CAMPAIGN FELLOWS
2023
DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MARCH 6!
Want to level up your campaign skills?
Ready to take the next step and be the campaigner who really knows how to run sh*t?
2024 is right around the corner, and now’s the time to learn what it takes to run winning campaigns that triumph over racism and corporate greed. We’re looking for people like you — the next generation of campaign staffers and electoral organizers.
Led by some of the best minds in progressive politics, Campaign Fellows will prepare you to lead grassroots political campaigns up and down the ballot in your community. Our unique training model is an eight-week campaign simulation program for leaders who have some experience and are ready to advance into director-level positions.
IN IT
TO
WIN IT
The Movement School is training the progressive movement and not mincing words. Movement School is clear about its values and the world it’s trying to build. The more organizers and campaigners we have, the better positioned we’ll be to recreate society into one that respects, cares and works for all of us.
— Venita Griffin, Winter 2020 Fellow
Imagine if the progressive movement actually captured the best practices, learnings, and reflections from past election cycles and distilled them for the next generation of electoral organizers. That’s what Movement School’s Campaign Fellows is all about.
Our program will not only build your leadership skills and give you the knowledge (and confidence!) needed to win your campaign, but also foster a tight-knit community to share and build with organizers from across the nation and meet the needs of the movement in 2023, 2024 and beyond.
There are no other electoral trainings out there quite like ours. We enlist the best political operatives in the biz to teach you their secrets. We teach you how to win insurgent campaigns that aren’t backed by billionaires. Our past fellows have gone on to lead some of the most impressive campaigns in the country. Once you’re in, you’re Movement School family.
CAMPAIGN FELLOWS 2023 IS NATION-WIDE, COMPLETELY VIRTUAL, AND 100% FREE.
Interested in helping keep Movement School free? Become a sponsor. More info here.
SNAPSHOT OF
THE PROGRAM
KEY DATES
FEBRUARY 20
Applications Open
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis so apply EARLY to guarantee your spot!
MARCH 6
Applications Close
MARCH 15
Enrollment Deadline
MARCH 20
Campaign Fellows 2023 Begins
MAY 15
Graduation Day
Movement School's Campaign Fellows is an eight-week campaign simulation program for leaders who have experience and are ready to advance into director-level positions.
Fellows may apply to specialize in one of five tracks: Campaign Management, Communications, Field, Digital, and Fundraising. Each track is led by our top talent from successful progressive campaigns around the country, and fellows will get a deep dive into key tools and strategies for their specialized role.
Fellows are placed on campaign teams containing members of each track who work together to design real campaign plans. At the end of the program, each campaign team will present their final campaign plan and get real, practical feedback.
ROLE-SPECIFIC TRACKS LED BY
THE EXPERTS
Campaign Fellows are accepted into one of five tracks. On your application, you rank your preference.
DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MARCH 6
CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
Learn what it takes to lead a campaign team to victory.
MONDAYS + THURSDAYS | 7-9pm ET
Running a campaign doesn’t have to be a mystery. In our Campaign Management track, you’ll learn how to juggle all aspects of a campaign and stay organized on a tight timeline. We’ll cover just how important it is to invest in your team and how to put effective systems in place. By the end, you’ll be prepared to turn your campaign team into a well oiled machine.
Topics we’ll cover:
-
Day in the Life of a CM
-
Campaign Timeline
-
Team Building & Culture
-
Budgeting
-
Organizational Skills —
Check Ins, Agenda Setting, Meetings -
Candidate management
Lead by:
Mary Lou Akai Ferguson
An Atlanta-based progressive organizer & strategist, Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson has a passion for movement building, mobilization, and organizational development.
Formerly the campaign manager and Chief of Staff for Boston’s first elected woman and first elected mayor of color, Michelle Wu, she has also teamed up with labor unions, nonprofits, governments, political campaigns, and advocacy groups across the country to advise and train candidates, staff, and organizations fighting for systemic change.
She served as Elizabeth Warren’s Midwest Organizing Director and AAPI Outreach Director during Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and is currently working with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) on the largest active single unit organizing campaign in the country, supporting Delta Flight Attendants in their union organizing drive. Prior to organizing, Mary Lou taught high school algebra.
