Capitol Hill Day 2015
NATIONAL MENTORING SUMMIT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 | CAPITOL HILL, WASHINGTON, DC
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Agenda for today’s webinar
 Capitol Hill Day goals and logistics
 Materials for Capitol Hill Day
 How to prepare before coming to DC
 Legislative issues – to be discussed in your meetings
 Questions and Answers
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Capitol Hill Day 2015
The goals for successful meetings during Hill Day are:
 Strengthen or establish a relationship with Representatives and Senators
(including their staff);
 Educate Members of Congress and staff about mentoring and the issues
mentoring programs are facing; and,
 Encourage Members of Congress to support key policies supported by youth
mentoring and youth development communities.
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Capitol Hill Day agenda
Wednesday, Jan. 28
7:30 a.m.
Bus will deliver participants to Capitol Hill (Renaissance
Downtown DC)
8 – 10
Breakfast and Capitol Hill Day training (Rayburn House Office Building)
10:15
Group Photo (West Front, U.S. Capitol Building)
10 – 4
Capitol Hill Day (lunch on your own)
6–8
Welcoming Reception (Renaissance Downtown DC)
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Security on Capitol Hill
Similar to security in airports you’ll have to pass through metal
detectors and have your bags searched at every entrance.
 Be prepared to remove your coats and outerwear to be screened, as well
 Sealed boxes, closed envelopes, and weapons of any kind, including mace and knives
of any size, are prohibited
 Additionally, no cans, bottles (including reusable water bottles) and any food or
beverages of any kind are permitted in the Capitol Building and Capitol Visitors Center
“When in doubt, leave it out.”
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Attire
Business and business-casual attire is recommended.
 MENTOR will provide all Capitol Hill Day participants with a t-shirt to wear on the Hill.
(Pick up Tuesday at the hotel).
 Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking on marble floors inside and damp (maybe
even slushy) sidewalks outside.
 Wear layers to protect against unpredictable January weather in DC.
 Avoid wearing jeans and any shirts or buttons with political affiliation, partisan
positions and/or lewd language.
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But Why Advocate?
 Youth mentoring needs passionate
and knowledgeable advocates. That’s
you.
 Personal experiences and stories
can make a concept “real” to
Members of Congress and their staff.
Carry the flag for youth mentoring!
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Why Participate in Capitol Hill Day?
Generally, in-person advocacy is the most effective
form of advocacy
 More personal and conversational
 It can elicit a reaction; you can discuss detail that written
communications miss; and, answer questions on the spot
 You may get an immediate response (“Yes, I will support that
bill” or “Let me and my staff look into this bill and get back to
you”)
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Capitol Hill Day Materials
Hill Day participants will be provided one folder for each
scheduled meeting:
 Folders will include: Legislative leave-behind document and fliers
About MENTOR and About Mentoring Partnerships
 Each folder will have an empty side to be filled by participants
with materials about their local/state programs and efforts
 Participants will also be provided a feedback form for each
meeting to be returned to MENTOR
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Before Coming to DC
 Sharpen your message.
 Know what you want to ask the legislator to do (co-sponsor a bill;
visit a local mentoring program; etc.). This is your goal.
 Gather your facts, stories and local touch-points.
 Plan your group strategy, if applicable. Who will talk about what?
Who will be the contact name you leave with the office?
 Prepare enough materials and bring business cards.
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During Your Hill meetings
 Introduce yourself and the group, if applicable.
 Stay on topic. Engage in some chit-chat, but don’t waste too much time.
Tell your story. You have one or the youth you’re advocating on behalf of do.
 Get a commitment – or at least an understanding of your request from the
legislator or aide. Follow up if they don’t commit.
 Allow time for questions.
 Leave behind your supporting materials and contact information.
 Don’t forget to get a picture! Use #CapitolHillDay on social media.
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Capitol Hill life. Be flexible.
