1. Write the text for the proclamation. It should be customized to your state or city and emphasize the importance of postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability. Reference the number of college programs for students with intellectual disability in your state. If there is a state or regional alliance where you live, work with them when submitting the request. There is strength in numbers! You may also reference Think College as a “supporter.” Here are Proclamations from Minnesota, North Carolina, and the City of Hattiesburg, MS.
2. Visit your Governor’s official website (it will have the state name and end in .gov). In many cases there is a proclamation (or declaration) request form under the Contact section of the website. It will ask for your contact information, the text of the proclamation, and the date you are requesting (May 1, 2026 as IPSE Day). You should submit this request as early as possible. But even if a stated deadline has passed, consider submitting your request.
3. When you submit the request, take a screenshot of your submission to make it easier to follow up. If you or someone you know has connections within the office of the governor, let them know you have submitted the request. You may follow up with the governor’s office a week after the submission, to ensure the request was received; note the date of IPSE Day.
4. Alert your college/university communications department so they can be prepared to help share the proclamation if/when it gets approved. They may want to write a press release or work with you to hold a small event announcing and sharing the Governor’s Proclamation. The Governor’s office will contact you to pick up the physical copy of the proclamation, or it can be mailed. You will want to share widely that your governor or mayor has issued the proclamation and be sure to use their name and tag them in any social media posts! (Think College staff will want to know, too!)
NOTE: Many thanks to Mary Hauff (MN) and Lisa Pluff (NC) who shared sample documents and tips on how to get this done.