The Alliance's 2012 Advocacy Day will take place February 29 and March 1, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. 

Advocacy Day, the start of the Alliance’s annual advocacy cycle, is a prime opportunity to engage Congress at a critical time. We encourage all Alliance full member organizations to send as many staff members as possible to what is both an excellent professional development opportunity and an important activity for our field.

Structure and Cost

We have re-structured Advocacy Day this year to better prepare participants for the current political climate of continuing pressure for reductions in federal spending and unprecedented scrutiny of J-1 exchanges.

This year's Advocacy Day package includes:

• An in-depth Prep Workshop (February 29, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm)
• A Prep Breakfast (March 1, 7:30-8:30 am)
• Your Congressional meetings (March 1, ~9:00 am-2:00 pm). 

The cost of this package is $200.00 for the first staff member of your organization and $150.00 for every subsequent staff member.

The Prep Workshop is designed for all Advocacy Day participants, newcomers and veterans alike. It features substantive discussions of FY 2012 appropriations and funded programs, the current J-1 visa situation, as well as important messaging work and interactive role plays to help you master effective advocacy techniques.

In addition, a "Newcomer Session" (February 29, 9:00 am - 10:30 am) will introduce participants who have not attended an Alliance Advocacy Day before to the work of the Alliance throughout the year, the basics of a Congressional office, as well as the Congressional committee system.

The cost of this newcomer session is an additional $50 per participant, on top of the Advocacy Day package cost above.