2008 Grassroots Training Agenda
Agenda
9:00 – 9:30 Breakfast and Registration
9:30 – 9:45 Introduction and Agenda
9:45 – 10:30 Overview 1: The State of the Youth Vote & Building Youth Power
State of the Youth Vote
Something big is happening in our democracy — young people are voting. Already in this year’s presidential primary contests, young voters have turned out in record numbers. Youth voter turnout more than tripled in the Iowa caucuses, and increased by 25 percent in New Hampshire, with 53,000 more 18-29 year olds voting than did in 2004. In this overview, we’ll dive into why this year is being called “the year of the youth vote.”
Building Youth Power
What is power? We’ll tackle this question through an interactive exercise that challenges our assumptions of what power is and who has it. We’ll discuss the history of youth voting and why more and more historically disenfranchised young voters are getting out to the polls. Through our electoral organizing on our campuses and in our communities, we’re working to build youth power nationwide!
10:30 – 11:15 Overview 2: Running a Voter Registration Drive – Goal Setting and Voter Registration Models
Running Effective Voter Registration Drives
The number one thing you can do to increase turnout is register people to vote. Sixty-two percent of the people you register will turn out to vote without any further follow-up. The Student PIRGs focus on engaging young people through the people they listen to the most – their friends and peers. During this section we will run through the Student PIRGs voter registration model, setting meaningful goals, and including tactical rates so you can develop a successful campaign plan for your campus or community.
11:15 – 11:30 Break and Snack
11:30 – 12:30 Breakout A (Pick One)
Tired of having your event or campaign ignored by the news while the latest poodle contest gets front page coverage? Enlist in Campus Progress’s Media Boot Camp, and make sure that you have the grit, guts, and tactics to get noticed and get covered. This workshop covers the basics, such as writing press releases, timing, building a media list, contacting new media, and messaging exercises.
Planning Events: Organize an effective voter registration or get out the vote event
Organizing an event on campus or in the community can be a great way to register and turnout your peers to the polls. But things can go wrong – have you ever organized an event you thought would be awesome but only 5 people show up? This training lays out all the steps to go through in planning and preparing for an event including picking an appropriate event, steps to planning, and recruitment. We’ll end by practicing planning an event.
Managing Volunteers, Developing Leaders
Every successful campaign has experienced leaders and a strong volunteer base. This session will focus on strengthening and increasing student involvement through targeted one-on-one conversations, new leader development, and effective volunteer management tools.
Getting the Word Out: Being visible everything from cool posters to using the internet
Visibility on campus and online can play a huge rule in helping to create a buzz on campus. In this training we will run through visibility techniques that will reach the most people as well as new internet tools that make it easy to register folks to vote.
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 Breakout B (Pick 1)
Developing Vote Coalitions
You have big plans to register students on your campus, now you need people to do it! The solution: build a diverse vote coalition. You will learn how to engage a wide variety of student organizations to build a powerful vote coalition. The trainers will discuss how to avoid typical coalition pitfalls through developing a clear and effective structure, decision-making methods, and roles and responsibilities.
Election Protection: What you need to know about voting
Three people are involved when you register someone to vote: you, the person registering, and the county official who processes their form. If any of those three make a mistake along the way, the person registering may not make it on the rolls, so knowing the rules is critical to any effort to mobilize your peers to the polls. This training will review the questions you need answers to in order to run a smooth voter registration and GOTV effort as well as how to meet with your Secretary of State and your Country Clerk’s office.
Voter Access: Institutionalization on campus
When election season comes around, students run kick-ass campaigns to register, educate, and get-out-the-vote — but leaders graduate and the knowledge and skills are lost. Since more than half of Americans under 30 still don’t vote, we know there is much to do to improve vote work. Institutionalization — incorporating the promotion of voting within everyday university operations — ensures that voter registration, education, and mobilization happen every year and are a constant part of the lives of students. You can institutionalize vote work on your campus by enlisting the support of your administration, student government, residence life, and faculty. This workshop will show you how!
