Campaign Toolkit: Education for All THE ISSUE THE CAMPAIGN THE ...
Campaign Toolkit: Education for All November 3rd -November 28th, 2016
THE ISSUE Quality education is the foundation for a successful life and something that everyone deserves, no matter where they live. Providing children with access to quality education reduces their chances of falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism. Education not only creates economic opportunities for the world’s poorest people, it also contributes to global stability and prosperity.
THE CAMPAIGN We need to convince Congress that access to education is critical for all children everywhere. The Education for All Act is designed to reach the 263 million children and youth who are still not in school (especially girls) and improve the quality of education for those already enrolled. On September 7, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4481, the Education for All Act, by voice vote. Over the summer, the Senate companion bill, S. 3256, was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Now, ONE is working to pass the Education for All Act (S.3256) through the Senate. That means we need every voice from every community across the nation to urge their Senators to cosponsor the Senate bill. Capitol Hill has heard your voice on other pieces of legislation this year and now they need to hear from you again.
THE ADVOCACY ACTIONS 1) HANDWRITTEN LETTERS. Personalized, handwritten letters remain one of the most effective advocacy tools at our disposal. The objective of the campaign is to generate and deliver handwritten letters to targeted Senators in support of this bill. See the “WHO TO TARGET” section in this toolkit to find out which Senator your school should write to, and be sure to set goals for how many letters your team aims to generate during this short campaign. Use the Report Actions page to report your team’s letters and upload a completed Data Spreadsheet with the contact info of each person who wrote a letter.
2) IN-DISTRICT LETTER DELIVERIES. Showing up to an elected leader’s local office to deliver handwritten letters in person doubles the impact! The Education for All Act is moving quickly,
and we’re asking you (in conjunction with ONE’s community volunteers) to deliver your state’s handwritten letters to your local Senate office by November 28th. We’ll be doing one delivery per state, so let your ONE Campus Manager know by 11/14 if you’ll be able to do the delivery for your state. If not, your ONE Campus Manager will be in touch to let you know who and where to send your letters in mid-late November. If you participate in a letter delivery, be sure to take a photo and post on social using #ONECampus!
THE CAMPAIGN TACTICS
THANKSGIVING LETTER-WRITING POTLUCK. Take advantage of Thanksgiving time to gather with your executive board and general members for a fall potluck! Promote your potluck to get as many people as possible to attend. At the potluck, write letters to your Senator about why you’re thankful for your education to add even more of a personal component to your letters think about how your life would be different if you didn’t have an education and what this could mean for children today. This is a great opportunity not only to generate letters, but also to thank your members for all their hard work this semester.
GET CREATIVE. There are all sorts of ways to generate handwritten letters on your campus. Work with your ONE Campus Manager and check out our ONE Campus guide on HOW TO: Write to Congress for more ideas.
SAMPLE LETTER Before you start your letter, be sure to check the Education for All target list at the end of this toolkit to find out which Senator your school should be writing to. Print this letter or display it on a screen so letter-writers can use it as a guide. *NOTE*: If your Senator is a sponsor or cosponsor of the bill, you’ll need to amend your letter to be a “thank you” letter instead of an ask for him/her to cosponsor.
Dear Senator [NAME], I am writing to ask that you show support for S. 3256, the bipartisan Education for All Act by signing on as a cosponsor of the bill. The power of education is clear -- brighter futures, healthier communities, and increased economic growth for people and countries. Providing children with access to quality education reduces their chances of falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism. And yet, 263 million children worldwide remain out of school. [INSERT PERSONAL STORY ABOUT WHY YOU’RE THANKFUL FOR YOUR EDUCATION/WHAT ACCESS TO A QUALITY EDUCATION HAS DONE FOR YOU] The Education for All Act is a bill that builds upon U.S. efforts that have already been made to gain universal access to a quality education for children around the world, with a particular emphasis on children with disabilities, those who live in conflict, and girls.
This legislation would help reach the 263 million children who are out of school today and improve the quality of education for those already in the classroom. This legislation also improves the transparency and accountability of our basic education programs around the world, ensuring that valuable taxpayer dollars have the most impact for children worldwide. I strongly urge you to join Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and the other co-sponsors of S. 3256, and sign on as a cosponsor to this bill.
[NAME] [SCHOOL] [ADDRESS]
WHO TO TARGET Given the short time frame in which we are attempting to pass this bill through the Senate, we need to be as strategic as possible about who we target. ONE’s Government Relations team has developed a list that focuses on one of the two Senators in your school’s state. Find out which Senator your campus should target here. If your Senator has already cosponsored the bill (check column C of the targeting doc), be sure to alter your letter to say “thanks” for cosponsoring instead of asking them to cosponsor. For the most up to date list of cosponsors, you can also always search GovTrack using the bill #: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s3256/details.
