Traditionally, the August congressional recess period is a time when Members of Congress return to their states and districts to hold events and visit with constituents. These events provide an opportunity to get acquainted with your federal representatives, learn what policies and proposals they support and advocate for CTE. ACTE has compiled this guide to attending events with your policymakers during the August recess.
Upcoming events with your policymakers can be found in several locations. Websites such as Town Hall Project provide lists of congressional events, meetings and town halls as they are scheduled and publicized. Alternatively, you can contact your federal policymakers’ offices via phone and ask when the next scheduled town hall meeting – either in-person, virtual, or telephone town hall – will be held. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been easier for policymakers to hold telephone town halls and virtual events. If the response is “none,” or something similar, express your disappointment and your hope that the policymaker will soon hold events to hear from their constituents and members of the CTE community.
If your policymaker has not scheduled any upcoming constituent events or meetings, you can create your own event, invite the policymaker to attend and keep up pressure on them to act in ways that support CTE. A site visit to your school and a tour of your programs will provide a first-hand look for policymakers at the positive impacts of CTE on their states, districts and local communities. You can also use the recess time to schedule a meeting with your policymaker while they are back home in their district or state office.
For more CTE advocacy resources, please visit ACTE's advocacy resources page. If you have any questions about advocating for CTE with federal policymakers, please contact Jori Houck, ACTE Media Relations and Advocacy Associate, at [email protected].
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