Resources

Visit this page for downloadable resources to support your communication efforts.

From Federal and State Sources:

Locate and learn more about your U.S. Representatives, U.S. Senators, and other policymakers by visiting these Web sites:

• U.S. House of Representatives: Find your Representative and his/her home page by entering your zip code at the top right of the page.
• U.S. Senate: Find your Senators by entering your information in the boxes at the top right of the page.
• Congressional schedules: See the schedules for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and also see links to other information about Congress.
• National Conference of State Legislators: Find links for your State legislators by clicking on your State and “Home Page.”

Webinar: The ABC’s of Educating Policymakers About Safe Schools/Healthy Students
One of the most important aspects of sustainability for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) grantees is sharing their successes and lessons learned with important groups in their communities and beyond. The goal of this Webinar is to prepare SS/HS grantees to reach out to their Federal, State, and local policymakers to inform them about the positive impact and outcomes of their local programs and the decade-long SS/HS Initiative that has served more than 365 communities. The session will help grantees understand the particular interests and information needs of policymakers, share easy-to-use materials and strategies, and highlight individual grantee experiences in communicating with their Federal and State policymakers. You can access the Webinar recording or view the PowerPoint presentation.

These additional resources and Webinar-related materials can be found on the National Center’s Web site, www.promoteprevent.org:

• The ABCs of Educating Policy Makers
• Writing to Your Member of Congress: A Template
• Interim Report of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative: National Evaluation FY 2005 and FY 2006 Cohorts
• A Legacy of Success Companion Template
• Video: Wanda McQueen, SS/HS Project Director from Plattsburgh, NY, on Educating Policy Makers
• Video: Albemarle County Public Schools, VA SS/HS Initiative
• Expanding Your Program's Reach by Engaging Policymakers and Partnering with Community Resources  

Other Noteworthy Resources:

Check out these resources from school-related national associations: 

National School Boards Association:

• How to Make Your Voice Heard on Capitol Hill Year Round
• Guide for Effective Meetings with Members of Congress

National Association of School Psychologists:

• Find elected officials using an interactive map

From the CSM Center:

SS/HS Victory Kit
The CSM Center's Victory Kit offers a number of tools to help you think strategically about your communication efforts. These resources can be found on the CSM Center Web site by clicking the links below:

• Guide to Communication Planning [PDF]
• The 8-Step Communication Planning Model [PDF]

SS/HS Celebration Kit
The Celebration Kit is a bookend to the Victory Kit, offering communication solutions as you shift your focus to sustaining key functions of your initiative. The CSM Center team encourages you to celebrate your successes by trumpeting your initiative’s accomplishments to the world—engaging in the very kind of communication activities that can energize your sustainability efforts.

• Communication Planning for Sustainability and The 8-Step Communication Planning Model [PDF]

Communication Planning Workbooks

• Strategic Communication Planning (May 2010)
  
  While The 8-Step Communication Planning Model works for your grant site no matter where you are in your grant cycle, this workbook is specifically written for SS/HS grant sites that are beginning to implement their programs and services. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone planning tool for you and your partners, or it can be used with facilitated training led by your communication specialist.
• Strategic Communication Planning for Sustainability (August 2010)
  
  While The 8-Step Communication Planning Model works for your grant site no matter where you are in your grant cycle, this workbook is specifically written for SS/HS grant sites that are starting to think seriously about sustaining or even expanding key functions of their initiatives. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone planning tool for you and your partners, or it can be used with facilitated training led by your communication specialist.

SS/HS CSM Center Specialty Workshop (2007)

• Materials Development Workshop Booklet [PDF]