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DFL Party Launches the Wellstone Academy!

02/15/2023

The program represents an investment of over $500,000 in building political organizing capacity

Today, the Minnesota DFL Party is announcing the launch of the Wellstone Academy, a paid fellowship that will train the next cohort of Minnesota political organizers. The Wellstone Academy represents an investment of over $500,000 in building organizing capacity throughout 2023.

“I am extremely proud to be launching the Wellstone Academy and doubling down on the DFL Party’s commitment to grassroots organizing,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “I learned from Senator Paul Wellstone that the best way to win elections is door-to-door and neighbor-to-neighbor, and that holds true to this day. The DFL Party is launching this organizing training program to equip the next cohort of political organizers with the skills needed to expand on our historic victories and maintain our trifecta in the next election.”

The DFL Party will be recruiting a diverse group of 25 individuals to serve as Wellstone Fellows. During the 32-week program, Wellstone Fellows will learn how to plan and execute direct voter contact events, how to recruit, train, and retain volunteers, how to use political data and digital organizing tools, and much more.

To learn more about the program and apply, visit dfl.org/wellstone.

“My dad taught me that organizing is how we turn our values into votes,” said Paul Wellstone’s son, Dave Wellstone. “When he ran for the Senate, he was a college professor with big ideas and a beat-up bus running against a powerful, well-funded incumbent. He won because he had a team of fantastic organizers who engaged their friends, neighbors, and communities. My dad gave us a blueprint for how to win even the most difficult campaigns, and I am thrilled the Wellstone Academy will be using that blueprint to train a new and diverse group of organizers to fight for our values.”

Each Wellstone Academy Fellow will be provided compensation to participate in this program.  By making this a paid fellowship, the DFL Party aims to remove many of the barriers that prevent historically under-represented communities from entering a career in politics. The program will also include a mix of online and in-person classes to help recruit a geographically diverse cohort of fellows.

The application process opens today and will run through March 17th. On May 2nd, the Wellstone Academy will begin holding classes, which will run through December 12th. Then, the Wellstone Academy will work to place Wellstone Fellows in a full-time paid organizing position.

The application for the Wellstone Academy is available at dfl.org/wellstone.