On April 18, 2012, OPEN took another step toward building people power by hosting a bus trip to Baton Rouge from New Orleans for over 70 local residents, parents, and students to attend the state’s BESE and House Education Committee meetings, meet with legislators, and support local public education.
The purpose of the learning trip was to elevate participants understanding of the democratic process and connect local community members to important legislative activities and their elected officials during this critical legislative session. To prepare for the trip, participants received OPEN’s Policy Toolkit and hands-on training from One Voice Louisiana. Once in Baton Rouge, participants spoke to legislators and gave inspiring testimony around proposed legislation, particularly House Bill #407, commonly known as the “anti-bullying” bill. The trip was a resounding success and extremely powerful for all involved.
“Today was eye opening and informational. The whole legislative process wasn’t something I’ve experienced before, but I want to get more involved. So it was great! It was a great way to spend my day,” said Shira Speigal from Students for Education Reform at Tulane University.
Another parent participant summed it up this way, “I didn’t have a grasp on the possibility that my voice could be heard at that level. This was a very informative and empowering experience that helped me understand the entire process better.”
Leave a Reply