COMMUNICATIONS
Get trained in how to ensure your candidate’s message is heard and felt by voters
WEDNESDAYS + THURSDAYS | 7-9pm ET
A winning campaign demonstrates to everyday working people that you are in their corner. In our Communications track, we’ll prepare you to build a campaign that challenges corporate interests and speaks to larger social bases. We’ll cover both how to guide your campaigns’ messaging strategy, as well as the hard skills you’ll need to get coverage in the press. By the end, you’ll know how to support your candidate to speak powerfully on the issues that matter to their community most.
Topics we’ll cover:
-
Narrative Strategy & Storytelling
-
Developing Core Messaging
-
Communication Writing
-
Media Relations
-
Candidate Prep
Lead by:
Natalia Latif
Natalia comes to Movement School after spending the last year working on campaign communications for Congressman Jamaal Bowman, former congressional candidate Rana Abdelhamid, Senator John Fetterman, and the Women’s March, to name a few. Previously, she spent four exciting yet tumultuous years working in the U.S. House of Representatives. During that time, she worked on foreign policy, LGBTQ+ rights, anti-poverty initiatives, housing, health care, and climate policy. She also occasionally had to dodge an attempted coup.
While managing these legislative issues, Natalia maintained an active outreach program for her office that was used as a model for democratic House outreach efforts. Prior to her work as a Congressional staffer, Natalia worked on electoral policy at the National Democratic Institute and served as an Obama Fellow focused on international humanitarian law.
Natalia got her professional start overseas in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she met lifelong friends collaborating on programs to combat gender-based violence, implementing the Let Girls Learn initiative and facilitating health care and vaccination awareness campaigns to fight polio in Pakistan. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Biomolecular Science and International Studies from the University of Michigan.
DIGITAL
Master the essential online skills and tools that every campaign needs to succeed
TUESDAYS + THURSDAYS | 7-9pm ET
Nowadays, campaigns are run on digital technology. In our Digital track, we’ll cover the essential elements of digital organizing and how they can supercharge your campaign’s ability to win more dollars, supporters, and votes. We’ll ensure you’re up to date on the most cutting-edge tech, tricks, tools, and techniques in the digital space. You’ll walk away prepared to design and implement a digital strategy for any campaign context.
Topics we’ll cover:
-
Digital strategy
-
Email 101
-
Social media 101
-
Content creation
-
Digital advertising
-
Analytics
Lead by:
Beth Becker
Beth brings 20+ years of communication and marketing background to politics where she has consulted for numerous House campaigns, nonprofits and unions.
Beth travels the world doing digital organizing training and working with clients on implementing a digital strategy that respects their organizational goals and capacity.
In her downtime she can be found at the nearest shoe store, a Nats game or country concert or hanging out with Sassy and Jon Snow, her bosses errr cats.
FIELD
Prepare to design and execute an groundbreaking voter outreach strategy
MONDAYS + THURSDAYS | 7-9pm ET
In a competitive race, your ground game can mean the difference between winning and losing. In our Field track, you’ll learn how to design a comprehensive field program that fits your campaign’s context and consituencies. We’ll cover the most effective voter outreach strategies and how to power your efforts with dedicated volunteers. You’ll walk away empowered to scale your reach and win that critical margin of victory.
Topics we’ll cover:
-
Field Strategy & Timeline
-
Tracking & Reporting Progress
-
VAN & Voter Targeting
-
Events, Canvasses, & Phonebanks
-
Volunteer Pipelines & Management
-
Relational & Constituency Organizing
Lead by:
Hosanna Yemiru
Hosanna Yemiru is an organizer and fundraiser based in Dallas, TX. Before settling into her current role as Development Director at Workers Defense Project, Hosanna worked on multiple local, state, and federal campaigns including Colin Allred's 2018 congressional race, Scott Griggs' 2019 mayoral race, and Candace Valenzuela's 2020 congressional race.
She started as a campaign fellow, and has since worked in roles ranging from field organizer to campaign manager. Currently, Hosanna raises money to fight for workers rights at Workers Defense — a member led labor rights organization — and serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit where she is the youngest appointee in Dallas' history.
Hosanna loves all things transit, housing, movies, and cooking and is excited to join the Movement School family!
