There are many meaningful ways to take action in support of the Society's advocacy agenda. Here is a preliminary round-up.

Contacting Congress, the White House and Other Elected Officials

The LSA partners with a number of national organizations, COSSA, NHA and ACTFL, that have online portals designed to send your e-mail messages directly to your designated members of Congress, in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In addition, you may also find contact information for your Congressional representatives here (House and Senate), searchable by zip code and/or state.

Receive LSA Policy Alerts

We'll forward you e-mail action alerts from our partners listed above, and any alerts we generate within the LSA. Sign-up here.

March for Science

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Marches for Science, whether in Washington, DC or in another location. Check the LSA's Facebook page for more pictures from the March. 

Volunteer to work on a policy project

We have research, writing, monitoring, coordinating and organizing projects available.

Related archival content first published in April, 2015 is available below.

Since we hired our first Director of Communications, Brice Russ, last summer, the LSA has started to take a more active role in federal policy issues that affect linguists and linguistics. The LSA, for example, has worked to raise awareness of legislation that would help revitalize Native American languages, and has spoken out against a bill that would make dramatic cuts to NSF linguistics research funding. LSA staff frequently visit Congressional offices and work with coalitions including COSSA and CNSF--but often, the most important message members of Congress can hear is from their constituents.

Today, we have two announcements to help interested LSA members take a more active role in advocating for linguistic policy.

First, we're opening an online form to collect contact information from LSA members who'd like to be more informed about policy issues. The LSA will continue to share policy updates through our website, social media, and email, but will also contact specific members occasionally with news relevant to their stated interests, congressional district, etc.

We're also excited to announce the LSA's first-ever Advocacy Day, to be held in conjunction with the 2016 LSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Advocacy Day participants will receive advance information and training from policy experts, then head to Capitol Hill with their colleagues to meet with Congressional offices, including their own. Two Advocacy Day options are currently scheduled for Thursday, January 7 (before the Annual Meeting begins that evening) and Monday, January 11 (the day after the Annual Meeting concludes). More information will be available as we get closer to the Meeting; if you'd like to keep updated, please fill out our online contact form.

We also encourage linguists interested in policy issues to consider joining the LSA's Committee on Public Policy. A number of other LSA committees, including CELP, Ethics and LiSC, have also been active on policy issues.

This is a critical time for many linguistic issues; your voice can make a difference. We look forward to hearing from you!