Winter Leadership Institute

The Institute is open to everyone—all NHSA members, Head Start alumni, and advocates. If your life is impacted by the importance of early childhood education, you are a stakeholder.

Some Institute attendees have been following early childhood education legislative issues for many years, but many are first-time advocates. Our goal is to fully prepare all attendees for their meetings on Capitol Hill.

100% yes. Research by the Congressional Management Foundation shows direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers' decisions than other advocacy strategies. In three surveys of congressional staff over a 10-year span, over 94% consistently said that "in-person visits from constituents" would have "some" or "a lot" of influence on an undecided lawmaker.

State delegations typically attend meetings together. For this event, we look to partner with a State Captain from each state. State Captains are lead advocates who help schedule and coordinate meetings, receive additional info from NHSA, and stay in touch with other in-state advocates to ensure that the day runs smoothly. If no other representatives from your state are able to attend, an NHSA staff member or another experienced advocate can attend the meeting with you.

The IRS has developed guidelines that ensure nonprofit groups and private citizens can advocate legally. Still concerned? The National Council of Nonprofits has resources to help.

If your products and services support the healthy development of young children or help Head Start and Early Head Start programs operate more efficiently and effectively, take a look at the many partnership opportunities we offer.