MEMBER ADVOCACY Protect Indian Education- Use your Voice! One of the most powerful tools you can use to advocate on behalf of Indian education is your voice! Elected officials are forced to pay attention when members of their district take a stand on an issue. Now is your chance to make a difference in the quality of education students in your community receive. Stand up and let your voice be heard! There are several ways to communicate with your congressional representatives: Call your Member Speak to the chief of staff, legislative director, or legislative assistant who covers your issue or concern (i.e. Indian affairs, education.) Phone numbers for your Member can be found in the links below. Email your Member Use the link below to contact your senator or representative directly through email. Email correspondence should avoid informal language and include your name, address, and district information. Write a Letter The mail is the most common means of communicating with a member of Congress. Letters to representatives and senators should be legible, concise, factual, and include the bill number you are citing. Be sure to identify yourself and state your purpose of the letter in the first paragraph. Follow your opening paragraph with a concise explanation of why you support or oppose the particular bill or issue and state specific facts about how the bill will impact educators, students or schools in the legislator's district. Be sure to include your name and return address. Fax your Member Faxing information or a letter is a common method of communicating and receives the same attention a mailed letter. Faxing is letters is an effective way to convey your opinion when the issue is time sensitive. Be sure to include your name and return address and fax number. Visit your Elected Official A personal visit with a member of Congress can be a good way to emphasize your interest in an issue or a bill. Schedule an appointment with the member and state the purpose of your visit in advance. Be clear and concise when presenting your reasons for supporting your view. Always ask for favorable consideration of your issue and thank him or her for their time. VOTE on Election Day Click here to register to vote: http://www.votenet.com/ Choose to make a difference by becoming an active participant with others in policymaking. Please visit these links to contact your Senator or Congressman directly. http://www.senate.gov/ http://www.house.gov/