FUNDRAISING
Specialize in the most important thing ($$$) that can make or break a campaign
TUESDAYS + THURSDAYS | 7-9p ET
How do you raise money for a candidate that doesn’t have a rolodex of billionaire friends? To win against billionaire-backed candidates, we need more excellent fundraisers! In our Fundraising track, you’ll get schooled on the best methods to raise money from large and small donors. We’ll cover how to support your candidate through call time, leverage moments of rapid response, and scale your fundraising strategy. By the end, you’ll know what it takes to finance a truly grassroots campaign.
Topics we’ll cover:
-
Understanding & Writing a Finance Plan
-
Call time
-
Events
-
Digital Fundraising
-
Rolodexing
-
NGP & Act Blue
Lead by:
Regina Monge
Regina A. Monge (she/her) is a fundraiser and political strategist who is passionate about building power alongside candidates and communities who have historically been underinvested in. She has deep experience developing and implementing scalable fundraising strategies, leveraging rapid response communications strategically and providing organizational capacity-building support for nonprofits and the electoral campaigns.
Currently, she is the Director of Advising at Way to Win where she focuses on driving investment toward building a multiracial democracy in the south and southwest. Regina is a queer latina who was born and raised in Miami and currently lives in DC.
Previously, she served as the Campaign Manager for Jessica Cisneros in TX-28. She is a graduate of Miami Dade College, American University and an alumna of Candace Valenzuela for Congress, Pay Our Interns, EMILY’s List and Running Start. Outside of her more formal roles, she has trained youth organizers, recruited pro-choice candidates and trained young women and non-binary folks on how to run for office.
Testimonials
It’s because of Movement School that I have skills and relationships that have enabled me to pivot into politics & organizing & advocacy professionally. I get to do work that fills my cup and helps people — I couldn’t have done it without Movement School. I don’t have rich parents, I have small children, I can’t relocate, and those are often all barriers to campaign work but with Movement School’s support & training I was able to overcome them.
— Liza Frolkis, Spring 2021 Fellow
I would not have been able to be a part of this last electoral cycle in the rigorous and affirming way if I had not been taught by so many folks at Movement School. And I don't just mean the classes — I mean the relationships that were forged, and the community responses I got when I was in need while managing a campaign and needed advice. I believe in the efficacy of Movement School wholeheartedly. Movement School helped to demystify campaign work and helped me to achieve my dream of being a real part of the change we need in this world.
— Alex Coronado, Spring 2021 Fellow
I I can’t praise Movement School enough! I participated in the 2021 Campaign Fellowship where I had the huge privilege of meeting brilliant, passionate, and thoughtful fellows and teachers who all truly restored my hope in winning better futures for us all. I was so excited when I had the chance to hire people I met at Movement School to work on midterm campaigns with me - everyone is such a gem!
— Hannah Forman, Spring 2021 Fellow
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Mark your calendars NOW!
WEEK 1 : MARCH 20-23
Orientation Week
All fellows are required to attend all four classes during Orientation Week
All Student Orientation
TIME: 7-9p ET
TOPIC: How did we get here? History of elections and social change
Building a Campaign from A-Z
TIME: 7-9p ET
TOPIC: Overview of campaigns and how it all fits together
Campaign Culture
TIME: 7-9p ET
TOPIC: Principles of effective teams, values, and culture
Meet Your Campaign Team
TIME: 7-9p ET
TOPIC: Meet your campaign teams assignments.
WEEK 2-7 : MARCH 27-MAY 4
Track Classes + Campaign Team Meetings
This is a two night per week commitment — each week you will attend your Track Class
as well as meet with your Campaign Team on Thursdays
Field Class
TIME: 7-9p ET
Campaign Management Class
TIME: 7-9p ET
Digital Class
TIME: 7-9p ET
Fundraising Class
TIME: 7-9p ET
Communications Class
TIME: 7-9p ET
Campaign Team Meetings
TIME: 7-9p ET
WEEK 8 : MAY 8-MAY 11
Campaign Presentations
Each campaign team will get scheduled for an hour slot during one of the three presentation blocks
Campaign Plan Presentations
TIME: 7-9p ET
Campaign Plan Presentations
TIME: 7-9p ET
Campaign Plan Presentations
TIME: 7-9p ET
.png)
.webp){kind=logo}
