Public Policy Toolkit, Exams of Public Policy

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POLICY POLICY

TOOLKIT TOOLKIT

Future Business Leaders of America

WELCOME!WELCOME!

Congratulations on taking your first steps

towards creating change for the betterment of your

community and the lives of your peers. As members

of Future Business Leaders of America, it is

important for us to voice the positive impact that

Career-Technical Student Organizations have had

on our college and career preparation to secure

this valuable experience for many more students to

come. This toolkit will serve as your guide to

advocating for the future of community-minded

business leaders as you begin organizing a plan for

advocacy and take on FBLA’s challenge, Advocate

for Our Future!

KEY CONTACTS

President & CEO: agraham@fbla.org

Director of Membership: lsmothers@fbla.org

National President: fblapres@fbla.org

SECTION 1SECTION 1

Making the Case for Funding

Future Business Leaders of America inspires and prepares students to

become community-minded business leaders in a global society

through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. FBLA

can help give students access to financial literacy and business

education, as well as exposure to various sectors of business and

principles of business. FBLA is primarily funded through Perkins and

membership dues as well as conference revenue. By increasing funds

for Perkins, it will enable more resources and educational programs

for our nearly 200,000 members across the country. Funding FBLA is a

direct way to impact students' education nationally; our overhead is

low and our organization exists to serve the needs of students. We are

the Future Business Leaders of America. Our members are the next

generation of employees, employers, investors, and innovators of

tomorrow. An investment in FBLA is an investment in the future of

America.

THE CASE FOR FBLA & CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION FUNDING

As we look at the needs of the future, the demands of businesses,

consumers, and governments are changing. Right now the United States is

at a critical moment when large new technologies are evolving and

starting to be implemented. This also comes at a time when millions of

people across the US are out of work and are not satisfied with the entry

level positions available. More accessible and flexible education is

required to help support the needs of the 21st century. Career and

technical education can help to supplement required education and move

the next generation of young Americans forward.

WHY FBLA?^ WHY FBLA?

ADVOCACY IN FBLAADVOCACY IN FBLA Becoming an advocate is one of the most important actions you can take to secure the future of FBLA. It... ADVOCATE FOR OUR FUTURE CHALLENGE ADVOCATE FOR OUR FUTURE CHALLENGE Ensures we have ample funding A large portion of this funding comes from our state and federal governments. It is up to all of us to advocate for our future! Increases education opportunities to support FBLA members This challenge provides members, particularly state and local officers, with an opportunity to learn about and promote legislative advocacy. When meeting with policymakers FBLA members should advocate for three outcomes: increasing Career and Technical Education funding during the budget/appropriations process, for their representative and senators to join the CTE caucus if they are not already a member, and to promote FBLA by recognizing or declaring FBLA-PBL Week States who schedule and attend meetings with state/national policymakers, and/or have an official proclamation signed will be recognized at the National Leadership Conference, after submitting a form signed by their state adviser and providing proof of participation by emailing it to Lisa Smothers. To receive recognition each individual state must have state and/or local officers meet with their State Department of Education, their senators, House representative, and/or governor to discuss increased FBLA and Career Technical Student Organization funding, FBLA recognition statewide, and how policymakers can provide the resources necessary to continue building a bridge between high schools and the modern business world. WHAT HOW WHY

Advocating doesn't have to be an individual task. By working with other officers and members in your area, you can amplify your voices and make an even larger impact. The more people the better! To increase the likelihood of success in your advocating journey, make advocacy a yearly tradition in your chapter. Set aside a day, week, or month, ideally in February surrounding FBLA-PBL Week, dedicated to advocating for different things in FBLA your chapter strongly supports. You can utilize the templates provided in the rest of this guide to show sample testimonies and emails to your members, and prepare them to speak with their policymakers. DIFFERENT DIFFERENT WAYS TO WAYS TO ADVOCATE ADVOCATE MAKE IT A CHAPTER ACTIVITY MAKE IT A CHAPTER ACTIVITY Advocating comes in many different forms. Your preferred way of advocacy will depend on what is available and what you find most comfortable. Whichever method you choose, make sure you are prepared, professional, and polite! Emailing policymakers Setting up a Zoom meeting Visiting them in person

TIMELINE OF CHALLENGETIMELINE OF CHALLENGE FBLA-PBL Week February Funding & Support Advocacy January to March Media & Promotional Advocacy April to December NLC June Challenge Submissions Due April 1!

Building a strong connection with policymakers and their staff starts by establishing yourself as a reliable source of information. Your thoughts and opinions are better heard when you have a relationship with your policymaker! Here are general guidelines to help you develop strong connections with your federal, state, and local officials. As you advocate to policymakers maintain CTE and FBLA as bipartisan issues! Identify yourself as a constituent by providing your address, location of your school, contact information, and if contacting federal policymakers, your congressional district. Identify yourself as a member of FBLA. This will further enhance your credibility & effectiveness by linking you to a broader advocacy effort. Be personal - Share your FBLA story and what this organization means to you. Let your messages reflect your personality, use humor, and make it memorable! Useful Links House Career & Technical Education Caucus Senate Career & Technical Education Caucus Congressional Directory BUILDING THE BUILDING THE CONNECTION CONNECTION Call their office and express your thoughts on Career & Technical Education -related policy directly Request a meeting or their attendance at any event such as your state leadership conference Attend a town hall or other event where the policymaker is in attendance Follow and interact with them on social media: Building a strong relationship takes time, persistent communication, and politeness! Send them an email that expresses your thoughts on a Career & Technical Education-related issue and shows your expertise. Whether you write, call, or visit your policymaker, there are important guidelines to follow to maximize your output:

CAUCUS? CAUCUS?

