What is Wellstone Action?

We are the premier training center for the progressive movement, with 55,000 alumni and 350 partner organizations. Founded to carry forward the work of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, we believe
“we all do better when we all do better.” Hungry to make change? We can help.

The Wellstone Impact

We ignite leadership in people and power in communities to win progressive change. Our trainings have developed a critical mass of progressive leaders with the expertise to win. And we’ve propelled 600 alumni into elected office and guided 3,000 winning campaigns. Learn more about our impact
10 Sep 2012

Camp Wellstone: Maine

Portland, ME

Celebrating Paul & Sheila

Coming to a City Near You

Pam Costain

Minneapolis, MN

Paul Wellstone: Always a Teacher

I was nineteen years old in 1969 when Paul Wellstone arrived on the Carleton Campus. A short muscular man with a huge mop of curly hair, Paul took the campus by storm. His passionate belief in activism and social justice made this new political science professor an instant sensation with students. We flocked to his classes, mesmerized by ...

Dan Hoxworth

MO

Here is the rationale for the Congressional Living Memorial being Neighborhood House as I prepared for submission. I thought it is important for you to have this for your archives. The whole design of the Wellstone Center was based on the theme of "embrace" the immigrant and refugee communities.

Rationale: Neighborhood House was founded by the women of Mount Zion ...

Sally Miller

Minneapolis, MN

As a girl from small town Minnesota, the thought of working in the United States Senate in Washington, DC for my rabble rousing hero Senator Paul Wellstone was beyond belief. I started answering the front office phones for the Senator just 2 months after graduating from College and for the next 8 years, I worked the spectrum of crazy campaign and senate office jobs for ...

Teresa Tanzi

Wakefield, RI

I did not ever have the honor of meeting Paul or Sheila, but I must say Senator Wellstone was an inspiration to me as I began my career in public policy. When I found out there was a training program to help candidates run for office, I instantly knew there was no other campaign that I would want to model my own after than his. I ordered the book, read it from cover to ...

Julie Lee

Plymouth, MN

I moved to Minnesota in 1983 and I was married in 1984. For a long time, I thought my life was about carpooling to work with my husband every day, collecting a paycheck to help support our family while raising our children together; thinking that someday I would retire when my boss retired. My professional life came to a sudden stop after I was wrongfully fired from my job ...

Cynthia Kafut-Hagen

Hibbing, MN

I went for training several years ago. It was invaluable for me to get the courage together to run for office. My only contact with Paul Wellstone was a letter I wrote him shortly after he won the first time. I am an artist/hairstylist living and working in Hibbing, which is in Northern Minnesota's Iron Range. Paul had made the paper because a hairstylist in the cities ...

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What Can Wellstone Action Do for Me?

Have you previously held a key leadership role on a significant electoral campaign?

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Camp Wellstone

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Camp Wellstone is the program for you. We teach future candidates the nuts and bolts of running – and winning – a progressive campaign. Think of this as Candidate School 101!

Camp Wellstone

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Camp Wellstone is the program for you. We teach campaign staff the nuts and bolts of running – and winning – a progressive campaign. Think of it as Campaign School 101!

Camp Wellstone

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Camp Wellstone is the program for you. We teach community organizers the nuts and bolts of winning progressive change on community-based issues. We believe that the only way to build progressive power is in partnership with others –not by ourselves. So if you’re connected to a group of people who want to make real change on a particular issue in your community, Camp Wellstone’s the place for you.

Movement-Building Project

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Our Movement-Building Project may be the program for you. This intensive, partnership-based work is designed to build powerful, long-term movements that create progressive change.

Advanced Campaign Management School

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Advanced Campaign Management School may be the program for you. This intensive training, usually offered every odd year, runs on an application-only basis and is designed to hone the skills of those who have previous significant campaign leadership experience.

Labor Training Program

Thank you for your interest in Wellstone Action! Our Labor Training Program may be right for you. Using customized curricula, we partner with labor organizations across the country that are committed to organizing and developing new leaders and moving a progressive, pro-worker agenda.

Campus Camp Wellstone

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Campus Camp Wellstone may be the program for you. This weekend training teaches students and youth movement leaders how to run – and win – on the issues that matter most. We focus, in particular, on campus and community organizing, young voter engagement, and other customized trainings.

Native American Leadership Program

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Our Native American Leadership program may be right for you. Our all-Native training team provides culturally relevant curricula, usually in partnership with tribes, on leadership development and civic engagement, as well as technical support to create a pipeline of Native leaders ready to assume key leadership positions in our communities.

Sheila Wellstone Institute

Thanks for your interest in Wellstone Action! Our Sheila Wellstone Institute may be right for you. We continue Sheila’s legacy to end violence in families by building power and visibility to ensure that ending violence against women is a national priority.