INVITING POLICYMAKERS TO VISIT YOUR SERVICE-LEARNING SITE
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WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Invite your local, state, or national policymakers to visit your school or organization during the Challenge to generate attention from the media and others in your local community.
HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE:
Planning Time: INSERT HERE. Actual activity: INSERT HERE.
RESOURCES YOU CAN USE:
- Sample Letter of Invitation
- National Learn & Serve Challenge Media Toolkit
- National Learn & Serve Challenge Fact Sheet
HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT:
- Select the project you would most like to showcase. Choose well-run projects that provide a clear link between service and academic or civic learning. Also be on the lookout for activities that have successfully involved students in decision-making and that have a very clear impact on their community.
- Start by sending a written invitation to the legislator’s scheduler or appointments secretary. See next page for sample invitation letter. For Members of Congress, you should preferably make the first contact two to three months before the time of the visit. Local legislators may not have an assistant but can often be contacted through e-mail. Addresses are often posted through the legislature or city council website.
- Remember to include your name and address with city, state and zip code + 4 digits.
- Include your superintendent, principal and school board in the visit.
- Use the National Learn & Serve Challenge’s Media Kit for tips to invite the media to your event.
- Don’t forget to document: Remember to take pictures to document the event, and let us know at nslp@aed.org.
- Send a letter of appreciation after the official makes the visit, including a restatement of what you may be asking the elected official to do.
SAMPLE LETTER OF INVITATION (change underlined portions):
Dear [Policymaker’s Name]:
I would like to invite you and your staff to visit the name of your school and/or organization in City, State, where young people are actively using their knowledge and skills to tackle pressing community needs and issues.
Service-learning is a teaching method that engages students in solving problems within their schools and communities as an integral part of their academic studies. Students master important curriculum content by making meaningful connections between what they study and its real-life applications, and more effective citizens through acts of kindness, community stewardship, and civic action.
Our school/organization is participating in the National Learn & Serve Challenge, October 6-13, 2008 as part of a nationwide effort to celebrate how young people are improving their own lives, schools, and communities through service-learning. May we suggest that you visit us on date, time and location? This will give you an opportunity to see our program in action! We would be honored if you would state what you want them to do (e.g., present an award; receive an award; offer special remarks; or tour a local neighborhood or organization that has benefited from service-learning).
To date, we have invited list of people, organizations and media you have invited. We would be honored to include you as a featured participant in our National Learn & Serve Challenge event.
We have enclosed a one-page profile of our program and a fact sheet about the National Learn & Serve Challenge for your reference. I will contact your office within the next two weeks to follow-up on this invitation. If you have any further questions about the event, please contact contact person at phone number. Again, I hope you can join us on give the date again.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your School/Organization
Your School/Organization Mailing Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
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