Local Policymakers

To find the local policymakers in your community begin by visiting:

Oklahoma Municipal League 

Oklahoma Parent Teacher Association

Oklahoma State School Boards Association 

Project Vote Smart - for a complete list of elected officials for your community. 

Need an idea for engaging local policymakers?

Invite your city council members, county commissioners and/or school board members to visit an afterschool program. Request a time slot on an upcoming meeting agenda to share information about afterschool. Plan a Lights On Afterschool! event to raise local policymaker awareness about the importance of afterschool.

Communities across Oklahoma have decorated their City Hall with light bulb art created by children, packed City Commission meetings with afterschool advocates and organized citywide summits and coalitions to work on the issue. Always be sure to involve youth and parents in your afterschool partnerships and events.

Contact the media

Below are ideas for utilizing the media to build awareness and understanding of afterschool issues and assets.

Send a Letter to the Editor of your local paper to share your thoughts and information about afterschool. Get tips for writing such a letter from Let Your Voice Be Heard by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.

Arrange a meeting with your local newspaper’s editorial board to educate them about your partnership and the issue of out-of-school time.

Nominate a volunteer from your program to be highlighted on a local television or radio station. Many television and radio stations honor community volunteers on a regular basis. Contact your local media to find out if they recognize volunteers.

For additional ideas on how to work with and engage the media on the issue of afterschool check out the Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool is Key to Kids' Success! action campaign.

Federal Legislators

State Legislators

Local Policymakers