TALKING POINTS About global education
Globally, 263 million children and youth are out of school; 61 million primary-school-aged children and over 200 million adolescents One third of the over 93 million out-of-school children living in sub-Saharan Africa live in conflict areas. More than 114 million youth around the world cannot read Roughly half a billion women around the world can’t read Thirty percent of African youth aged 15-24 are illiterate as a result of having received little or no schooling.
Access to quality education reduces the chance of children and youth falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism and creates economic opportunities for the world’s poorest people; it also contributes to global stability and prosperity.
About the Education for All Act of 2016 (H.R. 4481/S. 3256)
The Education for All Act is an effort to reach the 263 million children and youth who are still not in school. The Education for All Act, S. 3256, is a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). The bill was first introduced in the House as H.R. 4481 by long-time education champions: Congresswoman Nita Lowey (DNY), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. On September 7, 2016, the House of Representative passed H.R. 4481 by voice vote. The next step is for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to either pass the House bill or take up its own, S. 3256. It is unclear which bill, the House or Senate version, will actually be considered, but any further action is expected after the election in November, 2016. The EFA addresses the barriers to education that millions of children around the world now face, especially girls, and improves the quality of education for those already enrolled. Through a comprehensive, integrated U.S. strategy, it would improve educational opportunities, including retention and completion, especially for girls. It ensures that children affected by conflict and other emergencies will be prioritized in the effort to expand access to education. It promotes partnerships with affected countries to strengthen their education systems, help build local capacity and promote long-term sustainability. It ensures better transparency and accountability of education programs through strong reporting requirements, ensuring taxpayers have the most impact for children worldwide.
ABOUT ONE
ONE is a nonpartisan grassroots campaigning and advocacy organization backed by over 7 million people globally who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. It is made up of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, students, parents, people of all faiths and those who profess no faith. ONE holds world leaders accountable for the commitment to fight extreme poverty, campaigns for better development policies, more effective aid, and trade reform. ONE also supports greater democracy, accountability, and transparency in developing countries so resources can most effectively be deployed. ONE achieves change through advocacy, awareness, and action. ONE works closely with policy experts, African leaders, and anti-poverty campaigners to mobilize public opinion in support of tested and proven solutions. Today, nearly 11 million people living in Africa have access to lifesaving AIDS medication, up from only 100,000 in 2002. Malaria has been cut by 75% in nine African countries since 2000, and 60 million more children across sub-Saharan Africa are now going to primary school compared to 1999
THE ISSUE Quality education is the foundation for a successful life and something that everyone deserves, no matter where they live. Providing children with access to quality education reduces their chances of falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism. Education not only creates economic opportunities for the world’s poorest people, it also contributes to global stability and prosperity.
THE CAMPAIGN We need to convince Congress that access to education is critical for all children everywhere. The Education for All Act is designed to reach the 263 million children and youth who are still not in school (especially girls) and improve the quality of education for those already enrolled. On September 7, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4481, the Education for All Act, by voice vote. Over the summer, the Senate companion bill, S. 3256, was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Now, ONE is working to pass the Education for All Act (S.3256) through the Senate. That means we need every voice from every community across the nation to urge their Senators to cosponsor the Senate bill. Capitol Hill has heard your voice on other pieces of legislation this year and now they need to hear from you again.
THE ADVOCACY ACTIONS 1) HANDWRITTEN LETTERS. Personalized, handwritten letters remain one of the most effective advocacy tools at our disposal. The objective of the campaign is to generate and deliver handwritten letters to targeted Senators in support of this bill. See the “WHO TO TARGET” section in this toolkit to find out which Senator your school should write to, and be sure to set goals for how many letters your team aims to generate during this short campaign. Use the Report Actions page to report your team’s letters and upload a completed Data Spreadsheet with the contact info of each person who wrote a letter.
2) IN-DISTRICT LETTER DELIVERIES. Showing up to an elected leader’s local office to deliver handwritten letters in person doubles the impact! The Education for All Act is moving quickly,
and we’re asking you (in conjunction with ONE’s community volunteers) to deliver your state’s handwritten letters to your local Senate office by November 28th. We’ll be doing one delivery per state, so let your ONE Campus Manager know by 11/14 if you’ll be able to do the delivery for your state. If not, your ONE Campus Manager will be in touch to let you know who and where to send your letters in mid-late November. If you participate in a letter delivery, be sure to take a photo and post on social using #ONECampus!
THE CAMPAIGN TACTICS
THANKSGIVING LETTER-WRITING POTLUCK. Take advantage of Thanksgiving time to gather with your executive board and general members for a fall potluck! Promote your potluck to get as many people as possible to attend. At the potluck, write letters to your Senator about why you’re thankful for your education to add even more of a personal component to your letters think about how your life would be different if you didn’t have an education and what this could mean for children today. This is a great opportunity not only to generate letters, but also to thank your members for all their hard work this semester.
