Nothing is more persuasive than seeing service-learning in action. Elected officials will understand the value of service-learning better when they see it first-hand. Planning and executing a site visit is a great way to show our policy makers how important it is to make investments in youth service and service-learning. As our Members of Congress gear up for their recess from August 11 – September 5 and return to their districts, now is an ideal time to invite them to visit your program. Take this opportunity to show them how additional service-learning resources could be spent—on successful, effective programs like yours.

Action Steps

• Select the project you would most like to showcase. Choose well-run projects that provide a clear link between service and academic or civic learning. Also be on the lookout for activities that have successfully involved students in decision-making and that have a very clear impact on their community.
• Start by sending a written invitation to the scheduler or appointments secretary. For Members of Congress, you should preferably make the first contact two to three months before the time you would like the visit to take place. Also, try to schedule visits during congressional recess periods, when your Member of Congress is more likely to be in his or her district.
• Sample Letter of Invitation for a Site Visit
• Find Members of Congress
• Include your superintendent, principal and school board in the visit.
• During the visit, be prepared to talk about ways that your Member of Congress can support service-learning. See a list of policies YSA supports here.
• Send a letter of appreciation after the official makes the visit, including a restatement of what you may be asking the elected official to do.

When to Schedule Site Visits

• During Congressional Recess - Recess periods are when Congress is not meeting in Washington D.C. Winter recess usually includes the month of December and early January; Easter recess includes the first three weeks of Aprill and the summer recess is usually the full month of August until after Labor Day.
• During Year-End Celebrations and Recognition Events - As the school year begins to wind down, service-learning supporters often plan year-end recognition events and ceremonies to celebrate another successful year of service-learning. Consider inviting public officials to participate in these celebrations with you.

Let Us Know What Happened

Once you've scheduled a site visit for your public official, tell us about it. Send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following information:

• your name
• your school/organization
• the names of public official(s) scheduled to visit your site and their staff
• the date and time of your visit
• a quick description of what you've planned or what happened during the visit
  

Thanks for all your work, and have a great site visit!