Continued training
Over the course of the summer, your training will include canvassing practice sessions and advanced canvass field training with experienced staff. You’ll also have the opportunity to get training on additional campaign skills.
Canvass skills training
OBSERVATION DAY: You’ll be paired up with an experienced canvasser. The day will be a combination of watching and having interactions with real people.
DEBRIEFS: At the end of each night, staff meet with directors to ask questions and evaluate progress.
TRAINING: In the first week, there will be an additional hour of training each day before canvassing to further develop your skills. After the first week, there is an extra hour of skills training one day a week.
MATERIALS: The campaign directors have campaign reports, videos and briefing materials. All are available to staff.
BRIEFINGS: Will be held periodically—given by directors, senior staff or issue advocates.
ADVANCED FIELD TRAINING: All staff get periodic feedback in the field from directors and field managers.
LEADERSHIP TRAININGS: Held regularly to teach the basics of training and staff management.
Marc Olivier Le Blanc
Campaign skills training
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Directors run weekly voluntary training that all staff have the opportunity to take part in. Participants can learn how to carry out campaign tactics like running a press conference, working with the media, coalition building, running phone banks and lobbying elected officials.
Staff
“There’s such a wide breadth of skills you learn, and you can really talk about it in a way that makes it useful for any other job you might want. There’s a lot of opportunity for management experience that’s hard to get at other jobs.”
— Pamela Larkin, Smith College