Advocacy  Letter  Assignment   Building  on  the  topic  the  student  used  for  the  first  assignment,  this  assignment  will   require  the  student  to  write  a  one page  advocacy  letter  to  be  sent  to  their  legislator.

Advocacy  Letter  Assignment   Building  on  the  topic  the  student  used  for  the  first  assignment,  this  assignment  will   require  the  student  to  write  a  one page  advocacy  letter  to  be  sent  to  their  legislator.     This  assignment  will  be  worth  20%  of  the  cumulative  grade.   An  advocacy  letter  is  a  way  to  influence  the  ideas  and  views  of  legislators  or   decision  makers  within  an  organization.      It  allows  the  writer  to  maintain  contact   with  the  legislator  or  decision  maker,  to  keep  the  issue  high  on  the  priority  list  when   the  writer  cannot  meet  with  them  personally.       The  format  of  the  advocacy  letter  should  be  written  in  a  standard  letter  format.     Proper  title  and  language  should  be  used.    It  should  not  be  more  than  two  pages long,  as  to  increase  the  chances  that  the  letter  will  be  read  by  the  legislator,  his  or   her  staff  or  decision  maker.    Letters  maybe  mailed  or  sent  electronically.       The advocacy letter should contain the following components: • Addressing the Letter – If the letter is concerning a Federal or State Bill or issue, it should be addressed to the Member of Congress or State Legislator who represents the student or if the issue is more local, it should be addressed to the decision makers who would be most concerned with the issue. Use the correct salutation. • Introduction  –  Introduce  yourself  and  offer  a  concise  statement  about the  reason  for  the  advocacy  letter.    If  discussing  a  specific  legislative bill,  include  the  bill  number. • Health  Policy  Issue  l  In  one  to  two  paragraphs,  accurately  describe the issues  raised,  provide  a  clear  position  in  favor  of  or  opposed  to, and offer  specific  examples  of  your  concerns.    Personal  stories  work well here. • Legislative  or  Advocacy  Recommendations    l  Directly  ask  for  the  acti