2017 FIRST National Advocacy Conference

[Larry Lewis]

Hello Everyone!

Are you interested in getting more awareness and support for FIRST in the U.S.A.?
Do you want to know how to hold our elected officials accountable?
Would you like to know what you can do to make a difference for every student in the U.S.?

If any of this interests you, then the 2017 National Advocacy Conference can help you reach those goals.

The 2017 National Advocacy Conference will take place on June 25, 26, 27th at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hotel in Washington, DC. We will train you and send you out to meet with your Representatives and Senators. No previous advocacy experience is needed! We focus on building relationships with your elected officials and growing FIRST!

The cost to attend is $250 per person through 5/16/2017 and then $280 per person after that. Space is limited so make sure to register as soon as you can!

The conference brochure can be downloaded at:
http://gettravel.com/wp-content/uplo...t_2017_web.pdf

The registration website and additional information is at:
http://gettravel.com/first-nac

We NEED your help to be heard! The more states and more teams we have represented, the more Congress will take FIRST seriously, and the more they will listen to our desire to promote STEM opportunities for kids all across America!

If you have participated before, please feel free to post a message in this thread telling us about your experience. If you have not participated, please email nac@firstnac.org if you have any questions.

A Special Thank You to: FRC 1086 Blue Cheese, FRC 1511 The Rolling Thunder, FRC 1676 Pascack Pi-oneers, FRC 1718 The Fighting Pi, FRC 1816 The Green Machine, and FRC 2655 The Flying Platypi for help in promoting and organizing this event!

Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for those who have recruited new teams in the past and continue to do so now.

Thank you!

[Aaron Kurtz]

I went to the national advocacy conference last year and i can honestly say that it was way better than i thought it would be. I got to meet with senators and Representatives it really cool buildings. We got to go places you couldn't go with a normal tour group. We even got to shake hands with Dean Kamen and got to the senate and see them vote on laws. It was really cool. I also got better at talking to vips (spent almost 2 days getting information on how to talk to vips). 10/10 would go again if i have time to!

[cadandcookies]

My FTC team had the good fortune to be able to attend the 2016 National Advocacy Conference, and learned a lot! The students also had a great time interacting with other teams and helping share what they learned at local events afterwards. Definitely highly recommended if you can get the logistics to work out!

[brwesty]

The National Advocacy Conference provides all of the information and training participants need to speak confidently and knowledgeably to lawmakers. No prior experience is required. Our team has participated for several years and the students always report that it is one of the most memorable experiences that they have. How often do you have the chance to tell your US senator in person what is important to you?

In addition to the NAC experience itself, our students brought home the lessons they learned and applied them at the state level. After two years of work, they were able to help get a bill passed and signed into law. Amazing. (In case you are curious, you can see information about the bill here)

The National Advocacy Conference is a permanent part of our team calendar now-- a "can't miss event." I'm really looking forward to returning in 2017 and highly recommend it to other teams.

[Drennael]

I attended the FIRST NAC for two years as a student on FRC Team 1676 because I wanted to make a difference. FIRST has made an incredibly positive impact on my life, and I believe that every school district should have the opportunity and the ability to provide after school mentor-based STEM programs to its students. Speaking to my government representatives with other students who were similarly motivated was empowering and inspiring. NAC made me a more informed citizen, a more confident presenter, and a more active advocate for STEM education.

[brwesty]

Don't miss any updates on the plans for the FIRST National Advocacy Conference 2017. Follow the event on Twitter (@FIRSTNAC) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTNAC).