Campaign School Agenda
Campaign Corps staffers come to Washington for a week-long Campaign School, where they will learn the basics of political campaigning -- voter targeting, field organizing, fundraising, and press strategy -- from the country's leading Democratic operatives. Below is a sample Campaign School agenda.
Introduction Day
| 5:00 - 6:30 pm | Introduction and Icebreaker |
| 6:30 - 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 - 8:00 pm | Introduction to the State of Delusion |
| 8:00 pm | Campaign Simulation Period |
Campaign Planning
| 9:00 - 10:30 am | The Campaign Plan |
| 10:30 - 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 - 12:15 pm | The Campaign Budget |
| 12:15 - 1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:15 pm | Assignment 2: Campaign Staffing Plan |
| 2:15 - 3:15 pm | Targeting Theory |
| 3:15 - 3:30 pm | Break |
| 3:30 - 4:30 pm | Strategic Scheduling |
| 4:30 - 5:15 pm | Introduction of the campaigns |
| 5:15 - 6:00 pm | Feedback on Assignments 1 and 2 and Overview of Assignment 3 |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm | Campaign Simulation Period Assignment 3: Budget |
Fundraising
| 9:00 - 10:30 am | Fundamentals of Fundraising |
| 10:30 - 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 - 11:15 am | Assignment 4: Circles of Benefit |
| 11:15 - 12:15 pm | Writing a Fundraising Plan |
| 12:15 - 1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:15 pm | Fundraising Tools: Call Time |
| 2:15 - 2:45 pm | Exercise: Making the Ask |
| 2:45 - 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 - 4:00 pm | Fundraising Tools: Events |
| 4:00 - 4:45 pm | Fundraising Tools: Direct Mail |
| 4:45 - 5:30 pm | Fundraising Tools: The Internet |
| 5:30 - 6:00 pm | Feedback on Assignments 3 and 4 and Overview of Assignment 5 |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm | Campaign Simulation Period Assignment 5: Finanace Plan |
Message and Press
| 9:00 - 10:00 am | Fundamentals of Research and Fact Checking |
| 10:00 - 10:45 am | Exercise: Fact Checking |
| 10:45 - 11:00 am | Break |
| 11:00 - 12:00 pm | Introduction to polling |
| 12:00 - 12:45 pm | Lunch |
| 12:45 - 1:45 pm | Earned Media |
| 1:45 - 2:45 pm | Setting up a Press Shop |
| 2:45 - 2:50 pm | Explanation of Personal Press Releases |
| 2:50 - 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 - 4:00 pm | Crafting Message |
| 4:00 - 4:45 pm | Exercise: Message Box |
| 4:45 - 5:15 pm | Feedback on Assignment 5 and Overview of Assignment 6 |
| 5:30 - 7:30 pm | Reception at EMILY's List |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
7:30 pm | Campaign Simulation Period Assignment 6: Message Box and Earned Media Plan |
Paid Media
| 9:00 - 10:30 am | Paid Media Fundamentals |
| 10:30 - 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 am - 12:15 pm | Paid Media Tools: TV and Radio |
| 12:15 pm | CAMPAIGN PREFERENCE SHEETS DUE |
| 12:15 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:15 pm | Exercise: Media Buying |
| 2:15 - 3:00 pm | Paid Media Tools: Direct Mail |
| 3:00 - 4:00 pm | Paid Media Tools: Internet |
| 4:00 - 4:15 pm | Break |
| 4:15 - 5:15 pm | Maintaining a Campaign Website |
| 5:15 - 6:00 pm | Feedback on Assignment 6 and Overview of Assignment 7 |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
7:00 pm | Campaign Simulation Period Assignment 7: Paid Media Plan |
Voter Contact
| 9:00 - 10:00 am | Introduction to Voter Contact Tools |
| 10:00 - 11:00 am | Writing the Field Plan |
| 11:00 - 11:15 am | Break |
| 11:15 - 12:15 pm | Targeting: NCEC and the Voter File |
| 12:15 - 1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 - 3:00 pm | Field Tools: Setting up Canvassing and Phone Programs |
| 3:00 - 3:15 pm | Break |
| 3:15 - 4:15 pm | Recruiting and Maintaining Volunteers |
| 4:15 - 5:30 pm | GOTV & Election Day |
| 5:30 - 6:00 pm | Feedback on Assignment 7 and Overview of Assignment 8 |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm | Campaign Simulation Period Assignment 8: Targeting and the Field Plan |
Campaigns are about People
| 9:00 - 10:00 am | Working with Consultants |
| 10:00 - 10:15 am | Break |
| 10:15 - 11:45 am | Targeting Tools: Modeling |
| 11:45 - 12:45 pm | Lunch |
| 1:30 - 3:30 pm | Travel to Hillary Clinton for President Offices |
| 3:30 - 4:30 pm | Travel to George Washington University |
| 5:30 - 6:00 pm | Feedback on Assignment 8 and Overview of Final Presentations |
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm | Campaign Simulation Period |
Campaign Presentations
| 9:00 am | Copies of Final Campaign Presentations due |
| 9:30 - 1:00 pm | Final Campaign Presentations |
| 1:00 - 2:00 pm | Alumni Lunch |
| 2:00 - 2:30 pm | Campaign Winner Announced -- Feedback from Judge |
| 2:30 - 3:00 pm | Campaign Assignments Announced |
| 3:00 - 3:30 pm | Closing Remarks |
| 3:30 - 6:00 pm | Contact Your Campaign Managers and Pack for Departure |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner |
Travel Day
| 8:00 - 9:00 am | Breakfast |
| 9:00 - 3:00 pm | Staffers Leave DC for their Campaigns |
| 12:00 pm | Final check-out of dorm |
