Prepare for Your Meeting

What You Should Know Before You Go

Here are some things you should know before you attend your legislative meeting:

• Who are your Senators?
• Who represents your district in the House of Representatives (home and school)?​
• What is their party affiliation?
• What are their Committee assignments and do they hold a leadership position within the Senate or House of Representatives?

Additionally, it’s helpful to know the following information about your Senator or Representative:

• Contact information and links to their web and social media pages (official web page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) 
• Personal background information;
• Committee assignments; and
• Staffer titles and names.

You can easily access a legislator’s webpage to find more information on:

• Personal tidbits about the member;
• What bills s/he has introduced;
• What issues s/he has spoken about; and
• Recent legislative accomplishments.

Have Talking Points Ready and “Leave Behinds” Prepared

Before you go to the meeting, it is important to have not only your talking points prepared, but also your “leave behind” materials. Leave behind materials are a good way to provide Congressional offices with additional details and information on issues that you may not have had time to cover during your meeting. 

You should also bring any information on what is happening in your classroom, school, district or university relative to social studies education. Be sure to print multiple copies of the talking points and leave behind materials for distribution to staffers and the Representative or Senator.