Want to amplify your voice and take your political journey to the next level? Check out the resources below to explore elected office, get training on how to run, find ways to engage in Ohio, and learn to advocate.
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Explore Elected Office
NEW Leadership Academy (part of Ohio State University POWER Programs)
NEW Leadership Academy – NEW Leadership Academy is a 5-day leadership program for women. It is designed for college students seeking ways to become more involved in the political process. Students have the opportunity to meet successful women leaders and learn how to be effective advocates for issues that matter most to them.
Running Start
Running Start – Running Start is a D.C. based organization that focuses on helping young women explore running for student government or political office. Single-day or high school specific programs offer insight to kickstart a career in government, and congressional fellowships allow for deeper understanding of public service. Information about all programs is available on their website.
Represent Women
Research Library – Represent Women is committed to researching, understanding, and then championing evidence-based solutions that break down structural barriers to women’s political leadership. They have created a research library to support this mission where you can explore and expand your knowledge using various resources.
She Should Run
She Should Run – She Should Run provides national resources to women seeking to develop leadership skills and navigate initial questions on how to run for office. Resources include quizzes to determine office type, worksheets, and guides. Additionally, She Should Run creates encouragement resources for you to send directly to a woman who should run.
Campaign / Candidate Training
APAICS (Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies)
Regional Leadership Academy – The Regional Leadership Academy (RLA) is a two-day leadership training event for current elected officials, individuals seeking to run for public office, and community stakeholders. APAICS partners with local organizations to deliver programming that consists of interactive political training with topics ranging from developing your campaign plan, communications, digital organizing, power mapping, volunteer recruitment and management, and fundraising.
Virtual Leadership Trainings – APAICS Virtual Leadership Trainings are online programs providing the skills and resources to excel as political leaders and plan a run for public office. Through their online virtual programming, training is easily accessible and delivered directly to individuals seeking to run for public office, current elected officials, and community stakeholders. Topics will range from developing a campaign plan, digital organizing, power mapping, and fundraising, while including expert trainers in their field of specialty.
Campaign School at Yale University
The Campaign School at Yale University – TCSYale endeavors to increase the number and influence of women in elected and appointed office in the United States and around the globe. They are a nonpartisan, issue-neutral political campaign-training program. This program is offered for both candidates and campaign managers, and available as a summer session or one-day trainings.
Dare to Run
The Dare to Run Program – This opportunity offer women candidates the chance to participate in a one-year certificate program in pursuit of a career path in public service. Dare to Run gives women the opportunity to be a voice for their communities by committing to run campaigns in search of elected office within two years of graduation from the program. Dare to Run’s mission is to provide women with the skills they need to be successful during the campaign and throughout their term in office. Applications are open now for Fall 2024 under Apply for Cohort 6.
Emily’s List
Run to Win – Emily’s List works towards recruiting Democratic pro-choice women who want to run for office or help someone run for office. Run to Win is a program that provides training to those women looking to run for office through things such as setting a budget, how to fundraise, how to work the media, and much more.
IGNITE National
IGNITE National – IGNITE is a national organization geared toward young women seeking to run for office or increase their political participation. It uses college chapters and fellowships to reach students, and creates networks across many political roles to help young women see possible options. Other programs include voter initiatives and advocacy training.
Lead Ohio
Campaign Academy – The Lead Ohio Campaign Academy (and other training opportunities) teach candidates and campaign staff with campaign best practices and candidate development; specific guidance for judicial candidate compliance; and resources for those interested in working on campaigns. Multiple training tracks are available for candidates, judicial candidates, and campaign staff.
Buckeye Justice Forum – BJF’s programs facilitate the recruitment, vetting, training, and mentorship of progressive judicial candidates and offers education and networking opportunities, with the goal of molding a progressive judiciary appropriate for the 21st century. BJF programming is open to candidates and other reform-minded members of the bar, the bench, and the politico-legal community throughout Ohio.
Ready to Run (part of Ohio State University POWER Programs)
Ready to Run – Ready to Run is a one-day campaign training program to encourage women and their allies to run for elected office, position themselves for appointed office, work on a campaign, or get involved in public life in other ways. Event dates vary and signup is available on the website.
Represent Women
The Women’s Power Collaborative (WPC) – WPC is the only national-level body dedicated to achieving a gender-balanced democracy by advancing a twin-track approach. The WPC is a networking, strategizing, and resource-sharing hub that pairs preparing individual candidates to run for office with systems strategies that remove barriers and create the ecosystem necessary for their success. The Women’s Power Collaborative fills an important gap in the women’s representation space and will facilitate a more transformative and sustainable impact to build women’s political power.
School Board School
School Board School – SBS uses a combination of workshops and experiences to train aspiring and current school board members for governance and advocacy. They also provide community resources on how schools and boards of education operate, and equip school board members with collaborative coalitions.
Vote Run Lead
Vote Run Lead HQ – VRLHQ provides nonpartisan worksheets, video guidance, podcasts, and additional resource guides. The Vote Run Lead signature programs provide candidates with training on how to run for office and training on specific races, along with elected official programs supporting governance. Event locations and dates vary.
Campaign Academy – The LEAD Ohio Campaign Academy combines their traditional candidate, judicial candidate, and campaign staff training into a comprehensive, 50-hour training program. Over the course of 6 weekends, the LEAD Campaign Academy will cover campaign best practices and candidate development; specific guidance for judicial candidate compliance; and resources for those interested in working on campaigns.
WeLead at American University
WeLead Campaign Training Program – WeLead positions young professional women to serve in a political leadership position. Meeting over six months, they provide participants with the confidence and skills to run for office or run a campaign through a combination of research, tactical skills, and best practices in Communications, Fundraising, Campaign Management and more. Applications for WeLead 2025 are currently open.
For Elected Officials & Government Professionals
Ohio Women in Government
OWIG is an organization dedicated to supporting the development of all women engaged in government and public policy in Ohio. Check their upcoming events and opportunities to connect!
School Board School
School Board School – SBS uses a combination of workshops and experiences to train aspiring and current school board members for governance and advocacy. They also provide community resources on how schools and boards of education operate, and equip school board members with collaborative coalitions.
Organizing, Advocacy & GOTV
League of Women Voters of Ohio
League of Women Voters of Ohio – LWV provides nonpartisan Ohio specific information on voting and elections, and shares an advocacy agenda to protect and expand access to elections, government, and public policy. The advocacy website for LWV provides resources and training to be an effective advocate.
Red, Wine & Blue
Rally Your Squad – ” Step One: Pick Your State. Step Two: Create Your Rally Account. Step Three: Decide Which Voters to Contact. Step Four: Start Reaching Out – We Provide the Actions.” Red, Wine, and Blue also offers a 10-minute video on How to Rally Your Squad, Rally Squad Training, a Rally Squad Toolkit available for download, and a map that can be downloaded as a contacts guide.
