The 2008 Presidential election provides a major opportunity to boost youth participation in the political process. The youth generation, or “Generation Y”, born between 1977 and 1994 is large and growing. By 2015, Generation Y voters ages 18-38 will be one-third of the U.S. electorate. As such, they have the potential to make big impacts on key issues such as global warming, college affordability, health care and financial security.
The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is a nonpartisan effort to register young people and to get them to the polls on Election Day. Since launching the New Voters Project in 2003, we do this work both to boost youth participation in democracy and to get politicians to pay attention to young people and the issues that they care about.
In order to boost the level of engagement of young people, the Student PIRGs plan to run a major nonpartisan youth voter turnout effort in the 2008 Presidential election. The project will combine voter registration, list building, issue organizing and grassroots Get Out the Vote (GOTV) strategies at 100 to 200 target college campuses to turn out 18-29 year olds who are eligible to vote in the 2008 election.
Job Description
New Voters Project Lead Organizers are responsible for working with 15-30 colleges in several states to:
- Introduce the project to the campus community;
- Establish good relationships with campus administrators and faculty;
- Establish a for-credit internship program on campus;
- Establish a good working relationship with the student government, student groups, athletic departments/teams and other campus leaders;
- Initiate good relationships with the local voting registrars and identify any opportunities to work with them to register students;
- Recruit students and develop leaders to run voter registration and Get Out of the Vote drives on campus;
- Work with local chapters of national coalition partners where appropriate;
- Meet with local and state candidates and party officials to introduce the project, and to encourage all parties and candidates to make youth a priority in their campaigns;
- Oversee several Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project Campus Organizers.
Salary & Training
Salary for this position is commensurate with the relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees that a candidate has. In addition, full-time staff can opt into our state health care coverage, are eligible for paid sick and vacation days, and can apply for our college loan assistance program. Our staff accrue two weeks of vacation by the end of their first year and three weeks by the end of their second year. Staff are also eligible to join our 401(k) program in their second year.
Qualifications
We seek applicants who possess a strong commitment to young voter mobilization. We also seek candidates with at least two to three years of organizing experience. The successful candidate will also bring all or most of the following skills and attributes to the position: strong verbal and interpersonal skills; a team orientation that combines collegiality and creativity to drive and motivate others; and either experience overseeing staff, or after several months of being on staff, the ability to oversee staff.
We are looking for a commitment through December of 2008.
Location(s)
MA, TN, SC, AL, NV, RI, CT, CO, CA, MN, OH, AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, LA, MI, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TX, VT, WI, WV
Application
To apply, e-mail your cover letter and resume to Ellynne Bannon at . We'll carefully consider your application and if we think you may be a good fit, we'll be in touch.
The Student PIRGs are an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or veteran status.