Ussa Call In Day Materials

Organizing a Call-In Day Call-in days are an easy to plan, and highly effective tactic for delivering our message to your Elected Officials. Phone calls are often what make the difference in convincing senators and representative who are on the fence to vote your way. Here is a quick checklist for a successful National Call-In Day on your campus! Many times, organizations are not told of language, or the vote, on federal bills until the night before. Although we will not know when the call happens does not mean we have to be unprepared. The following are steps to help prepare for the National Call-In Day. •

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Remember to have a list of volunteers that are ready to act so you can call them the night before to help with the calls. Have a spreadsheet that allows you to write notes such as which organization they are part of and what residence hall/dorm they live in. Use people’s connections. Have them call or email the members of their organization. Publicize the call-in day in your campus newspaper, through campus e-mail, and on bulletin boards all over campus. Find out if you can submit an ad to run in your paper on short notice. Develop a relationship with the Advertising Director and explain the importance with the ad and explanation why it is so last minute. Utilize the contact sheets from your education forums to do phone banking the night before the call in day. Set up at least two tables with four mobile phones available for students to make a short 30 second to One Minute phone call to their US Representative and Senators. Use Ironing Boards, they are the perfect height so no one needs to bend down and they are mobile so you can move it anywhere. Provide students with a sample phone script with talking points, which they can either read or use as a guide to help them through the call. (See the sample phone script). The call-in sheet should also include your representative’s office number. Tables should have a sign or a banner to draw students to them. Staffing a phone-in table is an interactive activity. Tabling staff should be standing up (not sitting) interacting with students as they walk in to the vicinity of the table. It is the tabling staffs’ job to draw students to the table. Staff should also be able to answer any questions students may have. Ask each student who makes a phone call to provide you with contact information so you can activate them at a later date. Remember to utilize the residence halls/dorms. Students are often in their rooms in between classes and there is always a phone around. Student organization offices are set up for call in days. They are all located near each other and usually have a group of people studying or waiting for class to start. Have them use the office phone to save on their minutes and just hand them a script. Dial 1-800-574-4243 to be connected to your Members of Congress.

Sample Script Hi! My name is ____________ and I am a student at the (your campus) and a voter in your district. I am calling in conjunction with the US Student Association and students from across the country to urge our elected officials to support the DREAM Act amendment to expand access to higher education for high school graduates who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented children. I support the DREAM Act because it will increase opportunities for 360,000 qualified high school graduates who are currently denied their dream to an education. (insert talking point here) Can I count on _(Elected Official’s Name)__ to support the DREAM Act in this session of congress? Thank you for your time and I look forward to your support.

The United States Student Association 1211 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 406, Washington, DC, 20036 - 202.640.6570

Making The Dream

DREAM Act Talking Points Talking points are the main points we use when communicating our message. They are the points we feel best explain our position to the different groups of people with whom we are communicating: other students on campus, the media and our legislators. The talking points below are how USSA talks about the DREAM Act. •

Every year, almost 65,000 undocumented students will be denied access to higher education due to their inability to receive financial aid.

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The DREAM Act would give these students the same opportunity to excel as their classmates. Several states have passed measures to grant in-state tuition benefits to undocumented students.

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Denying higher education to undocumented students reinforces the cycle of poverty, deprives our communities of future leaders, and detracts from our economy.

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In 2003, a bachelor’s degree recipient had an average household income of $98,136 while a high school diploma recipient had an average household income of only $54,975. Educational access for immigrants helps the economy and builds the country’s tax base.

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The DREAM Act would enable undocumented students to apply for an adjustment in their immigration status and gain eligibility for federal financial aid programs.

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66% of undocumented workers make less than 10.30/hr, compared to only 33% of the total worker population

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About 90% of the fastest-growing jobs of the future will require some postsecondary education or training

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Current Law effectively prevents DREAM student from attending college at all, much less graduating: only 1 out of 20 undocumented high school graduates currently attend college.

The United States Student Association 1211 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 406, Washington, DC, 20036 - 202.640.6570