At the end of five exhausting days, the 75 participants of Wellstone Action's first Advanced Campaign Management School, headed home to apply the skills they learned at the training. The Advanced Campaign Management School (ACMS) provided intensive, hands-on training for campaign managers and staff who are working on campaigns in the 2006 election cycle. Although the School was held in Chaska, Minnesota, participants came from all over the country and are working on campaigns at the local, state and national level.
Like an actual political campaign, the training was intense and fast-paced. Through a mix of lectures, interactive exercises, and simulations, participants learned hard skills like how to read targeting data and polls, how to set up a data management system, how to craft and effectively communicate a message, how to work effectively with candidates, and many other subjects. Sessions lasted into the evening, and participants could be found working on their exercises well after midnight!
This impressive group of participants heard from an equally impressive group of trainers. Wellstone Action brought in a group of top level campaign veterans to help lead the sessions. Working with our Wellstone Action team of trainers, these trainers -- many of whom volunteered their time -- spent countless hours working with participants.
Given the success of this first Advanced Campaign Management School, we are already developing plans for future Schools. Stay tuned to www.wellstone.org for more information about upcoming trainings!
