PolitiCorps Summer
PolitiCorps Summer is an intensive ten week political organizing bootcamp. It is designed by the young leaders of the Bus Project, a nationally recognized organization that has been getting young people involved in politics since 2002. PolitiCorps brings together 24 students for a summer of high impact service, training, and life changin’ conversations. Hands-on democracy is our specialty – that means PolitiCorps is a program where you learn… and do.
Fellows spend the first weeks of the program learning the nuts and bolts of effective people-powered politics. During that process, Fellows design their own 8 week mini campaign. Past groups have done massive things: Registered 13,000 voters, knocked on 25,000 doors to support marriage equality, and signed up Oregon children for health care.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll tear your hair out, you’ll have a leg up on your peers, you’ll make incredible friends and drink gallons of coffee.
The program is made up of several parts:
Classes and Speakers
Classes make up the first portion of each day. Local community leaders, volunteers, elected officials, Bus Project staff, national activists and politicos teach classes and trainings throughout the summer on a wide (massive) variety of topics. The first two 
weeks focus on practical skills including campaign plan writing, voter registration tactics, volunteer recruitment, and a ton more. The remainder of the summer is a combination of hands-on training and theoretical debate/discussion with really smart people.
Another portion of PolitiCorps curriculum is the legislative campaign plan. Each Fellow will write a state legislative campaign plan for a future house race. Plans are revised by local campaign gurus (who will take the quality of the plans into hiring consideration for post-program plans).
You’ll get a chance to engage with incredible folks – and give them your ideas.
Check out a list of folks who have taught classes and workshops in past years.
Intensive Field Work
The field work program takes up (most of) the rest of the summer.
PolitiCorps Fellows spend the first week or so of the program collectively deciding what to focus on from a menu of intensive field options. Fellows write and design their own
field program – and then implement it over the summer. Afternoons and evenings are spent doing field work and gaining valuable hands-on experience. PolitiCorps Fellows learn by doing.
In past years, PolitiCorps Fellows have accomplished massive projects: registered over 13,000 voters, knocked on over 25,000 doors for marriage equality, wrangled 4500 pledges to support tax fairness and a balanced budget, and signed up 284 Oregon children from low-income families for healthcare.
PolitiCorps field work takes place in Oregon, but skills gained don’t always stay there. PolitiCorps Fellows graduate with a toolbelt of skills that translates to all different arenas of organizing. Most of our Fellows are from out of state.
Community Trainings
Each summer, Fellows participate in several community trainings open to the public.
One training day from 2009: “Talking About What Matters” – a training geared towards teaching effective communication strategies, featuring Parag Mehta (former Clinton speechwriter, advisor on the Obama Presidential Transition Team) and several local gurus. ‘Twas great!
Camaraderie
You’ll have it.
