Data BootCamp Las Vegas

Do you have what it takes to manage data for a top-tier political campaign or issue organization? Modern organizing increasingly relies on data and technology to inform action strategies. This is the opportunity for aspiring political data managers to learn the tools of the trade. From setting goals and measuring progress, to targeting voters for field programs, to using data to drive decision-making, this 6-day course will equip students to manage data programs for electoral or advocacy organizations.

At the end of the training, participants will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from political campaigns, issue organizations, and data providers to interview for jobs in the field. Our goal is to place all graduates with campaigns and organizations for the 2012 election cycle.

This course will primarily be taught from the electoral standpoint, though tools and examples will be equally applicable to issue advocacy or civic engagement organizations.

The course is designed for students seeking full-time positions as data managers in the 2012 political cycle.

The application deadline for Data BootCamp Las Vegas is January 24, 2012.

Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will:

• Be familiar with a variety of data sources
• Know how to use data to craft strategic goals, measure progress, and drive campaign decision-making
• Become proficient in the use and administration of VAN, the Voter Activation Network software
• Know how to use Microsoft Excel to clean, manipulate, and analyze data sets
• Become familiar with the design and use of relational database tools (such as MySQL) for list management, matching, and reporting
• Use geographic, demographic, and micro-targeting considerations to target voters and volunteers
• Understand the "politics" of working with political data, including working with other campaign departments, how to present information, controlling access, etc.
• Be prepared to train other staff and volunteers on using data

Criteria for Admissions: Students will be admitted through a thee-step process of an application, interview, and test. This course is most appropriate for students looking to be placed on campaigns or in organizations as data managers for the 2012 cycle.

The cost of this course is $1200, which includes room (shared hotel) and board. Limited scholarships are available. Scholarships will be awarded based on a combination of factors, but cannot be provided to any person currently employed by a candidate, party committee, or other partisan organization. Participants are responsible for the cost of travel and all related arrangements.

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