CANDIDATE COLLEGE:
A NEW YORK CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EVENT
Co-Sponsored by
New Roosevelt Initiative, Common Cause New York, Women's City Club of New York
Sunday, September 18th, 2011
8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Touro College Graduate Center
27 West 23rd Street, 6th Floor (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
"Candidate College" will be a free, all-day special event, open to the public, aimed at training citizens of all backgrounds, ages and political beliefs how to mount a serious bid for elected office. The event, which will consist of a series of nonpartisan, non-ideological panel discussions focusing on different aspects of campaign craft, is intended to inspire people to get involved in the political process in the most direct way possible: by becoming a candidate.
"Candidate College" will provide an honest, educated, and unvarnished view of the current state of local electoral politics, and illuminate the pitfalls that often ensnare first-time candidates. Above all, the conference will aim to teach future candidates how to empower their idealism and run a clean, above-the-board, effective campaign, despite all of the obstacles to doing so. The five panels, which will feature real-world experts in their respective fields, will each run about an hour and a half, followed by a Q&A session, will focus on the following areas:
- HOW THEY WON: A first-term New York Congressmember, State Senator, Assemblymember, City Councilmember and District Leader talk about their experience running for office and the how they successfully won their seats.
- LESSONS FROM THE PROS: Some of New York's top campaign consultants break down the do's and don'ts of r unning for office.
- FIGURING OUT FUNDRAISING: Professional fundraisers, campaign finance experts, and grassroots organizers provide strategies and insights into how candidates can raise the money they need to run for office. The discussion will emphasize the virtues of small-money contributions and how candidates don't need to sell out to special interests to raise the funds they need to win.
- MASTERING THE MEDIA: Prominent political reporters, directors of communication, and public relations pros talk about how to interact with the media and bring positive attention to a grassroots campaign.
- GETTING ORGANIZED: Seasoned field organizers, social networking gurus and political consultants explain how to build the army of supporters every candidate needs to succeed. From organizing your neighborhood block by block to getting legions of followers on Facebook and Twitter, these experts will explain what techniques will really fire up your supporters to get involved and which ones are just a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing.
In addition to these panel discussions, which will be staggered throughout the day so as not to overlap, Candidate College attendees will also be invited to stop by an array of booths organized by good government groups and candidate service providers to educate candidates about the resources available to them.
The event will kick-off with brief remarks from the coalition of organizers behind the event. It will conclude with a networking event at a location to be announced soon.
This event is free, but pre-registration is required in order to attend. To reserve your place in Candidate College, email morgan@nycivic.org or call 212-564-4441.