Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1349911
14 ey are typically just over four inches tall. ey cost just 36 cents to mail. ere's no denying postcards are small. But, cra a meaningful message and put them in the hands of Wyoming lawmakers, and suddenly postcards—small as they may be—become mighty. Repeat that process thousands of times, enshrining Wyoming voters' stories and priorities on each card, and the power of our unified voice for education grows right along with that stack of postcards piling up in legislators' mailboxes. Since January, WEA has coordinated a statewide postcard writing campaign, putting thousands of postcards in the hands of Wyoming lawmakers. As of this writing, more than 4,000 cards have been sent from the WEA headquarters office on behalf of members submitting digital postcard forms sharing their stories. UniServ Directors have provided cards and postage for postcard writing parties across the state, during which thousands of handwritten cards from education employees and other community advocates of education have been mailed to Wyoming lawmakers. WEA- Retired members have also handwritten more than 1,200 cards. Each personal story is unique, but the ask of legislators is always the same: Establish new, stable revenue streams to fund Wyoming education. In January, the WEA Government Relations arm trained a cadre of interested members in a comprehensive overview of the issues facing Wyoming education and Wyoming's economy as a whole. e cadre learned more about how we can solve the problem as a state and how education advocates can have meaningful, high-impact conversations with legislators about prioritizing and protecting education. ose members, in turn, went on to share this information in locals across Wyoming, informing not only our members—but non-members, friends, family, business owners, and other community stakeholders—about the bleak future to which we condemn our state by further cutting education funding. "Flowing from these informational meetings," says WEA Government Relations Director Tate Mullen, "we're seeing more and more engagement from members and stakeholders outside of education who want to reiterate to lawmakers what the Wyoming electorate has repeated time and time again: Education is a value and priority in our state, we want to keep it that way, and we would rather fund our kids' future than turn our backs on them for fear of shaking up our status quo." Southeast Region President and Albany County Education Association (ACEA) member Mariah Learned, and fellow ACEA member Paige Gustafson, have been working as a team to host successful postcard writing parties in their local since 2017. "Writing a postcard is a great way to communicate with lawmakers that doesn't require taking time off of work to testify in front of the legislature or the stress that can come with such an undertaking," Learned said. "We have heard from legislators that they truly take the time to read them." Strengthening our unified voice for education by advocating for a one-penny sales tax through the Worth Every Penny postcard writing campaign. SPEND A PENNY to Save our Future By: Amanda Turner WEA-Retired Secretary/Treasurer Bertha Tracy writes a message in support of education as part of the Worth Every Penny campaign. 2021. Clockwise from left: ACEA members Ami Cass, Bryon Lee and Mariah Learned write post- cards to local lawmakers. 2021.