| Event | Date | Time | Location | Description |
| "Know Before You Go" webinar |
Friday, 16 May 2025 |
5:00 p.m. ET | Virtual | Preparing for virtual Capitol Hill visits: we review the priorities, talking points, and logistics for your meetings with your members of Congress. |
| Reception |
Monday, 16 June 2025 |
6:00 p.m. ET |
TESOL Office 1925 Ballenger Avenue, Suite 550, Alexandria, VA |
Join colleagues as we arrive in D.C. and prepare for advocacy! |
| Federal policy updates |
Tuesday, 17 June 2025 |
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET |
The Westin Alexandria Old Town 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA |
TESOL provides an overview of the 119th Congress, including committees and leadership, along with the priorities impacting the ELT field, MLEs, families, schools, and communities. Our 2025 keynote speaker is Montserrat Garibay, former Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition. See the schedule below for presenter details. |
| Dinner |
Tuesday, 17 June 2025 |
6:00 p.m. ET |
Alexandria, VA |
Dinner sponsored by the Center for Applied Linguistics |
| Hill Visit Breakfast |
Wednesday, 18 June 2025 |
8:30 a.m. ET |
Rayburn House Office Building, room 2168 Washington, D.C. |
Enjoy a breakfast in the Rayburn House Office Building sponsored by EduSkills. |
Capitol Hill visits |
Wednesday, 18 June 2025 |
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET | House/Senate Offices in Washington, D.C. | Capitol Hill visits with your Representatives' and Senators' offices. |
| Advocacy stories |
Wednesday, 18 June 2025 |
5:00 p.m. ET | Washington, D.C. | Join us for an informal gathering back to share the events of the day. |
Raising Our Voices: 2025 TESOL Advocacy Action Days!
Why TESOLers Took the Hill
By attending the 2025 TESOL Advocacy Action Days, TESOLers were able to:
- Build relationships with representative and senators.
- Learn more about the policies that impact ELT and MLEs.
- Lift the voice of learners, families, and communities.
- Hone their advocacy skills.
- Gain the resources and tools to keep advocacy alive throughout the year!
Learn about the legislative priorities for the 119th U.S. Congress!
Advocacy Action Days Schedules - How TESOlers Engaged
Federal Policy Update Schedule
TESOLers join with our colleagues to learn more about policies and impact across all levels!
The 2025 Schedule brought together the Migration Policy Institute, the National Newcomer network, the National Coalition for Literacy, the President's Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration, and staffers from both Democrat and Republican Members of Congress.
| Topic | Speaker(s) | Organization |
| U.S. Federal Policy Update | Jeff Hutcheson | TESOL International Association |
| Federal Context: PreK-12 Public Education | Julie Sugarman | Migration Policy Institute |
| Advocating for Newcomers |
Alejandra Vázquez Baur, |
The Century Foundation and the National Newcomer Network, |
| Supporting Our Schools | Cesar Moreno Peréz | American Federation of Teachers (AFT) |
| Keynote Address and Lunch | Montserrat Garibay | Advocacy Chair, NABE |
| Federal Context: Adult Education |
Margie McHugh, |
Migration Policy Institute, |
| Federal Context: Higher Education | Diego Sánchez | Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration |
| Language Access | Dr. Bill Rivers | WP Rivers & Associates |
| Congressional Staff Meetings | Congressional Staffers |
This well-organized and meaningful experience has inspired our affiliate organization to build up our advocacy efforts!
Make Contact
Advocacy Action Center
The action center is a free resource for all advocates, TESOL members and non-members alike, to find and contact their members of the United States Congress and state legislatures. Most importantly advocates can answer action alerts from TESOL to contact their members of Congress on important issues TESOL is tracking.
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Your organization has the chance to directly support the advocacy efforts of English language teaching professionals in the U.S. View our sponsorship opportunities to discover ways to help.
