Build Relationships

A one-pager is an eye-catching way to highlight the most important aspects of your agricultural education program and reinforce the message you deliver when you advocate in person.

Here are a couple of examples from Freedom High School in Wisconsin. These highlight the achievements and impact that the Freedom agricultural education program has on the school and community.

• Sample 1
• Sample 2

Develop your own one-pager with our downloadable template.

One-Pager Tips:

• Think about the impact you have in all elements of your school and community
• Focus on the whole program of agricultural education, including classroom instruction, experiential learning through supervised agricultural experiences, and FFA.

Even if you’re not having a special event, having a legislator visit your program is a great way to create a connection, reinforce your message and build a relationship.

Planning a legislative tour in 10 steps

Even more powerful than telling your story is having someone witness it firsthand. Use these examples to craft invitations that will encourage decision makers to visit your program.

Invitation Flyer
Invitation Letter

Sample Letter — grassroots support
Sample Letter — legislator
Sample letter — local leader

Writing Congress
Writing a letter or email is the most popular mode of communication with a congressional office. Here are some suggestions to be sure your time is well spent:

• It is best to write a personal message rather than sending a canned letter or email.
• Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter.
• Be as specific as possible. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H. R., Senate bill: S., or specify the issue clearly.
• Be courteous, to the point, and pay attention to grammar and spelling.
• Use specific, local examples to support your position.
• Add a subject line between the Congressperson’s address and the salutation to help the congressional staff identify the issue about which you are writing.
• Address only one issue in each letter or email; and, if possible, keep the length to one page.

Addressing Correspondence:

To a Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
(Rm.#) (name of) Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (last name):

To a Representative:
The Honorable (full name)
(Rm.#) (name of)House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative (last name):

Note: When writing to the chair of a committee or someone with a special title, such as the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address them by their title, such as:

Dear Mr. Chairman:
or
Dear Madam Chairwoman:
or
Dear Mr. Speaker:

• Use NAAE's Legislative Action Center or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.
• Telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.
• After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S. /H.R. )" or "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose the (specify the issue).”
• State reasons for your support or opposition to the bill or issue.
• Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill or issue.
• You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

A press release is an up-to-the-minute summary of your important news. Include who, what, when, and details of why and how. Be sure to type it on your school’s or organization’s letterhead and provide your professional contact information.

If possible, include high resolution photos of the event covered in the release. If the photo files are large, you may need to upload them to a sharing site, like Flickr or Dropbox, and share the link for the newspaper to retrieve them. Write a caption for each photo, identifying the people shown and explaining what they are doing.

If you have a contact at the newspaper, send the news release directly to him or her. If you do not have a contact, call the paper first to see who would be the best person to receive your release. This one step greatly increases your chances of having your release picked up. If you email the release, copy the text of the release and paste it in the body of the email instead of sending it as an attachment. Don’t forget your own school newsletter and other special publications.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
PSAs are brief messages that provide helpful information to the public, solicit support for a particular cause, and/or offer an organization’s free services. Unlike paid advertising, PSAs are carried free of charge by publications, radio, and television stations in an effort to educate an audience and to encourage people to do something such as participate, call, write, or contribute.

Before attempting to place a PSA, determine who you want to reach with your message. Then identify the publications and stations in your area that service that particular audience. Once you have determined the media outlets you want to target, contact the head of eitherthe community development or public service department to find out the proper procedures forsubmitting PSAs.

Letters to the Editor
This newspaper section is an excellent vehicle for you to express your views on the value of career and technical education to policymakers and to educate people in the community. You may also use a letterto the editorto correct inaccurate facts, promote your issue or to praise/condemn a recent article. Write persuasively; include local statistics and personal stories to make your point. It is important to find the newspaper’s policy for printing the letters. Most newspapers require that letters be no more than one page.