Develop Your Message

It is important to have a focused message and stick to it. Follow these tips to help develop your message:

• Successful legislative meetings are always brief and to the point.
• Collect facts, figures, and anecdotes that are specific to your state or local schools to use in your meetings, such as:
  • how teaching social studies supports development of critical thinking skills and civic engagement;
  • the percentage of high schoolers who leave school without history or civic education classes;
  • how teaching social studies in your area could benefit from competitive grants to create a menu of innovative, validated approaches to teaching history and civics; and
  • how past federal funding has been used to support innovative teaching in your school area, etc.
• Stick to a few main points of support for your issue and make a specific request for action. 

To make sure your point has a lasting impression:

• Always connect your issue to your institution or community. Legislators rely on local stories and sources for the work they do.
• Don’t forget to mention any independent research data that supports your points. 
• Try to establish yourself as a helpful expert on how a particular issue affects the legislator’s constituents – you, your colleagues, students, family members, etc. at home.