an upcoming event.
Express your gratitude
Once your meeting is over, be sure to thank your policymaker and staff for their
time. Send a thank-you letter offering to be a resource to speak about the issues
of youth violence, substance abuse, school safety, and mental health.
When you’re ready to engage and educate your policymakers, be sure to use
the resources made available to you by the CSM Center and ask your CS for help!
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