Advocacy Tip of the Month, March 2008

Mark your Calendar: Participate in NAFSA's Virtual Advocacy Day!

Though a face to face meeting with a member of Congress and their staff is the most effective means of advocacy, some of you may not be able to travel to Washington, DC this month for NAFSA's Advocacy Day. If you are unable to join the more than 100 NAFSAns who will be in the nation's capital on March 11-12, you can still help promote international education issues on Capitol Hill. We currently have over 160 visits scheduled with congressional offices, but we also need our members who are not visiting to contribute.

To complement our Hill visits, please mark your calendar to send a letter March 11th or 12th to your Senators in support of the American Competitiveness Through International Openness Now (ACTION) Act of 2008 (S. 2653) and the Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act (H.R. 1469). Your letters will reinforce our message and broaden our reach as we promote international education in Congress.

Action Steps

1. Familiarize Yourself with our 'Asks'
   Read the issue briefs on the Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act and the ACTION Act.


2. Mark Your Calendars
   Send personalized letters to your Senators on March 11th or 12th to bolster the impact of the Hill meetings other NAFSA members will be conducting during that time. Remember, a personalized letter has far more impact than a form letter. The text provided on our web site should serve as a guideline for your message, but be sure to tailor your letter to make sure your Senators know that you care about this issue enough to write a personalized letter.