Faces of Impact Aid

Stories connect us. They help us create meaning out of experiences, shape our perspectives and create new understanding.

Consequently, storytelling is one of our most powerful advocacy tools.

NAFIS is harnessing this power through our Faces of Impact Aid initiative. NAFIS Member stories shine a light on the need for Impact Aid, helping Congress and your community understand why it is such an important program. And it is local stories that put a face with Impact Aid that mean the most to Capitol Hill staff.

Narratives

To participate, write a short story (one page or less) about what Impact Aid means to your school district. Include:

• Basic contact information, including your name, title/position and e-mail address—this will not be shared but may be used to contact you with questions and edits)
• School district information, including your state, demographic data (including total enrollment, percentage free and reduced price lunch, and other information you think is important to share) and Federal Impaction
• Specific examples of how you use Impact Aid to support academic achievement and operate your school district, and who benefits from it
• What increased Impact Aid funding would mean to your district
• A photo that illustrates your story (please make sure that you have needed releases for photos)

Once you have your story written, send it to NAFIS Director of Communication Anne O’Brien via email to be included in NAFIS advocacy and communications.

In addition, send it to your elected officials as part of your own advocacy on Impact Aid. Hearing directly from constituents ensure they know it is a local concern in the communities they represent.

Videos

To participate, please reach out to NAFIS Director of Communication Anne O’Brien via email about current deadlines for submissions. These videos are:

• Short overviews, videos that are between 2-3 minutes long
• Impact Aid focused, explaining how you use Impact Aid to support academic achievement and operate your school district, and who benefits from it
• Unique, including your type of Federal Impaction, general student population and a unique feature of your district
• Student focused, including footage of students that illustrates your story (please make sure that you have needed releases for videos)

Northern Burlington County Regional School District (NJ), where approximately 25% of students are children of active duty military living on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, uses Impact Aid to provide a wide variety of opportunities, including 21st century career education, athletic programs, educational technology and much more. (September 2018)

Leaders of New Mexico’s Grants/Cibola County Schools, which serves large populations of students living on Tribal lands and in Spanish land grant communities in one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states in the nation, discuss the challenges their district faces and the need for additional Impact Aid funds. (September 2018)

Baboquivari Unified School District (AZ), which is the education center for the Tohono O’odham Nation, highlights the importance of Impact Aid, which pays for 100% of transportation and technology needs. It also supports low class sizes, school counselors and teacher salaries. (September 2018)

School leaders in Stilwell, OK, explain how they use Impact Aid funds to improve outcomes and provide new opportunities for their students, over 75% of whom are Native American. (September 2018)