MENTOR’s Capitol Hill on Wednesday, January 28
From mentoring.org
The 2015 Summit will be extended to a three-day event to incorporate an advocacy activity on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, January 28. The 2015 Capitol Hill Day is open to all Summit attendees and is included with your Summit registration. It’s your opportunity to join your committed colleagues who will meet with members of Congress and their staff to relay the far-reaching impact quality youth mentoring has on their communities.
As you register, be sure to select the option to take part in Capitol Hill Day. Each participant will be assigned a state captain who will coordinate congressional visits for the state delegation. Your state captain will connect with you this fall. If you have already registered for the Summit but did not select the option to take part, please contact us at Summit@mentoring.org.
Why Participation is Important
Our collective and coordinated message will ensure Congress understands the far-reaching impact quality youth mentoring has on our communities. The many dedicated volunteers, researchers and professionals working in the mentoring field every day understand the needs of the systems and programs serving youth, including those who are at-risk. Sharing your experiences and knowledge with your Senators and Representatives helps to strengthen their understanding of the critical need for more support for quality youth mentoring. This is an opportunity for us to advocate for key bills and programs that have the potential to advance mentoring.
Meeting face-to-face with Senators and Representatives (and their staff!) is one of the best ways to interact with Congress. This will also benefit individual mentors, mentoring organizations and Mentoring Partnerships in their ongoing interactions with legislators moving forward: the first step in successful advocacy is developing a positive working relationship!
The goals for successful meetings during Hill Day are:
- Build or establish a relationship with your Representative and two Senators (including their staff);
- Educate Members of Congress and staff about your work and the issues you or programs in your state face; and,
- Encourage them to support key policies supported by youth mentoring and youth development communities.
Don’t forget to say yes to participation in this event as you complete the registration process!
Resources
January Webinar: Everything You Need to Know for Capitol Hill Day To help attendees prepare for Capitol Hill Day, MENTOR’s Director of Government Relations, Abbie Evans, will host a live webinar on January 8, 2015, 3:00 p.m. EST. The webinar will provide an overview of the advocacy day, how to prepare from home, event expectations and more. Register now to have your questions answered and learn how your participation will relay the far-reaching impact quality youth mentoring has on communities.
State Captain Finder: Find the State Captain assigned to your state. Your State Captain will guide you through the scheduling of Congressional appointments and answer your questions about the Capitol Hill Day event.
Election results reference guide: Not all Members of Congress will return to Washington, DC in January. This guide outlines which offices will change hands in the new 114th Congress starting in 2015. Use this reference to help plan out your Capitol Hill Day schedule.
Tips for scheduling Hill appointments: Do you have questions about how to schedule your Capitol Hill Day meetings? This document will help you organize and prepare for successful meetings on January 28!
Congressional Information Sheets: Locate the names and contact information for all Members of Congress in your state. The sheets include the phone numbers and office locations of all Members of Congress in each state, as well as information on the congressional aide responsible for scheduling meetings and a notation of key committees (those that are important to youth mentoring) the legislator serves on. Please note that congressional staff change jobs frequently. If the staff listed is no longer the scheduler, simply ask to be connected to the correct person.
NOTE: Since January marks the beginning of a new Congress, office locations, phone numbers and committee assignments are likely to change. MENTOR will update these sheets with new information as it comes available. Check back often to be sure you have the latest information.
