
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
September 2017: Building an election campaign team
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- What are key campaign roles?
- Paid and unpaid campaign assistance
- Challenges of building a team over a 6-month campaign period
- Training campaign team and volunteers
- Key events: putting up signs, door knocking, debates
- Team dynamics, collaboration, morale
October 2017: Developing relationships with key stakeholders
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- Building relationships as a candidate
- Garnering support from local & key stakeholders
- Understanding dynamics in the community around the campaign
- Staying consistent in messaging as a candidate and a team
- Asking for official endorsements and support
November 2017: Fundraising and the art of "the ask"
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- Overview of fundraising in the campaign context
- Regulations and municipal campaign fundraising legislation
- How to prioritise campaign spending
- Samples of what campaign teams do on different budgets
- How to budget on creating campaign lit, spending on events,
- Issues to consider - campaign debt and debt recovery
January 2018: E-day, data collection & door knocking
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- Collecting data: how to canvass and collect data
- How does it feel to door knock as a candidate
- Campaign lit to take to the door; flyering vs doorknocking
- Doorknocking at houses, in apartment buildings and in condos
- Door knocking tips: conflict, how much time to spend at the door, safety & FUN!
February 2018: Crafting a communications strategy
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- Telling your story: your campaign narrative
- Building your platform and key messages
- Creating a digital and social media story
- Engaging the media: how to speak with print & online media
- Preparing for debates, developing a debating style
March 2018: Closing the campaign
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- The first six weeks after E-day
- Preparing to take office
- Determining next steps
- Considering political life if you do not win this election
- Hearing from former candidates about their next steps post-election
April 2018: Taking care of yourself during the campaign
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- What to expect - emotionally, physically and psychologically
- Staying healthy while running for office (yes, it’s possible!)
- Dealing with and responding to campaign attacks
- Common personal and professional challenges of candidates
- Eating healthy
- Coping with stress
- Creating your Healthy Candidate plan
- Preparing professionally to run for office