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.

• 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 organiza-
tion 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. De-
velop a relationship with the Advertising Director and explain the importance with the ad and ex-
planation 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.

• 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.

• Denying higher education to undocumented students reinforces the cycle of

poverty, deprives our communities of future leaders, and detracts from our
economy.

• 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.

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

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

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

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

The United States Student Association

1211 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 406, Washington, DC, 20036 - 202.640.6570