Thank you for agreeing to raise your voice in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the rare disease community. It is so important for policymakers and their staff to hear frontline voices.
For many of us, it’s been a while since we learned about the legislative process in high school, and it’s not every day you speak to a Member of Congress or a key legislative staff person. It is a very different world than the one we work in every day. The focused attention of a policymaker, or a congressional staffer, is precious. In fact, most meetings will only be 15 – 30 minutes, so it’s important to make the most of every second. Those few minutes could have significant implications.
We are offering this course to you to help prepare you. The videos will help refresh your memory on how Congress works and offer context for the meetings held and the people involved. Most importantly, the videos include helpful tips on how to share your story in the most impactful way for this audience.
The 60-minute course is divided into 9 lessons:
- What is Advocacy?
- Your Voice Matters
- How to Tell Your Story
- Getting to Know Congress
- Roles of Congressional Staff
- How to Effectively Participate in Congressional Meetings
- The Federal Appropriations Process
- Amplifying Advocacy through Social Media
- Using the Media in Advocacy
