Although a lot of action happens in Washington, you have the opportunity to meet with your Member of Congress or their staff in a local office.To prepare for the best meeting possible, start with great scheduling!
Find your Member of Congress.To find your Senators, visit http://senate.gov/.To find your Representative, visit http://house.gov/.Their websites will have contact information for local offices.
Call your local office and let them know that you’re interested in scheduling a visit about the Youth PROMISE Act.You may be asked to leave a message for a scheduler.If so, be sure to clearly state your name, issue, and phone number.You will have the best results if you can schedule your meeting 2-3 weeks in advance, but if you’re hoping to get in sooner, indicate that in a message so that the scheduler can get back to you quickly.
When speaking to the scheduler, let them know that you will be coming to discuss the Youth PROMISE Act and ask if they can schedule a meeting with a staffer who works on this issue.If your Member of Congress is on a committee such as the Judiciary, they will likely have at least one staff member who will be very familiar with youth crime.If not, try to get a meeting with a staff working on a related issue, such as education, children, or other domestic issues.Ask the scheduler for this staff member’s name.
Ask the scheduler how much time you will have your meeting.It is important that you respect the staffer’s time, so plan your agenda (including time for questions) to fit within this time.
Ask how many people will be able to attend.There’s nothing worse than bringing a group of prepared and excited Student Peace Alliance members, only to find that the room you’re meeting in can only fit 4 people.
If you’ve never been to the office before, you can ask for directions and about any security procedures that you need to know about.The office may be in a building with metal detectors or you may need to show ID to get in.This will vary from office to office, but knowing ahead of time will make for a smooth trip on the day of your visit.
Call the office 1-2 days ahead of time to confirm the meeting.
Do research, create an agenda, and have an amazing meeting!
