About the Race
In Pennsylvania, there are over 600,000 students enrolled in state colleges and universities–that’s the most of any battleground. These young voters have the numbers and the power to determine the outcomes of elections up and down the ballot in 2024.
And while young Americans do believe they have the power to change the country, just 2 in 5 say they feel well-qualified to participate in politics.¹ Most young Americans do not believe they have been adequately prepared to understand the impact of their vote, or even how to cast it.² That uncertainty depresses turnout: in 2022, just under 1 in 4 young voters cast a ballot.³ Young people are not apathetic–we are failing to adequately prepare and engage them.
At Project 26, we have proven that with the right support, young people are ready to do more than deliver key votes–they are ready to lead.
We’re building a scrappy and innovative operation to protect and expand democracy by elevating youth leadership on campuses across the state in order to empower thousands of college students to take control of their futures, get organized, and vote in the 2024 elections.
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2022 Youth Survey, CIRCLE at Tufts University, https://circle.tufts.edu/our-research/broadening-youth-voting.
46th Biannual Harvard Youth Poll, Harvard Kennedy School, https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/46th-edition-fall-2023.
2022 Youth Survey, CIRCLE at Tufts University, https://circle.tufts.edu/our-research/broadening-youth-voting.
What Will You Do?
Fellows will work with Campus Organizers to build a movement on campus to build excitement around the 2024 Elections and mobilize young voters to the polls. This is an excellent opportunity to get an inside look at how political campaigns work while contributing to a crucial Pennsylvania election.
The role will start ASAP and run through November 5th. Fellows will spend 10 - 15 hours a week talking to students about the importance of the upcoming election for issues like reproductive rights, climate change, democracy, and economic justice. Tactics include high-traffic canvassing, tabling, door-to-door canvassing, and class/student organization visits. The position will be based at one of Pennsylvania’s universities and requires a significant amount of in-person work. This is just a brief outline of the position and includes all other duties as assigned.
Who Are You?
As a successful candidate for this job, you will:
Have a passion for civic engagement and inspiring young people to get involved
Be excited to think outside the box and to ideate and innovate to find the most exciting and effective GOTV tactics
Be eager to talk to as many students as possible (and be comfortable talking to _a lot of _strangers/potential volunteers)
Be scrappy and flexible; able to manage several tasks simultaneously
Be a self-starter, exceptionally well-organized, and have strong time management skills
Be enrolled at one of our focus universities. Non-students can apply to be a full-time Campus Organizer.
**Compensation: **Campus Fellows are paid an hourly rate of $16.67 and are expected to work 10-15 hours per week. Anything over 15 hours in a week must receive prior approval from the Organizing Director.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we strongly encourage Black, indigenous, people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who identify with underrepresented groups to apply.