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DFA Night SchoolDFA Night School is our on-line training program that allows anyone to learn the skills to win from their own home. Each session is an interactive conference call and web presentation where trainees participate and ask questions. Featuring expert trainers, topics range from Volunteer Recruitment to Framing a Message to Fundraising to Online Media.

Each session lasts just an hour, is packed with important skills and is completely free. You can download past presentations below to watch at your convenience. DVD versions are also available for purchase at the Training Store.

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Upcoming Trainings

Thursday July 17th, 5:30pm EDT - DFA Night School Live from Netroots Nation w/ George Lakoff

Click here to download the slides for the training!

Howard Dean called Professor George Lakoff "One of the most influential political thinkers of the progressive movement."  Professor Lakoff returns to DFA Night School as we go live from Netroots Nation in Austin, Texas for this hour long online training. We'll discuss his latest book, The Political Mind, and the frames and metaphors we need to use to win in November.

 

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Previous Night School Trainings

June 25th, 8:30 p.m. EDT - Getting a Campaign Job

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Campaigns are gearing up in all 50 states right now, and they need for passionate and well trained campaign staff. Next Wednesday June 25th, Democratic GAIN President Amy Pritchard will be joining DFA Night School for an hour long training on 'Getting a Job on a Campaign'. We'll offer tips on touching up your resume and how to build and leverage your professional networks both on and offline as part of our Night School series.

Democratic GAIN is one of the nation's most effective organizations when it comes to connecting campaigns with talented staffers across the country. Democratic GAIN President Amy Pritchard will join us for an hour long discussion on the do's and don'ts of searching for the right campaign job.

May 28th, 8:30 p.m. - Writing a Field Plan: Part 2

DFA Night School continues with the second half of our 2 part series on writing a Field Plan.  This 75 minute long training session will focus on the most effective tactics you can employ to get your message out to the voters, setting benchmarks for success and laying your plan out on a realistic timeline.  Scroll down to go back and listen to Part 1 to catch up, then click the link above to sign up for the live presentation that you can listen to online or over the telephone.

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April 23, 8:30 p.m. - Writing a Field Plan

DFA Night School returns just in time for the 2008 elections. This one hour long online training session will be focused on writing your campaign's blueprint for success: Your Field Plan.

Would you like to know exactly how many votes it's going to take to win in November? Where and when to deploy the limited volunteer and financial resources so that they have the greatest impact? DFA will be covering all this and much more in this hour long online training program. Click the link above to sign up and learn how to listen to the live presentation online or over the telephone.

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Fall Semester 2007

This semester we're dedicating four sessions completely to the topic of organizing your local precinct. It doesn't matter if you live in Boston or West Texas, this is something that anyone, anywhere can do. In short the more precincts we get organized, the more we'll win in November.

September 11: Precinct Organizing: Getting Started

September 18: Precinct Organizing: Recruiting Your Precinct Team

September 25: Precinct Organizing: Making an Impact

October 2: Precinct Organizing: Building Networks Across Precincts

Special Session: Live at YearlyKos

Last summer we did a session of Night School live from the YearlyKos convention in Chicago. We featured Chris Bowers from OpenLeft.com and Katrina Baker from Living Liberally to discuss building open progressive communities.

August 2: Building an Open Progressive Community

 

Summer Semester 2007

The Summer 2007 semester was all about fundraising. We have some excellent guests including former state party chairs, congressional finance directors and staff from ActBlue.

June 12: Developing a Finance Plan

 

June 19: Fundraising: Events and Call Time

 

June 26: Fundraising: Online and Email

 

Spring Semester 2007

Fresh off our tremendous victories in 2006, DFA Night School turned its focus on sustaining and building on our successes.

March 6: Holding Elected Leaders Accountable

March 13: Building Progressive Coalitions

March 20: Anyone Can Run


Fall Semester 2006

September 19: Framing the Election with George Lakoff

September 26: Winning with Social Networks

October 3: Voting Early, Voting Easily, Voting Safely

October 10: Getting Out The Vote

Summer Semester 2006

July 25: Mainstream Media: Breaking In

August 1: Leveraging Blogs and Online Media

August 8: Sustaining your Media Presence

Spring Semester 2006

April 11: Moving our Message

April 18: Building a Grassroots Army: Volunteer Recruitment

April 25: Rules of the Road: Canvassing

May 2: How to Make Phoning Fun

Campaign Academy Schedule

* Seattle, WA Feburary 23-24
* East Bay, CA March 1-2
* Tuscaloosa, AL March 8-9
* Dallas, TX March 15-16
* Norman, OK March 29-30
* San Diego, CA April 5-6
* Charleston, SC April 12-13
* West Long Branch, NJ April 26-27
* Rochester, NY May 3-4
* Cincinnati, OH May 10-11
* Orlando, FL May 17-18
* Pittsburgh, PA May 31-June 1
* Lansing, MI June 7-8
* Kansas City, MO June 14-15
* Albuquerque, NM June 21-22
* Miami, FL July 12-13
* Austin, TX July 17-20
* Milwaukee, WI July 26-27
* Dulles, VA August 16-17
* Denver, CO August 27-31

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