Assignment: Letter to Your Representative

Depending on the urgency of a social problem and policy timeline, you may not have the opportunity toattend a meeting with local, state, or federal representatives to vocalize your advocacy goals as they relate to the specific policies and agendas.

As an advocacy professional, you have other means of communication that can influence decision makers and legislators. Some social workers communicate by writing letters and emails to their legislators on a regular basis—others might write to broader audiences by submitting a letter to the editor of a periodical or news site. Through direct and personalized correspondence, the social worker can develop a professional relationship with the legislator. The more letters a legislator receives, the more likely they are to become an ally and to be influenced to support and vote for your social change projects.

For this Assignment, you will craft a message to the political leader(s)responsible forthe policy or policy alternative you identified earlier in the course.As part of your Assignment, you will also send your message—either via physical mail or email—to your representative(s)and reflect on the experience.

To Prepare:

• Locate the information for your local or state representative(s)responsible forthepolicy and/or policy alternativeyou selected earlier in the course.


• Review theadvocacyresources from theCouncil on Social Work Educationand theAmerican Psychological Association from the Learning Resources this week.


• Review theletter and emailexamples from theSample Letters and Emailssection oftheLearning Resources this week.


• Determine whether you will write a letter or an email to your representative(s).(Consider the tips from your resources this week to make your decision.)


• Craft your message and send it to your local or state representative(s).

Complete the two-part Assignment.

Part 1:

Submita 1- to 2-pagemessage to your political representative(s). Address the following in your message:

• Usetheappropriate structure for thedeliveryformat (letter or email).


• Introduce yourselfandyour intentor request.


• Describe thesocial problem and impacts of the policy in question.


• Use facts, stories, or otherdetailstoappeal to the representative(s)and connect the policy work totheirdistrict or state.


• Provide a call to action—inspire your representative(s)torise to this occasion.

Part 2:

Submita 1-page reflection of yourprocessfor writing a message toyourpolitical representative(s). Address the following in your short reflection:

• Describe the experience of sending the message—either via letter or email—to your representative(s). How did it feel to formally advocate on behalf of a policy to alleviate a social problem you have thoroughly reviewed?


• Did youwrite aletter oranemail? Explainyour reasoning.


• Describe how youconstructedthe letter. Use the Council on Social Work Education andAmericanPsychological Association resourcesfrom the Learning Resources this weekto support your choices.


• Explain how you usedyouradvocacyskills in your communication.


• What are yournext steps as an advocate?