Missouri Citizens for the Arts

A resource for artists, arts organizations and arts patrons in Missouri

Archives for August 2016

Advocacy Best Practices

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Americans for the Arts recently hosted a very helpful advocacy-training session, entitled:  Advocacy Best Practices with Stan Rosenberg: How to Talk to Elected Officials. Thanks to Americans for the Arts for making the slides available. Please review this valuable session, either to hone your own advocacy skills or to share with your board of directors or membership. It will be time well-spent!

How to Talk to Elected Officials

National Arts in Education Week, Sept. 11-17, 2016

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On The Web: www.AmericansForTheArts.org    By Email: ArtsEducation@artsusa.org 
SAVE THE DATE

September 11–17, 2016

Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education. We hope that you can participate:

1.) Celebrate. Host a celebration in your community. Whether big or small, an existing event, or a new one. Download and use the shared logo and be sure to register your event on ArtsMeet, a national arts event calendar.

2.) Advocate. Work with your elected officials and decision-makers to share the value of the arts in education. Whether a mayor, principal, or U.S. Congressman, check out sample resolutions, videos, and the Arts Education Navigator—an online tool with six action steps to crafting a personal advocacy plan.

3.) Participate. Share your story in the social media campaign, #BecauseOfArtsEd, to bring national visibility to the issue of arts education. See below for more information. Participate in #ArtsEdChat each night of the week at 8:00 p.m. (ET). Also, be sure to attend and invite friends to the Facebook Event.

PARTICIPATE

#BecauseOfArtsEd

An essential part of National Arts in Education Week is visibility. This is your chance to tell your own personal story about the transformative power of the arts in education on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Whether you are an individual or an organization, you can share your story using #BecauseOfArtsEd on social media and use hashtag #ArtsEdWeek for anything related to the week.

  • Post on Facebook. Tell the world your #BecauseOfArtsEd story on Facebook. Let us know what you are doing now in work and life and how arts education has a positive impact with a photo! Be sure to use #ArtsEdWeek, too.
  • Send a tweet. Share your quick #BecauseOfArtsEd story on Twitter. Be sure to include an image or video along with #ArtsEdWeek.
  • Share a photo. Post your favorite arts education photo on Instagram along with your #BecauseOfArtsEd story about the impact of arts education on your life. Be sure to use #ArtsEdWeek.
  • Be sure to check out the #BecauseOfArtsEd blog salon on ARTSblog starting on September 12.

LEARN MORE

Equity in arts education has become the topic of the year among arts educators, administrators, funders, and advocates. Fostering inclusive arts education by specifically addressing the needs of diverse student populations can contribute to our field achieving its goal of being equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Each day during the week of September 12–16, hear from experts about the research and strategies in specific areas of inclusion. These daily webinars will be held at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and last no more than 30 minutes. To continue the conversation, join Jeff M. Poulin (@JeffMPoulin) and special guests for an #ArtsEdChat from 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. (ET) by following the specified hashtag. Register for the #ArtsEdChats today. You can either view them live or throughout the week. The topics include:

 

How to Talk to a Legislator

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Part of every legislator’s job is to listen to people voice their opinions about topics that concern Missouri citizens. People should not shy away from contacting their legislators, who do need (and want) to hear from their constituency, even if it’s about a matter on which they disagree.

Here’s some basic advice on contacting your legislator:

  1. JUST DO IT:    There are many reasons why people don’t contact their legislators. They think their call or visit doesn’t matter, or lawmakers are “too busy” or have already heard from other on the subject.   Legislators really appreciate hearing from people in their district, and appreciate that they take the time to contact their representatives. So……call, write, or visit!
  2. LOOK FOR DIFFERENT WAYS TO REACH OUT:    Not everyone feels comfortable with face-to-face meetings or public testimony. But that’s important! Even if it isn’t well-polished, it shows sincerity. Sending written letters or emails is good, but phone calls and personal visits are even better.
  3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK:     Putting effort into researching the topic is important, but don’t expect to know every nuance. However, it IS important that you know the bill number when you are asking a legislator to vote for or against a particular proposed item.  (When in doubt, contact Missouri Citizens for the Arts for info about any particular bills that impact the arts—-our Legislative Consultant is always informed and ready to assist you!).
  4. ADVOCATE, EVEN AGAINST THE ODDS:     Those who express their support for a bill stuck in committee are still going to make an impact.  Don’t hesitate to contact people on your side of the issue. There’s nothing more potent for a legislators than being about to say, “I am hearing from people in my district and they want us to vote on this.”

 

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