Organizing Effective Issue Campaigns on Campus
Students have had some impressive victories on campuses this year: they have pressured Burger King to increase wages for the people that pick its tomatoes, convinced their campuses to become more energy efficient, and even helped to pass the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act. This training will explore some of the ways that you can make your campaign more successful. From creating a strategy and evaluating your tactics, to crafting a message and building support on campus, this training will help you put all of the pieces together for an outstanding victory on your issue!
2:30 – 2:40 Break
2:40 – 3:40 Breakout C (Pick One)
Media Bootcamp
Tired of having your event or campaign ignored by the news while the latest poodle contest gets front page coverage? Enlist in Campus Progress’s Media Boot Camp, and make sure that you have the grit, guts, and tactics to get noticed and get covered. This workshop covers the basics, such as writing press releases, timing, building a media list, contacting new media, and messaging exercises.
Planning Events: Organize an effective voter registration or get out the vote event
Organizing an event on campus or in the community can be a great way to register and turnout your peers to the polls. But things can go wrong – have you ever organized an event you thought would be awesome but only 5 people show up? This training lays out all the steps to go through in planning and preparing for an event including picking an appropriate event, steps to planning, and recruitment. We’ll end by practicing planning an event.
Managing Volunteers, Developing Leaders
Every successful campaign has experienced leaders and a strong volunteer base. This session will focus on strengthening and increasing student involvement through targeted one-on-one conversations, new leader development, and effective volunteer management tools.
Getting the Word Out: Being visible everything from cool posters to using the internet
Visibility on campus and online can play a huge rule in helping to create a buzz on campus. In this training we will run through visibility techniques that will reach the most people as well as new internet tools that make it easy to register folks to vote.
3:40 – 3:50 Break
3:50– 4:50 Breakout D (Pick One)
Developing Vote Coalitions
You have big plans to register students on your campus, now you need people to do it! The solution: build a diverse vote coalition. You will learn how to engage a wide variety of student organizations to build a powerful vote coalition. The trainers will discuss how to avoid typical coalition pitfalls through developing a clear and effective structure, decision-making methods, and roles and responsibilities.
Election Protection: What you need to know about voting
Three people are involved when you register someone to vote: you, the person registering, and the county official who processes their form. If any of those three make a mistake along the way, the person registering may not make it on the rolls, so knowing the rules is critical to any effort to mobilize your peers to the polls. This training will review the questions you need answers to in order to run a smooth voter registration and GOTV effort as well as how to meet with your Secretary of State and your Country Clerk’s office.
Voter Access: Institutionalization on campus
When election season comes around, students run kick-ass campaigns to register, educate, and get-out-the-vote — but leaders graduate and the knowledge and skills are lost. Since more than half of Americans under 30 still don’t vote, we know there is much to do to improve vote work. Institutionalization — incorporating the promotion of voting within everyday university operations — ensures that voter registration, education, and mobilization happen every year and are a constant part of the lives of students. You can institutionalize vote work on your campus by enlisting the support of your administration, student government, residence life, and faculty. This workshop will show you how!
Organizing Effective Issue Campaigns on Campus
Students have had some impressive victories on campuses this year: they have pressured Burger King to increase wages for the people that pick its tomatoes, convinced their campuses to become more energy efficient, and even helped to pass the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act. This training will explore some of the ways that you can make your campaign more successful. From creating a strategy and evaluating your tactics, to crafting a message and building support on campus, this training will help you put all of the pieces together for an outstanding victory on your issue!
4:50– 5:20 Overview 3: GOTV
Getting Out the Vote
While we focus on GOTV at the end of the election, effective GOTV begins on the 1st day of the campaign. All the work you do during the registration drive, voter pledges, registration, visibility, and media all builds up to help turn out voters in November. Find out how to run a huge effort during the final 2 weeks before the election that will significantly boost voter turnout on your campus.
5:20 – 5:30 Wrap-Up
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