AERA to Hold Two July Webinars on Communicating with Federal Policy Makers Locally
AERA to Hold Two July Webinars on Communicating with Federal Policy Makers Locally
 
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June 2017

This July, AERA will hold two advocacy training webinars to prepare AERA members to meet with congressional offices in their home districts. These webinars will provide the tools, background, and guidance to support and encourage members to schedule such visits. The August congressional recess is a perfect time. 

“We’ve heard members asking how they can be help make the case for education research, as well as ensure the protection of statistical infrastructure and merit review in these challenging times,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “Through these webinars, we are encouraging our members to share their stories about the impact of their research and to support continued conversations with congressional offices.”

  • Speaking Up for Education Research
    July 14, from 12:30–1:30 pm ET—Register here

AERA Director of Government Relations Juliane Baron and Program Associate Christy Talbot will provide guidance on how to most effectively communicate the importance of education research with congressional offices. The webinar will offer specific strategies and advice on how to best prepare for such meetings, and how to plan and develop your message and follow up in a meaningful way. It will include attention to what information offices or members find most useful and how to talk about your research in ways that will be most compelling to them. 

  • Engaging Graduate Students in Education Research Advocacy
    July 21, from 12:30–1:30 pm ET—Register here

For this webinar, Baron will be joined by graduate students Megan Austin (University of Minnesota), Amy Li (University of Northern Colorado), and Federick Ngo (University of Southern California). Austin, Li, and Ngo participated in advocacy training and visits on Capitol Hill as part of the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) workshop convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This webinar will provide information on how graduate students can be involved in science policy and allow for webinar attendees to hear and learn from the experiences of graduate students in representing AERA on their Hill visits.

Both 60-minute webinars will include opportunities for Q&A. In addition to the session, the AERA Government Relations team has developed resource materials, including sample meeting requests, guidance on good meetings, and background information on federal agencies investing in education research.

The webinars are being provided as part of the AERA Virtual Research Learning Center (VRLC). They will be available through the VRLC for those who cannot join live.

Questions about the webinars and resource materials can be directed to govrel@aera.net