GET CREATIVE. There are all sorts of ways to generate handwritten letters on your campus. Work with your ONE Campus Manager and check out our ONE Campus guide on HOW TO: Write to Congress for more ideas.
SAMPLE LETTER Before you start your letter, be sure to check the Education for All target list at the end of this toolkit to find out which Senator your school should be writing to. Print this letter or display it on a screen so letter-writers can use it as a guide. *NOTE*: If your Senator is a sponsor or cosponsor of the bill, you’ll need to amend your letter to be a “thank you” letter instead of an ask for him/her to cosponsor.
Dear Senator [NAME], I am writing to ask that you show support for S. 3256, the bipartisan Education for All Act by signing on as a cosponsor of the bill. The power of education is clear -- brighter futures, healthier communities, and increased economic growth for people and countries. Providing children with access to quality education reduces their chances of falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism. And yet, 263 million children worldwide remain out of school. [INSERT PERSONAL STORY ABOUT WHY YOU’RE THANKFUL FOR YOUR EDUCATION/WHAT ACCESS TO A QUALITY EDUCATION HAS DONE FOR YOU] The Education for All Act is a bill that builds upon U.S. efforts that have already been made to gain universal access to a quality education for children around the world, with a particular emphasis on children with disabilities, those who live in conflict, and girls.
This legislation would help reach the 263 million children who are out of school today and improve the quality of education for those already in the classroom. This legislation also improves the transparency and accountability of our basic education programs around the world, ensuring that valuable taxpayer dollars have the most impact for children worldwide. I strongly urge you to join Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and the other co-sponsors of S. 3256, and sign on as a cosponsor to this bill.
[NAME] [SCHOOL] [ADDRESS]
WHO TO TARGET Given the short time frame in which we are attempting to pass this bill through the Senate, we need to be as strategic as possible about who we target. ONE’s Government Relations team has developed a list that focuses on one of the two Senators in your school’s state. Find out which Senator your campus should target here. If your Senator has already cosponsored the bill (check column C of the targeting doc), be sure to alter your letter to say “thanks” for cosponsoring instead of asking them to cosponsor. For the most up to date list of cosponsors, you can also always search GovTrack using the bill #: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s3256/details.
TALKING POINTS About global education
Globally, 263 million children and youth are out of school; 61 million primary-school-aged children and over 200 million adolescents One third of the over 93 million out-of-school children living in sub-Saharan Africa live in conflict areas. More than 114 million youth around the world cannot read Roughly half a billion women around the world can’t read Thirty percent of African youth aged 15-24 are illiterate as a result of having received little or no schooling.
Access to quality education reduces the chance of children and youth falling victim to extreme poverty, hunger, trafficking, disease and extremism and creates economic opportunities for the world’s poorest people; it also contributes to global stability and prosperity.
About the Education for All Act of 2016 (H.R. 4481/S. 3256)
The Education for All Act is an effort to reach the 263 million children and youth who are still not in school. The Education for All Act, S. 3256, is a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). The bill was first introduced in the House as H.R. 4481 by long-time education champions: Congresswoman Nita Lowey (DNY), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. On September 7, 2016, the House of Representative passed H.R. 4481 by voice vote. The next step is for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to either pass the House bill or take up its own, S. 3256. It is unclear which bill, the House or Senate version, will actually be considered, but any further action is expected after the election in November, 2016. The EFA addresses the barriers to education that millions of children around the world now face, especially girls, and improves the quality of education for those already enrolled. Through a comprehensive, integrated U.S. strategy, it would improve educational opportunities, including retention and completion, especially for girls. It ensures that children affected by conflict and other emergencies will be prioritized in the effort to expand access to education. It promotes partnerships with affected countries to strengthen their education systems, help build local capacity and promote long-term sustainability. It ensures better transparency and accountability of education programs through strong reporting requirements, ensuring taxpayers have the most impact for children worldwide.
ABOUT ONE
ONE is a nonpartisan grassroots campaigning and advocacy organization backed by over 7 million people globally who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. It is made up of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, students, parents, people of all faiths and those who profess no faith. ONE holds world leaders accountable for the commitment to fight extreme poverty, campaigns for better development policies, more effective aid, and trade reform. ONE also supports greater democracy, accountability, and transparency in developing countries so resources can most effectively be deployed. ONE achieves change through advocacy, awareness, and action. ONE works closely with policy experts, African leaders, and anti-poverty campaigners to mobilize public opinion in support of tested and proven solutions. Today, nearly 11 million people living in Africa have access to lifesaving AIDS medication, up from only 100,000 in 2002. Malaria has been cut by 75% in nine African countries since 2000, and 60 million more children across sub-Saharan Africa are now going to primary school compared to 1999