 Your meeting – especially if it’s with the legislator – may be held anywhere,
even on the move! Go with it.
 Hill staff are sometimes very young. Give them as much respect as you expect
in return. They’re responsible for briefing their bosses.
 Your meeting may be short. 15 minutes is normal. But if the legislator has the
time and is engaged, he or she will try to extend your time together.
 You may be interrupted. Hill offices are small, often noisy and busy.
 Ask for a picture. Post that picture and link to the MOCs social media properties
with a thank you.
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Covering the issues
We’ll ask you to cover 4 bills total and 1 request to join a caucus on
mentoring
 Two funding-related bills (one House, one Senate)
 Discussing funding is a necessary evil – some equate “mentoring” with “volunteering” and forget that
there are still costs associated with running a quality program and/or scaling best practices
 One legislative issue related to child safety
 One legislative issue related to school-connected mentoring (House-only)
 Finally, a request to join the House Mentoring Caucus (House-only)
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Bills and Issues
Increase investment in quality youth mentoring at OJJDP
 Currently only 1 federal grant program funds youth mentoring (DOJ) at $90 million
 The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) manages program
 In the past, grant programs from at least 3 federal agencies funded programs for mentoring but
the programs and money have gone away over time
 Increasing the amount of the grant program at OJJDP may encourage more mentoring
organization to compete for funds
 THE ASK: Co-sponsor Senate bill to increase funding for Youth Mentoring
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Bills and Issues
Support the America’s FOCUS Act
The FOCUS Act funds youth mentoring and three other issue areas (medical R&D, justice
reinvestments and STEM education) through civil and criminal penalties levied against
corporations found guilty of wrong-doing by the federal government
 The bill carries no expense to tax-payers and a percentage is reserved for deficit reduction
 MENTOR joined a long list of organizations supporting FOCUS Act
 The FOCUS Act has only been introduced in the U.S. House (not the Senate)
 THE ASK: Co-sponsor H.R. TBD the America’s FOCUS Act (Rep. Chaka Fattah)
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Bills and Issues
Support the Child Protection Improvements Act (CPIA)
CPIA provides access for all youth-serving organizations to national FBI fingerprint background
checks for use as part of a comprehensive background screening of all adults wishing to work
with children.
 Provides universal, streamlined access to FBI fingerprint background checks (does not mandate
their use)
 Manages expense and timeliness of return to real-cost and reasonable turnaround
 CPIA carries no taxpayer expense
 THE ASK: Co-sponsor the Child Protection Improvements Act (CPIA)
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Bills and Issues
Support the Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act
The Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act creates a grant program to award grants to schools and
nonprofit organizations for establishing school-based mentoring programs for at-risk youth
transitioning between middle and high school.
 The mentor (or “success coach”) would develop a plan for each mentee, enter into an
agreement with the school and parents/guardians, meet with the student, and serve as the
mentees advocate.
 The bill also allows use of the grant funds to train mentors, cover materials needed and hire
necessary staff to manage program
 THE ASK: Cosponsor H.R. TBD, the Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act (Rep.
Andre Carson IN-07)
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Dividing the issues
Bills to raise in House meetings
Bills to raise in Senate meetings
 America’s FOCUS Act
 Increase mentoring funds at OJJDP
 Child Protection Improvements Act
(CPIA)
 Child Protection Improvements Act
(CPIA)
 Transition-to-Success Mentoring Act
 Join the House Mentoring Caucus
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When the work is done…
If you wrap up your Congressional appointments and have
free time before the Welcoming Reception:
 Consider working with your Representative or one of your Senators to
schedule a tour of the Capitol (do this before coming to Washington)
 Check out one of the many Smithsonian museums within walking distance of
both Capitol Hill and the hotel (they’re free!)
 Learn more about things to do in DC at http://washington.org/
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Have any questions?
WWW.MENTORING.ORG/2015_NATIONAL_MENTORING_SUMMIT
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