The CTE Caucus is a bipartisan group that

works for the improvement of Career-

Technical Education and Career-Technical

Student Organizations.

WHAT IS THE CTE WHAT IS THE CTE

EMAIL You can send a formal business letter to your policymakers or their staff members via email. In your letter, you can include important information including current issues or legislation impacting Career & Technical Education, and explain why you need their help or support. It is important to be clear and concise.

Double check your grammar and

spelling

Keep it short - limit your letter to

one to two pages

Save your letter as a PDF file

Use appropriate address,

salutation, and business letter

formatting

Use an easy to read font (Times

New Roman 12-point)

Establish yourself as a resource -

Let policymakers know that you

are an expert in your field and can

provide additional information and

expertise on the issue and impact

of the proposed legislation.

Share your experiences as an FBLA

member and explain how the

policies at hand can help the

policymaker’s constituents

Ask for a reply

Thank them for their time and

attention

HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR IMPACT: CONTENT FORMATTING

SHARINGSHARING

YOUR

Before emailing or scheduling a meeting with any policymaker, you should think about how FBLA has changed your life and shaped you into the person you are today. What is one of your favorite memories? What made you fall in love with this organization? Writing down these ideas is a great way to put your thoughts in order so you can organize them to tell an impactful story. When speaking with policymakers, it is important to explain why FBLA is important to you. By sharing a personal story and the impact FBLA has had on your life, you will be better able to connect with policymakers and leave a lasting impression. Everyone's story is unique and different which is what makes personal anecdotes so intriguing and interesting to listen to. When it comes time to talk, take a deep breath and know that you got this!

STORY!

HOW TO CONTINUE HOW TO CONTINUE THE CONNECTION... THE CONNECTION... Contact them about specific legislation or issues. Share positive information about your program and your students. Personally visit with influential policymakers. Thank them for a positive vote on your issue or on actions taken that are important to the community. Share news articles or research studies on your program with your officials. This can publicize your program, highlight the impact it has made on local constituents, and continue developing rapport with policymakers.

WHO SHOULD STUDENTS REACH OUT TO? A great place to start in terms of gaining influential contacts is through local, state, and national legislatures. Therefore, by contacting members of Congress for a meeting, we essentially incentivize them to support an influential issue not only in the congressional house but also in the media. FBLA Celebrity Alumni Celebrity with an Influential Business (Rare Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Kode with Klossy) Business (Sponsorship) CONTACT Advocacy comes in many different forms, ranging from political advocacy in relation to government legislature or on a larger outlet, the media where we have the ability to impact thousands if not millions. DEVELOPING A LARGE MEDIA LIST Developing a media list is one of the most important aspects of advocacy, but it must be handled in a strategic manner. How should students determine where to reach out to?

It is imperative that students reach out to well informed and

credible resources in order for the information to be based

as acceptable advocacy.

UTILIZING LOCAL MEDIA

STEPS TO EFFECTIVELY REACH OUT TO BE FEATURED: Keep it short Use appropriate address, salutation, and business letter formatting Personal narrative (Share your experiences as an FBLA member) Establish yourself as a resource (let writers know that you are an expert in your field and can provide additional information) Thank them for their time and attention and ask for a reply (Leave your contact information)

It is crucial to reach out to media sources in a

formal and professional manner for them to

value FBLA as a valuable source of advocacy.

WHAT NEXT? WHAT NEXT? REACHING OUT

Hi [policymaker title] (EX: Representative Harris), I hope this email finds you well! I am a student at [your high school] High School as well as a constituent of your district. I’m reaching out on behalf of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), a Career & Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that prepares over 250,000 students around the world to become community-minded business leaders through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. [3-5 sentence personal anecdote on your experience in FBLA and your purpose]. As a four-year FBLA member and chapter President [your role in FBLA], I have experienced firsthand how powerful CTSO experiences set students up for success. Joining this organization in my freshman year, FBLA has played a huge role in shaping me into the leader I am today. This year, my chapter and I are continuing our efforts to lobby support to [your goal]. Would you be available for a 15-minute Zoom meeting sometime in the next few weeks to discuss this issue? I would love the opportunity to discuss CTE/CTSO related legislation with you. Thank you for your consideration and support of CTSOs. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Sincerely, [Your name] EMAIL TEMPLATE

[Date] Honorable [Name][Official Title][Mailing Address] Dear [Name]: The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a Career & Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that prepares over 250,000 students around the world to become community-minded business leaders through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. [Include a personal anecdote on how FBLA has affected your life, chapter, school, community, etc.] FBLA would be honored if you would sponsor an official proclamation to recognize February as FBLA-PBL week. Your proclamation would lend official recognition to the important role FBLA plays in the lives of young leaders around the world as well as emphasize your personal commitment to supporting your constituents. I have enclosed a sample proclamation wich may help your office compose the appropriate proclamation for our [City/County/State/School] (Include a sample proclamation). If you or your staff have any questions regarding this request or the sample proclamation, please feel free to reach out to me at [contact information]. I will follow-up with your office on this request in the next few days. Thank you for your support for FBLA and your consideration on this request. Sincerely, [Name][Title] PROCLAMATION TEMPLATE