INVITING STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATORS TO CHALLENGE AND SERVICE EVENTS
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GOAL:
Give greater visibility to service-learning in your community and/or state by inviting elected officials to participate in Challenge and service events.
DESCRIPTION:
Invite (your) state and national legislators to Challenge and service events to generate attention from the legislators, the media, and your local community.
ACTION STEPS:
1. 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.
2. Start by sending a written invitation to the lesgislator’s scheduler or appointments secretary. For Members of Congress, you should preferably make the first contact two to three months before the time of the visit. Also, try to schedule visits during congressional recess periods, when your Member of Congress is more likely to be in his or her district. Local legislators may not have an assistant but can often be contacted through e-mail. (Addresses are often posted through the legislature.)
3. Remember to include your name and address with city, state and zip code + 4 digits.
4. Include your superintendent, principal and school board in the visit.
5. Read the National Learn & Serve Challenge’s Media Kit for information on how to invite the media to your event.
6. 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. See the last page of this tip sheet for a Sample Letter of Invitation.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- During Congressional Recess: recess periods are when Congress is not meeting in Washington D.C. Winter recess usually includes the month of December and early January; spring recess is in late March or early April and the summer recess is usually the full month of August until after Labor Day.
- During Year-End Celebrations and Recognition Events: As the school year begins to wind down, service-learning supporters often plan year-end recognition events and ceremonies to celebrate another successful year of service-learning. Consider inviting public officials to participate in these celebrations with you.
- Don’t forget to document: Remember to take pictures to document the event, and let us know at nslp@aed.org.
SAMPLE LETTER OF INVITATION (change underlined portions):
Dear Representative or Senator Name:
I would like to invite you and your staff to visit the name of your school and/or organization during the National Learn & Serve Challenge, where we are engaged in an exciting service-learning project. 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.
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. To date, we have invited list of people, organizations and media you have invited. We would be honored to include you as another participant in our National Learn & Serve Challenge events.
We have enclosed a one-page profile of our program 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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