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Arena Community —
The 2020 presidential field is packed—we have a constellation of candidates to choose from.
It’s encouraging, but this gigantic field of presidential candidates only adds demand for talent to bring these campaigns to life behind the scenes. We will lose big in 2020 if we don’t dramatically improve our recruitment, training, and support of campaign staffers. We observed this challenge firsthand in 2017 and 2018, when we supported 63 candidates running for office around the country.
Our solution is Arena Academy—a historic effort to train the next generation of progressive campaign staffers, and build an enduring talent pipeline.
Our vision is a world where all talented and energetic aspiring staffers—from any and all walks of life—have access to high-quality training, effective and equitable job placement, and a community to support them along the way.
Consider what we’re up against. Republicans have built enduring infrastructure to support their leaders from diapers to dentures. Progressives, on the other hand, rely on temporary solutions that rise and fall every four years. This underinvestment in talent has cost us countless elections.
That’s why Arena Academy is built around a series of intensive in-person trainings to give aspiring staffers the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to build winning campaigns and movements. Trainings are led by experts who’ve studied, run, and won successful campaigns.
In 2019, we will recruit and train hundreds of staffers. We will connect as many of those staffers as possible to critical campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.
Today, I am asking you to do two simple things that will advance our movement forward in big and important ways.
First, I want to make sure that you are following the conversation online. We need your help to ensure our Academy recruits a diverse and inclusive talent pool. Our audiences are much smaller than our ambitions. Help us catch up.
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As we announce new Academies and Summits, we will be in touch on how to get involved, from spreading the word to applying for a spot.
Second, please contribute. If this is an easy yes for you, consider contributing each month to make sure our Academies continue to have the support they need to succeed.
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There will be more. I’m excited to share with you the success stories of our candidates, our trainees, and our community. But right now, these are two significant things you can do to sustain and grow our progressive movement.
With admiration and thanks,
Kate Catherall
Arena Co-Founder
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