PolitiCorps

Igniting Leaders for the Politics of Tomorrow

PolitiCorps Alumni

PolitiCorps grew out of three years of informal (yet awesome) internships offered by the Bus. Former interns and Fellows have nifty things to say about the experience.

This summer was one of the top two experiences of my life. Ill still be learning from it for a long time. Ive been given a special gift and will definitely use it. Best, smartest group of people Ive ever met. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Megan HannerFellow '07University of MichiganThe Detroit Project

This is the gold standard for embedded leadership development. You learn by doing. No one else will give you more opportunities to lead and innovate. These people really are the best at what they do. And theyre funny as hell.

Quinn WilhelmiIntern 02-04Stanford Universityfounder of the Roosevelt Institution

Prior to PolitiCorps, I had little practical experience in the world of politics. PolitiCorps provided me not only with the practical know-how and experience I needed to get a start, but in my mind put me further ahead than many my same age.

Adam RenonFellow 05Oregon State Universityintern to Senator Gordon Smith

Politicorps is an empowering and engaging experience that brings people together from all over the country. [The program] taught me so much about myself, our country, and political life. Politicorps gives you great political training for campaigning, organizing, and creating lasting change in our country. There is no other program like this one in the country.

Drew RindfleischFellow 06Luther CollegeUrban Service Corps

I entered PolitiCorps in search of an opportunity to simultaneously continue developing my leadership skills while generating real, strategic, change in my community. They offered relevant, thought provoking and truly interactive classes coupled with challenging fieldwork. In short, PolitiCorps delivers.

Adam PetkunFellow 05University of OregonBlumenauer for Congress campaign staff

I learned more in 3 months here than I did during 4 years as a political science student.

Sarah MastersonIntern 03Boston Universitypolicy advisor for Congressman Earl Blumenauer

PolitiCorps gave me general organizing tools ... specific campaign tools ... and friends I look forward to running into and working with again.

Joel BerningFellow 05People United for Sustainable Housing organizer

If you are looking to get a crash course in political campaigns and governance, PolitiCorps is the perfect program for you. The program provided a great blend of policy discussion, training on campaign strategies and hands-on experience. Not only that, but I made some great friends along the way. So, stop complaining about our broken political structure; apply to PolitiCorps and find out how to shake up the system ... do it now!

Nick KlonoskiFellow 06University of MichiganArizona Democratic Coordinated Campaign Field Director for Arizona Congressional District 5

The Bus Project was my first experience with people power and the role of grassroots activists in affecting the established political system. The Bus symbolized everything that I thought was good about politics. I had the importance of the face-to-face contact engrained in my consciousness, and I most assuredly became aware that even impoverished political groups like ours could make a huge difference by contributing plenty of the great American currency: time.

Brian WagnerIntern 04Columbia Universitypolicy advisor for Congressman Brian Baird

I cant really express how much I miss you all ... People keep asking me whether Ive experienced culture shock coming back from India and I keep thinking that a far bigger shock is missing the Bus ... not to say that India wasnt incredible, but just that I never became so fully part of a community nor fashioned such a coherent life for myself in another place as I did with yall.

Liba RubensteinIntern 04Yale Universityupon returning from travels in India

The Next Generation of Leaders

PolitiCorps college graduates find meaningful jobs and internships with socially responsible organizations and campaigns

PolitiCorps is a way for college students and recent graduates to jumpstart their careers in public interest work. PolitiCorps alumni follow many public interest paths. A sample of jobs and internships:

Campaign work: Field organizer with 1000 Friends of Oregon; Minnesota DFL field organizer; field director for an Arizona congressional campaign; Oregon Measure 49 field organizer; campaign fundraising staff for Jeff Merkely for US Senate.

Terms of service: Aide to Representative Ben Cannon, Intern to Senator Gordon Smith, the Urban Service Corps, People United for Sustainable Housing, NARAL Pro Choice Oregon, SEIU National Presidential Internship, and the Urban Institute.

Campus activism including: Political director for the Willamette University Democrats, student body presidents at Reed College and University of Oregon, social directors of University of Florida African Student Union and Harvard University Democrats.

Pursuit of advanced degrees: NYU Wagner School of Public Service, University of Columbia, and University of Toronto.

What People Say About PolitiCorps Alumni

For two months we scoured the political firmament for an all-in-one staff member. We needed a voter registration genius, an outreach director, and an opera singer with good social graces, quick footedness and strong mental furniture. It was a tall order. Only Mollie Price, freshly minted from the Bus Project's Politicorps program, fit the bill. Clearly our neighbors in Oregon are doing their job well. --Thomas Goldstein, Executive Director, Washington Bus Project

The Oregon Bus Project has become the “farm team” for 1000 Friends of Oregon; we have hired two PolitiCorps fellows as Organizers through competitive hiring processes. Bus candidates are inevitably more informed, more articulate, and more poised than their competitors, and they have great on-the-ground experience. As employees, they work their tails off, setting a stellar example for the volunteers they recruit and deploy. --Bob Stacey, Executive Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon

The Politicorps graduates who arrived during the final week of the 2008 Nevada Caucus were critical to the success Carson City achieved on January 19th. Senator Obama won 20 of the 27 precinct caucuses in the county, resulting in a victory percentage of 53%. There is no doubt the surge in support, volunteerism and voter contact activity during the final week of the campaign led to this victory, none of which could have happened without the support and effort of the PolitiCorps alumni. They were thrown into an intense situation in which they adapted to the demands of the job and executed in accordance to our local program. They even stayed the day after the Caucus to help clean and pack-up the office. We appreciated their efforts beyond measure. --Nicholas Kowalski, Regional Field Director, Obama for America